Here’s one fresh off the easel: New Zealand, Autumn Colors (see below). This depicts Arrowtown in the South Island of New Zealand, about a 10-minute drive from Queenstown. Chontele and I spent our honeymoon there back in April. This will be the first in a series of paintings based on that trip. I’ll walk you … Read more
Let’s take a closer look at John Singer Sargent’s Staircase in Capri. Most people know Sargent for his delicate portraits, but I’m quite fond of how he painted simple, everyday subjects like this. Sargent painted it in his early days when he was around twenty-two (not bad for an early work, hey!). Simple Subject, Great … Read more
I came across a 2020 interview with one of my favorite living artists, Jeremy Mann. He shared the following wise words regarding materials (edited to remove some profanity): “It matters not the materials that one uses, it matters that the artist creates marks and paintings using the materials, which produce those marks, which speak to … Read more
Here’s a new painting fresh off the easel: Fallen Trees and Striking Contrast: I painted from the photo below. This was a hidden parkland that I stumbled across with my daughter. It may look like a simple landscape, but there’s actually a lot going on, particularly around the water. Let’s zoom in on the water … Read more
I don’t have much new work to share with you lately as I have been busy finishing up the Sunsets and Sunrises Workshop (it’s nearly there). In the meantime, here’s a flashback to one of my earlier paintings: Devil’s Kitchen. I painted this over a decade ago when I was teaching myself how to paint … Read more
Earlier this month, I featured some of Theodore Robinson’s paintings. Let’s take a closer look at one of them—A Bird’s-Eye View—to see what’s actually going on. Often, it’s better to narrow in on a single painting to get a true feel for the artist’s style and techniques. Year Created: 1889 Dimensions: 25.7 by 32 inches … Read more
Someone I’ve been meaning to write about for a while now is Theodore Robinson. He was an American artist known mostly for his peaceful landscapes. He was also one of the first Americans to take up the ways of impressionism. Robinson was academically trained at the National Academy of Design in New York and later … Read more
Hi there! I’m currently in New Zealand with Chontele. We are having a very late honeymoon while my brother and his fiancee look after our little one. While it’s not a work trip, I can’t help but take a few sneaky reference photos. Every trip here fills up my inspiration hub for years. There’s just … Read more
For your inspiration today is Isaac Levitan’s Trail in Deciduous Forest, Ferns. This painting is a great lesson on simplification, feature details, and analogous colors. Dimensions: 10.6 x 15 inches (27 × 39 cm) Year Created: 1895 Medium: Oil on Canvas Current Location: Saint Petersburg, State Russian Museum Click here to download a high-resolution photo … Read more
Let’s take a closer look at The Little Worker by Helen McNicoll—a pleasant landscape with high-key colors, compressed values, and an intimate perspective. Dimensions: 20 x 24 inches (51.3 × 61 cm) Year Created: c.1907 Medium: Oil on Canvas Current Location: Ontario Art Gallery, Toronto Click here to download a high-resolution photo of the painting. … Read more
I recently put the finishing touches on Fraser Island, Analogous Colors (see below). It’s a simple landscape with a sea of analogous greens and blues. In light of this painting, I put together a few tips for painting with analogous colors. (I also published a video walking you through the key steps of this painting. … Read more
Scumbling in art refers to a painting technique that involves applying a thin layer of paint with a dry brush and a loose hand over an existing layer. The idea is to allow parts of the already existing paint below to remain exposed. In most cases, scumbling is used over dried paint, but you can … Read more