This month’s featured artist is Bob Kuhn. He’s my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for acrylic painting inspiration. Master acrylic painters are few and far between. It seems like most people who start with acrylics eventually migrate to oils for their increased versatility. That’s what I did many years ago. But Kuhn demonstrates you can … Read more
“I wish above all things … to associate my work with the portrayal of my own sunny land and her peoples.” Hilda Rix Nicholas in a letter to John Robert Chisman (Source) This month’s featured artist is Hilda Rix Nicholas. She was an Australian artist with a distinct, illustrative style. One of my readers recommended … Read more
“There are two kinds of artists, the emotional painter and academician. The academician can paint into old age sitting on his stool licking his canvas until 98 years of age. The emotional artist burns himself up; he does not live long. The academician always creates something acceptable, boring, but acceptable. The emotional artist often misses, … Read more
I came across this artist via James Gurney’s blog (a worthwhile read if you ever need inspiration). Nordström was a Swedish landscape painter with a unique, whimsical style as if he were painting a dream. I don’t like all his work equally. There are a handful of paintings that stand above the rest in my … Read more
It was my 33rd birthday back in June. My mother gifted me her favorite art book about the life and work of Margaret Olley. I could tell it was well used by the worn edges. Olley’s work is cheery and intimate. She painted complex interiors and still lifes with rich colors and painterly brushwork. Her studio … Read more
This month’s featured artist is Elizabeth Nourse, an American realist painter known for her wonderful portraits and genre scenes. She achieved international recognition during her lifetime, which would have been no easy feat at a time when the world was rife with discrimination. This video provides a pleasant overview of her life and work: One … Read more
This month’s featured artist is Michael Ancher. A Danish realist artist known for his depictions of fishermen. He was also a member of the Skagen Painters. His wife, Anna Ancher was also a remarkable artist. I analyzed her painting Interior. Brøndum’s Annex at the start of 2022. Here’s a gallery of his work: Here are … Read more
This month’s featured artist is American portrait painter, Cecilia Beaux. Her work has a similar quality to that of John Singer Sargent. Remarkable realism with full, luscious strokes. In Mother and Daughter Cecilia Beaux, look at those skin tones and the glowing dash of yellow. In Ernesta, look at the powerful highlights and use of … Read more
“My work is different, perhaps, from that of the general landscape painter in that I have a mass of detail in the mass. After all, one’s job is to get everything in and yet keep it all as a whole, like an orchestra – everything working in harmony to produce one feeling or emotion.” Daniel … Read more
This month’s featured artist is Gustav Klimt. His work lines up nicely with this month’s training report on pushing your ideas. Klimt certainly wasn’t timid with conveying his ideas. He would pick a direction with each artwork and really drive it home. Of course, this is a polarizing approach and his work won’t be for … Read more