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 Friday, July 31, 2009
Tip file: Brighten up your paintings
From Howard Rose, in the July 1998 issue of The Artist's Magazine: To liven up your work experiment with bright, unrealistic colors, such as an orange sky.
Learn more:
By Grace Dobush | Tips
7/31/2009 12:45:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Thursday, July 30, 2009
Random awesomeness
 So much good stuff on the Internet lately, I tell ya. And by the way, here at The Artist's Magazine HQ we're getting onto the Twitter bandwagon (twandwagon?). Follow us: @artistsnetwork and @artistsmagazine.
By Grace Dobush | Cool Web sites | Projects | Random Thoughts
7/30/2009 10:20:59 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Use the Web to bolster your art career
 We're already gearing up for the next online seminar—" Create an Online Presence: How to Use Websites, Blogs and Social Networking to Enhance Your Art Career," presented by yours truly on August 11.
If you’re just getting into the
waters of the Web, we’ll help you navigate the three main outlets you
need to consider: websites, blogs and social networking. You'll learn:
- Strategies for optimizing digital photos
- The essential components of a great website
- Secrets of social networking
- How to set up your own blog
In addition to
online access to the recording of the session, everyone who registers for this seminar will receive a free copy of The Complete Guide To Selling Your Art Online. Plus: You can submit the URL and screenshot of your website, online shop or blog to be considered for a critique during the seminar. Click here for all the details and to sign up!
Advice | By Grace Dobush | News
7/29/2009 9:37:20 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Top winners at Telluride
 Alley Color by Jill Carver (oil, 12x16)Once an 1800's mining town and now a popular ski resort, Telluride, CO, is fast gaining  a reputation among landscape artists and collectors as home to a superb plein-air show. Earlier this month, the sixth annual Telluride Plein Air festival unfolded in this charming mountain town—one dotted with pastel-colored Victorian homes and gardens brimming with flowers. Set against the majestic San Juan Mountains, the outdoor exhibit features a select group of about 30 artists every year. This year three of the top winners were painters who've been featured as an Artist to Watch in Southwest Art. Texas painter Jill Carver took home first prize (her Alley Color is above), and Northern California artist Lana Rak won the quick draw contest. Douglas Morgan, also from Northern California, received the Southwest Art award of excellence for his body of work, including The Fourth (at right). Doug reports that he sold 16 paintings at the show! Is the economy starting to slowly turn around? New home sales jumped 11 percent in June... and new homes need art. —Bonnie Gangelhoff
Dispatches from the West
7/27/2009 1:08:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, July 23, 2009
July Artists Network News!
Don't miss our own inimitable Grace Dobush's report on the news behind the scenes here at The Artist's Magazine, The Pastel Journal, Watercolor Artist, North Light Books, and, last but not least, ArtistsNetwork.TV.
By Maureen Bloomfield | News | Videos
7/23/2009 3:14:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Upcoming Online Seminar: Nita Leland
Our online seminars have been hugely popular; don’t miss the next one in which Nita Leland debunks myths about creativity. Offering an assortment of practical exercises, as well as lots of encouragement, Leland will show you how to break free from old habits. With her guidance, you can start to acquire the confidence that will allow you to take chances in your art. Well known for her watercolors and collages, Nita is a best-selling North Light author ( The New Creative Artist: A Guide To Developing Your Creative Spirit, Exploring Color, Confident Color, etc). If you haven’t met Nita in a workshop or seen her on ArtistsNetwork.TV, you’re in for a treat. She's wonderful! The initial presentation will last about an hour; during the last fifteen minutes, Nita will respond to your questions. Sign up today for next Tuesday's session. Creativity: Develop Your Natural Creativity and Grow As An ArtistJuly 28th 1:00 EST
By Maureen Bloomfield | News
7/23/2009 10:22:02 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Art Crime
Italy is the epicenter for art crime. And art crime is the third-highest-grossing illegal business in the world. Working in the field and with retired F.B.I. agents, students at Noah Charney's school in Amelia, Italy can become near-experts (earning a master's degree) in three months. Read about the intriguing international scene—the problem of security at museums, cathedrals, and excavations; the nuances of art law; the practice of looting in broad daylight, and the myriad strategies for recovery and restoration—in "A Master's in Art Crime (No Cloak and Dagger)." And, also in today's Arts section of The New York Times, Ken Johnson reviews Reconfiguring the Body in American Art, 1820-2009, an exhibition on view at the National Academy Museum through November 15th: "The Human Figure, Dressed up, Down, and Often Not at All."
