“How long will this painting take? And how do I know when I’m done?” These are two questions that artists are faced with all the time. The answers are very important for planning purposes, for figuring out the price of a painting and to maintain one’s sanity. (One might. . . read more
I like to think of myself as an intellectual artist. I don’t mean to say that I am superiorly intelligent, I just mean that my work (and the art that inspires me) stimulates the intellect as opposed to the emotions. So where does that leave me in a very emotion-orientated field? At first. . . read more
I look at a lot of art, and the one thing I see quite often among artists who haven’t been painting very long is the tendency to be too timid. It is, of course, difficult to be bold when you aren’t completely confident in your skills. . . but painting is always a dance between. . . read more
Last summer I had a close encounter with a grizzly bear. As might be expected, it was a significant event. . . but what’s unexpected is how it has shaped my view of both my life and my art. The story begins in Glacier National Park where I was visiting our son. My sister-in-law and. . . read more
I read another post today with the same message I’ve been hearing and reading lately—that art is dead. It was written by another artist frustrated with the current state of art shows and buyers. I’ve heard the same message in different voices and permutations for a few years. . . read more
As a tried-and-true coloured pencil artist, I was often discouraged by teachers during my high school art studies, frowned upon at college and turned away from galleries I’ve approached (though I might add, with encouraging feedback). You may wonder why I haven’t turned against my chosen. . . read more
Being an artist can be tough, because everybody has an opinion about your work. Even art school can be cruel. You have to develop a tough skin if you want to be an artist! That being said, there is an important distinction between a valuable piece of criticism and an opinion. What is that. . . read more
Being a hardened user of traditional media (and not the most techie of folk) my involvement so far in the world of digital art has simply been to admire those who are clearly extremely proficient in its creation. Over time, however, my interest has increased—and with it, I’ve gained a. . . read more
Why do I hate so much of our 20th century visual art with such a passion? I’m certainly not that way with music. I have everything from Mozart to the Sex Pistols on my iPod, and if I hear some awful music, I don’t rail against it. . . I just ignore it. But I [...]. . . read more
I had to run back into the house last Friday to get another tourniquet. As I raced back out I passed the open laptop in the kitchen and saw about 20 messages with the name of an essay I had recently written in the subject line. . . read more
As an artist who has just returned, road weary and exhausted from two back-to-back outdoor art festivals, I take great exception to those who look down on artists who choose to make their livelihood this way. They haughtily thumb their nose at me and a large number of my colleagues by stating. . . read more
Here's a question for you. In your opinion, do you think the following painting would be accepted into a juried art fair by a typical jury in 2011? Or, if you're not sure about that one, what about. . . read more
No one can deny that the internet opens up numerous opportunities for the artist, but how does selling online compare to a more traditional route? Today I want to compare and contrast the two. . . read more
The term “starving artist” is so familiar it has its own page on Wikipedia. So I was intrigued (and perplexed) when I read a blog post where artists were being called “money grabbing" instead. . . read more