Art Inspiration And History
Portrait painting is having a major revival. These days contemporary artists are reinventing this genre to bring forth autobiographical, gender, race, and identity issues. Next to its market success, the popularity of the genre is evidenced in the huge following portrait artists have on Instagram. In this post, I share who are ten of the … Read more
Read MoreFrom the earliest times, artists have created vivid images of animals as a means of manifesting beliefs, theories, and social interactions. Starting in the Renaissance, artists began studying the anatomy of animals and included them in the backgrounds of their paintings. However, the specialty of animal painting developed until the 17th century when daily life … Read more
Read MoreThe technique of gouache has been around since ancient times. However, the term was first used in 18th-century France to describe a type of opaque paint made from pigments bound in water-soluble gum. Over time, the unique qualities of gouache resulted in its growing popularity. In particular, plein air artists and illustrators increasingly used it … Read more
Read MoreSince Paleolithic times drawing has persisted as a multifaceted form of human expression. Particularly, as is the case with other media, drawing began to flourish as an independent art form during the Renaissance when artists created detailed studies of the human body. As time went by, drawing turned into a fundamental component of every artist’s … Read more
Read MoreSince ancient times artists have portrayed arrangements of inanimate objects. However, still-life painting turned into an independent genre until the late 16th century when Flemish and Dutch artists captured intricate compositions of everyday objects. In the early days of the art form, these scenes were used to represent prosperity and were also infused with religious … Read more
Read MoreLet’s explore some of the most significant modern art movements and their key characteristics. 1872 – 1892 Impressionism Masters of color and light. Marked a radical departure from the realistic academic painting that had dominated the eras prior. Key artists: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt. Learn more about Impressionism… “When … Read more
Read MoreWatercolor is one of the eldest and most ready-to-use mediums. Experts date its existence as far back as the Paleolithic times. However, watercolors started to be recognized as an art medium until the Renaissance and from then on have continued to be used by some of the most talented artists of all times. In this … Read more
Read MoreLet’s take a closer look at Claude Monet’s Poplars series. I’ll cover: Key Details Monet painted the Poplars series in 1891 and 92. He did paint poplars on a few earlier occasions. The first was Meadow with Poplars painted in 1875. Another was Poplars in the Sun, 1887 (shown below). These early paintings are not … Read more
Read MoreLet’s take a look at some of my favorite night paintings and why they work. I’ll also provide some tips for painting the night at the end. Aert van der Neer, Moonlit Landscape With Bridge What a stunning depiction of moonlight. Van der Neer contrasted brilliant highlights against stygian blacks. The moonlight gently outlines the … Read more
Read MoreI attended the European Masterpieces exhibition the other day with Chontele, Elora, and my parents. On arrival, we were met with a line that spanned from the entrance, all the way across the front of the building, and around the corner. Not what you want to see when you are with a nearly 4-month-old baby. … Read more
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