A Closer Look at Claude Monet’s Poplars Series

Let’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

Claude Monet – Master of Color and Light

“Monet is just an eye, but God, what an eye.” Paul Cézzane on Claude Monet If you forced me to choose an all-time favorite artist, I would have to go with Claude Monet. Discovering his work led me down an endless rabbit hole of color, light, and the challenge of capturing life’s fleeting effects on … Read more

Claude Monet’s Skies

Claude Monet’s skies are a masterclass in color and movement. Vivid sunsets, pastel evenings, hazy mornings, booming clouds, and glimmering broken colors. I put together a collection of my favorites (see below). Here are some key observations from these paintings: He was a master of broken color. His paintings appear to vibrate with all the tiny … Read more

A Closer Look at Woman With a Parasol by Claude Monet

Let’s take a closer look at Woman With a Parasol by Claude Monet. This painting embodies Impressionism and Monet’s work. A fleeting moment captured with light colors and fresh strokes. I’ll cover: (You can download a high-resolution version of the painting here. You get to see Monet’s strokes with remarkable clarity.) Key Facts and Ideas … Read more

A Closer Look at the Poppy Field by Claude Monet

“I must have flowers, always, and always.” Claude Monet In this post, I take a closer look at a pleasant landscape painting named The Poppy Field by Claude Monet. It depicts four people (probably including Monet’s wife and son) strolling through a poppy field at Argenteuil, Paris. Unlike many of the other paintings I write … Read more

A Closer Look at Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet

In this post, I take a closer look at one of my favorite paintings, Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet—the painting which gave Impressionism its name. Key Facts About Impression, Sunrise “Impression I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it – and … Read more

How to Paint like Claude Monet

In this post, I will be taking a deeper look into one of my favorite artists, Claude Monet. Monet and many of the other great Impressionists have been instrumental to my own development as an artist, particularly in relation to color and brushwork. Like many other aspiring artists, when I started painting I was fascinated … Read more

Using Google Arts & Culture To See The Master Paintings Up Close

Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online initiative that provides public access to extremely high-resolution photos of artworks and cultural objects. The initiative has partnered with many museums to provide intimate access to some of the most famous paintings in history. Below are some of my favorite master paintings up close. The first … Read more

The Cliffs Of Étretat Through The Eyes Of Different Artists

The cliffs at Étretat seem to be a popular subject to paint. They have been painted by several famous artists such as Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin, Gustave Courbet, Gustave Loiseau and Henri Matisse. The reason the cliffs are such a popular subject to paint is most likely the naturally strong design created by the formation … Read more