By Maureen Bloomfield | Exhibits | News
7/22/2009 9:59:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Deep In The Art Of Texas
Waxahachie. Dallas. Fort Worth. Austin. Fredericksburg and San Antone. Southwest Art’s Jill Johns and Colleen Franco recently took a business road trip through Texas. When they rolled into Waxahachie on the first leg of the journey, a huge marquee in front of an old courthouse greeted them. Colleen snapped a photo. Amazed, the two women were even more so when local impressionist painter Jerral Derryberry led them inside—it’s now an art center—and 35 artists welcomed them, each with a painting on display. Soon a reporter from the town newspaper, The Daily Light, showed up on the scene to write a story about Derryberry, who organized the event. “The artists were so excited we were there. One of the things we experienced on our trip is that Texas seems like such a welcoming state,” says Colleen who calls Albuquerque home. Waxahachie is a town of 21,000 people about 30 miles south of Dallas. Two claims to fame: The movies Tender Mercies (1983) and Places in the Heart (1984) were filmed here. —Bonnie Gangelhoff
Dispatches from the West
7/21/2009 10:34:38 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, July 20, 2009
Thank A Teacher
As we get The Artist’s Magazine’s October issue ready for the printer, our September issue is on its way to you. If you're not a subscriber (you should be!), look for it on the newsstands August 11th. In addition to over 300 workshop listings, the September issue has a marvelous article on a Dallas initiative that integrates the arts into the standard middle and upper school curriculum ("Kids Get Smart With Art," by Tucker Coombe). The premise is simple and incontestable: students learn best when they engage all aspects of their being: their bodies as well as their brains. Mathematical intervals make sense when you're dancing; optics, when you mix colors of paint or play with stage lights. Read about arts initiatives across the country in the Wallace Foundation's report, produced by the RAND Corporation, " Revitalizing Arts Education through Community-Wide Coordination". Reading Tucker Coombe’s article (and the tributes pouring in from former students of Frank McCourt) reminded me of the wonderful teachers who so influenced my life. In my letter from the editor in the September issue, I urged you drop a line to an art teacher you're grateful to. If you've lost touch, I invite you to post the letter here. Maybe it will find its way to her or him!
By Maureen Bloomfield | Random Thoughts
7/20/2009 10:01:44 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, July 17, 2009
Visiting the Portland Art Museum
Well, all, I'm off to the Pacific Northwest again next week! My one definite plan is to take in the Portland Art Museum. It's kinda ridiculous that I've been to Portland twice already and never made it there. The current exhibition list is really impressive:
Virtual Worlds: M.C. Escher and Paradox
Through Sept. 13: Printmaker Maurits Cornelis Escher created visual puzzles in which logic and absurdity coexist. This exhibition traces the development of the artist’s work from his early stylized depictions of landscape and architecture to his later use of repeated geometric patterns.
Marking Portland: The Art of Tattoo
Through Sept 7: Experience the art of tattoo—through time and across cultures—with Museum-wide kiosks showcasing tattoo-related art from the permanent collections and interactive, multimedia presentations featuring Portland-area tattoos and their stories.
Sensitive Vision: The Prints of Beth Van Hoesen
Through Aug. 16: This retrospective of prints by San Francisco artist Beth Van Hoesen features approximately 70 prints drawn from the permanent collection of the Portland Art Museum.
Can't wait! See y'all in 10 days!
By Grace Dobush | Exhibits | Random Thoughts
7/17/2009 11:14:17 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tip file: Dealing with rejection
From Debora Meltz, in the April 1994 issue of The Artist's Magazine: Don't be discouraged by show rejections. No artist is accepted to every juried show. As in any other aspect of life, there are trends in art that you shouldn't care to follow, but jurors are human. What looks passe may look fresh and exciting a few years down the road. So hang in there.
By Grace Dobush | Tips
7/16/2009 11:38:11 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Best of the 2009 Learning and Product Expo: Chicago
Note from Grace: This guest blog comes from my coworker Kelly. Enjoy! Linda Kemp teaches workshop attendees new applications for negative painting. The first of two Learning and Product Expos was held in Chicago this past weekend. Artists came from all over to take workshops with their favorite instructors, score some excellent deals on art supplies and check out new products. As an editor for North Light Books, it was exciting to see some of our authors in action and so many of our readers at the show. 
Artistsnetwork.com, a media sponsor of the show, had a booth with show attendees scooping up deals on books from North Light, issue compilations from The Artist’s Magazine and DVDs from ArtistsNetwork.TV. North Light authors Laurie Humble and Joyce Faulknor signed their books at the booth, too. You can see them giving one another's books the once over (right).
