“Russia – country of landscapes… I hope the time will come, when all Russian nature, alive and penetrated by spirit, will look from canvases of Russian artists…” Ivan Shishkin Few have captured nature’s delicate beauty like Ivan Shishkin. A Russian master who tasted the rare fruits of an artist’s success but also bitter tragedy. I … Read more
“Painting is but another word for feeling.” John Constable In this post, I take a closer look at a moody English landscape painting named The Hay Wain by John Constable. I cover: Key Facts and Ideas Here are some of the key facts and ideas about the painting: It was originally titled Landscape: Noon, but … Read more
In this post, I walk you step-by-step through my New Zealand Reflections painting. This was done in oils on a 20×24 inch canvas. For those of you who paint in acrylics or watercolors, many of the fundamental concepts still apply; the main difference between the mediums is the way you apply the paint. I cover: … Read more
“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
Josh Clare is a remarkable landscape painter who impressed me with his controlled, yet painterly brushwork and his peaceful depictions of the landscape. I reached out to him with some questions about his life and work as an artist. The questions and his answers are below, along with some of his beautiful paintings: Q: How … Read more
In this post, I provide you with some guidance on how to paint mist, fog, smoke, and other transient effects. These effects are typically challenging to capture on a flat surface due to their elusive and fleeting nature. Many artists seem to be either too timid with their approach or too bold. I cover the following … Read more
Waterfalls are a fantastic subject to paint, particularly as a study of edges, color, and movement. But they can be challenging, with all the twists, turns, breaks, reflections, and turbulence as the water crashes down through the rocks. In this post, I will provide you with some guidelines for painting waterfalls, using master paintings and … Read more
Most people know Sir Winston Churchill for his role as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945. But few know that he was also an avid painter. In this post, I take a closer look at some of his paintings and his life in the arts. I cover: “Painting is a companion … Read more
I recently spent a night at the beautiful Secrets on the Lake in Queensland, Australia with my partner, Chontele. We stayed in a secluded lodge nestled amongst the dense rainforest. I used this trip as a chance to test out some of my new plein air painting equipment. But, despite the stunning nature which surrounded … Read more
In this post, you will learn fundamental tips for painting grass. The idea of this post is not to show you a strict, step-by-step process. Instead, I want to take the fundamental ideas and theories and show you how they can be applied to painting grass. This is much the same format as my earlier … Read more