Monday Morning Art School: simplification
This exercise, so critical to the success or failure of painting, is also important because it stresses the beauty inherent in all objects. Prom shoes, 6×8, oil on canvas, Carol L. Douglas, $348 unframed A major part of learning to paint is learning to see, and in the process, learning to draw. Part of this …
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Not in MY backyard!
The choice is a stark one: either we cut consumption, or we start supporting efforts to bring more green energy into our homes. Which will it be? The Alaska Range, oil on canvasboard, 12X16, $1159 unframed. I have driven along pipelines many times in my perambulations in the Great White North. I’ve found them interesting …
Welcome back to real life
We’re just beginning to fathom the changes between the pre-COVID and post-COVID worlds. The last time I was in the Picker Room of the Camden Public Library was for an opening for my pal Peter Yesis. That was the last opening the library had before COVID shut it down, programs coordinator Julia Pierce told me …
Monday Morning Art School: The Canon of Human Proportions
Vitruvian Man, c. 1492, by Leonardo da Vinci. Throughout history, artists have subjected the human figure to canons of proportion. That means they’ve overridden what they see, in favor of what they think is beautiful or graceful. In fact, in some cultures (classical India, for example), drawing from life was not considered an advantage. And …
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Generalization is a trap
In science or art, it’s always better to describe what you see, rather than what you think you know. Figure painting by Carol L. Douglas Somatotypingwas developed in the 1940s by psychologist William Sheldon. He sorted the human physique into three ‘somatotypes’: Ectomorphs are tall, skinny, weak, and have low testosterone levels. Mesomorphs are naturally hard and …