In addition to deals at manufacturer’s booths, the workshops drew a lot of interest from the crowds, especially the free demonstrations held in the shows pavilion stage. Patti Brady, author of Rethinking Acrylic, gave a free demonstration on the properties of acrylic paint (below), while Linda Kemp, author of Watercolor: Painting Outside the Lines, taught workshop attendees new applications for negative painting (up top). 
Patti Brady gives a free demonstration on the properties of acrylic paint. My favorite part of the show was the Next Top Artist competitions held on Friday and Saturday. Each competition began with five contestants who were given three colors and were asked to complete a painting on a given subject in eight minutes. From there, the judges eliminated two contestants. The remaining three contestants were given another color for use in their palette and a new subject to paint in five minutes.  The winner received a gift certificate from show sponsor Dick Blick, $100 in books from North Light, Holbein acrylic paints or Sennelier, as well as bragging rights for at least a year. Congratulations to Christy Groner (at right) who won first place in the acrylic competition on Friday for her portrait of Ed Brickle from Canson and to Judy Gray who one first place in the pastel competition on Saturday for her portrait of audience member Susan Henshaw.
Visit the Learning and Product Expo website to learn more about the show and to register for the Pasadena show in October.
—Kelly C. Messerly
News | Shows and Events
7/14/2009 2:32:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Comment problems
If you've tried to leave a comment on this blog in the last few weeks but weren't able to get it to post, please let me know via e-mail.
Include in the e-mail what operating system (such as Windows Vista or
Mac OSX) and Internet browser you use (such as Internet Explorer/IE7 or
Firefox 2.0).
By Grace Dobush
7/14/2009 1:37:50 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, July 13, 2009
The best of Native American art
 Chief Two Bears by Kevin Red Star Kevin Red Star. Dan
Namingha. David Bradley. Emmi  Whitehorse: These are just some of the best contemporary
Indian artists working today Southwest Art is featuring in its
annual Native American issue.
From
Namingha's eye-catching clay pottery (featured at right and on the cover) to Whitehorse's
colorful abstract canvases, these artists offer
fresh visual voices which take traditional Native art on journeys up, up and away
from stereotypical imagery. What these artists share in common is that they
honor their Hopi, Zuni or Crow cultures while bringing a modern spin
to their artwork. For example, Whitehorse says she gleans inspiration
from the patterns in Navajo rugs her grandmother wove as well as from photos posted
online from the Hubble Space Telescope and the ciphers and codes that intrigued her
on a visit to the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.  Neap Tide by Emmi Whitehorse
To read all about them, pick up a copy of Southwest
Art’s August issue.—Bonnie
Gangelhoff
Dispatches from the West | Notable Artists
7/13/2009 9:20:23 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, July 10, 2009
NEA awards $50M in grants
The National Endowment for the Arts awarded nearly $50 million in grants through the Recovery Act this week, with about $30 million going to individual art nonprofits, and about $20 million going to state and regional arts foundations. The main purpose of the grants is job preservation and sustained service through the economic downturn. Individual nonprofits mostly were awarded $25,000 or $50,000. Each state art organization is receiving about $300,000, with smaller amounts going to agencies in US territories and larger amounts for regional art organizations. I was especially excited to see an organization I wrote about in the July/August issue of The Artist's Magazine on the list of recipients. Contemporary art gallery SPACES in Cleveland was one of the places mentioned in "Rust Belt Revitalized." I got senior marketing and development manager Sarah Hoyt on the phone this morning, and she says of the grant, "It's huge, really." "With the state of the economy, it's very difficult to find people who are able to give general operating support. So this $25,000 is salary support for our communications manager, which means that we'll be able to continue reaching out to our audiences," Hoyt says. "Without it, we would have had to cut into general operating funds and possibly even cut from our staff. You never know what other funding might not appear, but this solidifies our base." See the list of all state and regional art organizations that received grants here, and the individual nonprofits receiving money here.
By Grace Dobush | News
7/10/2009 11:16:18 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, July 09, 2009
Tip file: knife painting
From Joyce Pike, in the June 1988 issue of The Artist's Magazine: Before I work with a painting knife, I usually set the mood and work out my composition and color with a brush. Then I use the knife to make clean, clear strokes where a brush would disturb or remove the underlying paint.
Learn more:
By Grace Dobush | Tips
7/9/2009 9:14:03 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Tales from the psych ward
 Darryl Cunningham draws cartoons based on his time working in a psychiatric ward. I guess it's contradictory to call works of such serious subject matter "comics," but what can you do? The stories are absolutely fascinating, and he just found a publisher, so we'll soon be able to read more of them. Click here to read the Psychiatric Tales and see his other cartoons.
