Paralysis
Me, working again. What a relief. Any artist who tells you they have never suffered from creative paralysis is a liar. In my case, this is often the first step of a major series of work. It takes the form of extreme anxiety, where I can’t even walk through my studio doors. My solution is …
John Constable, master of plein air
Reverse of Branch Hill Pond, Hampstead, oil on canvas by John Constable, about.1821-22. Recently discovered during relining at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. As everyone knows, the Barbizon and Impressionist painters invented plein air painting—except, of course, that they didn’t. An Italian trip had long been a requisite of study for the best European …
MacGyvered
One of Alexey Kljatov’s exquisite snowflake photos. Albrecht Durer was renowned for his skill in painting detail. There’s a legend that he was once asked by the artist Giovanni Bellini for the brushes with which he painted hair. Durer handed Bellini an unremarkable brush. ‘I do not mean this, I mean the brushes you use …
Some words of advice for the young artist
Last week I wrote about a young art school graduate’s struggles to make a career. In response, some of my successful artist friends have offered him advice. Brad Marshall Brad Marshall is represented by the Fischbach Gallery in Manhattan and has been featured in American Artist. He says: Patience is required for success in art. …
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Nothing lasts forever
The Descent from the Cross (c. 1435), by Rogier van der Weyden. The majority of his work was probably destroyed; we can only guess at its extent. I recently wroteabout the destruction of Egyptian antiquities during their recent political revolutions. This is by no means the only targeting of antiquities in the current Muslim insurgency. The …