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Pursuing the HOW in painting is  very important, but so is the WHY.  As an artist, one should grow by understanding the visual world that is all encompassing and the immense stimulation that it offers.  An artist must become familiar and very comfortable with the subject matter used in their paintings.  Those paintings should capture the feelings, and the overall attitudes of the subject matter used.
What an artist creates is good art...

 
FAMILY TIES
Curator Statement: Ellie Brown
Since the integration of television and other mass media into the daily lives of families, there has always been an idealized model of what a family should look like and how a family should behave.  In the 21st century this idealized notion has been shaken, argued, contested, redefined and re-contextualized from the very roots from which is has been portrayed. Now the idea of family can mean anything from two moms, a close-knit group of friends, an online community, a local group and even a nuclear family whether it is in tact or not.
The changes in the idea of family are not new and have been evolving both publically and privately for decades. The 21st Century brings us the...

Kids in strollers are mesmerized. Passers-by stop and stare. Visitors marvel at the whimsical metal sculptures. Everyone gazes in awe at the artistic adventure that is the yellow stucco 1942 home of artist Don Carlson and his wife, video producer Melissa Kane.

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On their sunny porch in Richmond is a bench Carlson made out of an air compressor tank. In the backyard, a mock-monstrous creature whose pointy teeth are clenched closed is actually a functioning barbecue whose smoke vents through its nostrils. There is a large metal sunflower with a discarded Christmas tree stand as its face
and trowel blades for the leaves encircling it. A bulbous, rusted tank that once held a fire-extinguishing agent serves as a fire pit surrounded by old milk cans as stools for fireside chats.
Some of the most charming elements in Carlson's outdoor decor are pairs of old work boots that have been given a sparkly glaze so they look ceramic. They've been transformed into mini-planters for cascading succulents. Carlson borrowed the idea from a book called "Planted Junk: A New Approach to Container Gardening" by Adam Caplin. Six pairs edge the steps to a small wooden deck outside the kitchen door, giving the entrance to the backyard a fairy-tale feel, as if some enchanted cobbler had left them behind.
The materials for all the art pieces and almost...

Painting in oil has become one of the primary means of artistic expression since its development in the 15th century. It provides the artist with many advantages. With linseed oil as the binder for the color pigment, an extended drying time and a durable and flexible paint layer were the most important improvements over previous media along with many qualities of painted surface resulting in smooth to rich thick impasto brushwork. Extended drying time gave the artist time to rework and blend paint layers into fine gradations called chiaroscuro and impasto gave portions of the painting a dimensional texture that expressed the painters paint application style. The artist, in the later stages of painting, could use a medium of oil to create glazes of transparent color to enhance the color and surface of the painting, creating an incredible likeness of the real world. Artists have used the medium of oil paint through the centuries to extend its possibilities in technique and style. From the classical masters to the current contemporary masters it provides an enduring media in the visual arts.When I first started learning painting in oil when I was 16, I had gained experience from paint by number...

The history of art making includes the footnote about how beginning artists acquire skills & practicing artists maintain skills by drawing & painting the figure.  There is something a bit better.  Most accomplished figure limners or modelers reach an...

"The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is...

 
The last half dozen times I’ve taught a portrait drawing class, there have been friends who took the class together.  Each pair enjoyed the experience and the reflected benefit of bringing a gentle friendly critic to take off any painful edges they might...

Reserve your spot now for "Refueling the Creative Mind," a presentation featuring creativity coach Jurgen Wolff slated for Saturday October 17, 2009!
Time: Registration: 8:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.          Presentation from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.(lunch break from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.)Location: Bainbridge Pavilion Cinemas          403 N. Madison, Bainbridge IslandCost: $65 early registration (August 1 – 31)         $85 regular registration (after August 31)         $60 group fee (5 or more people registering together)Register Now
In a presentation by this popular writing coach, writers will be led through a series of connected seminars to explore four innovative,...

This year's Kenmore Art Show is great! I have 2 pieces of...

1) Make New FriendsOne of the reasons so I’m passionate about art as a “hobby” is that you meet interesting people that you would likely never meet outside your “normal circle” of business or family.
Some of the most interesting, creative, smartest people I’ve ever met have been in an art class or workshop—not in a boardroom.  I’ve also traveled to some amazing places because art lead me down that path. 2) Lifelong Companion Think of learning art as the best gift you can yourself. Unlike say, skiing or polo (seemed like a good idea at the time), I realized at an early age that art could be a life long skill that I could enjoy forever.
Over the years, some of the most creative, amazing artists...