By Grace Dobush | Cool Web sites | Random Thoughts
7/8/2009 3:07:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Reality show seeks contemporary artists
Still looking for your 15 minutes of fame? Cable network Bravo is now casting for an as-yet-untitled art project produced by Sarah Jessica Parker and the makers of "Project Runway." Read on: How do you go from struggling, emerging or even semi-established
artist to selling a complete show for $198 million? It’s a big art
world out there, but maybe this is one place to start! ...If you’re an emerging or mid-career artist with a unique, powerful voice that demands a bigger stage – well. . . Here. It. Is. We want contemporary artists. Your medium could be one of many (or
several of many) – painting, sculpture, installation, video,
photography, mixed-media – we want voices that believe in their art and
want the world to know.
On the application, which you can download from the Bravo site, you can get a feeling of how they're setting up the show by the questions they ask: What is the most scandalous thing you have done in your life as an artist? For your art? What annoys you about other artists? What is cliche in the art world right now?
Meow! If the reality formula holds true, they'll find a lot of hot young artists with big egos (and one poor sucker with humility), put them in a house, submit them to public judgment and watch the sparks fly. The show...
will bring together twelve aspiring artists to
compete for a gallery show, a cash prize and a sponsored national
tour. In each episode, contestants will create unique works of art
highlighting art's role in everyday life, while they compete and create
in a range of disciplines including sculpture, painting, photography
and industrial design (to name a few). In working beyond their
preferred mediums, artists will have to adapt quickly to changes in
order to succeed. Completed works of art will be appraised by a panel
of top art world figures including fellow artists, gallerists,
collectors, curators and critics. The finalists' work will be
showcased in a nation-wide museum tour. If you think you're up for it, there are casting calls in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and New York starting this weekend. (And, for the love of god, tell me if you apply!) The show films on location for three to five weeks this fall and again next year. Click here to see the details.
By Grace Dobush | News
7/7/2009 9:28:37 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, July 06, 2009
5 best little art museums out West
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver. Sure, there are great museums in big cities west of the Mississippi. But if you take a road trip this summer, don't overlook these little gems of art museums: - Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, WY: Located is in a historic building downtown, the
 museum features exhibitions of works by top regional and national artists, ranging from traditional to edgy. Locals refer to it as "The Nic." Paintings by California-based artist Jorge Santos (whose painting Flight Instructor is at right) are on view through August 22.
- National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, WY: This scenic mountain town attracts skiers in winter and hikers in summer. But the western-flavored retreat is also home to a museum that displays a treasure trove of fine wildlife art by masters such as Bob Kuhn and Robert Bateman.
- Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA: Perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the museum offers superb presentations spotlighting Golden State artists. Exhibitions range from excellent early and contemporary plein-air painting to pop culture phenomena like surf art.
- Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA: Located equal distances from San Diego and Los Angeles, this desert art oasis has a sophisticated, international flavor with works by Henry Moore, Louise Bourgeois, Georgia O'Keeffe and Ed Ruscha. Check out the eye-popping Dale Chihuly chandelier.
- Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenberg, AZ: Tucked away in a small town between Phoenix and Sedona, Desert Caballeros is dedicated to preserving the West. On my visit, the museum was showcasing an incredible cache of Navajo rugs. The museum also hosts Cowgirl Up!, an annual show billed as the place to see "the best western women artists all in one place at one time."
—Bonnie Gangelhoff
Dispatches from the West | Exhibits
7/6/2009 9:12:39 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, July 02, 2009
Tip file: 5 portrait painting pointers
From Constance Flavell Pratt, in the November 1987 issue of The Artist's Magazine: To ensure your portraits are strong paintings, follow these five steps:
- make your model comfortable
- keep your materials within easy reach
- control the light
- plan your painting from the beginning
- and check and recheck the likeness.
Learn more:
By Grace Dobush | Tips
7/2/2009 9:24:26 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Cloudy sky inspirations
 I took this picture on a road trip recently—the evening sky was just blowing me away. I fully intend to do something with this image (I've been dabbling in acrylics but don't dare show anyone yet). I've come across a lot of great cloud images recently. Like the Times Online's 10 best clouds, with great images. And the Telegraph, another British newspaper, put up a slideshow of extraordinary clouds—these formations are so amazing you'll hardly believe they're real. More books for cloud inspiration: And some demos and articles about painting clouds:
By Grace Dobush | Photography | Random Thoughts
7/1/2009 9:20:17 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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