It’s not uncommon to feel a bit of a creative let-down following all the excitement of the holidays. For the … More
Category: Exercises
Let’s Get Real
Art is very much about “finding” ourselves. We have to explore a lot of things, I think, before we can … More
“Now I Know My A B C’s…”
We’ve probably all sung that little song about learning our alphabet, and I’ve been singing it again quite often in … More
Where’s the Heron?
When I first met and fell in love — artistically speaking — with tonalist George Inness, it was his painting Home of the … More
The Tonalist Cloud
Have you ever played with Wordle? I first discovered Wordle years ago. and I’ve had a lot of fun playing … More
Painting with George
I’m loving my 31-day oil-painting project! I definitely have a lot of work to do on bare trees, but this … More
Exploding Colors
My art work over the last few days has gone in two very different directions. With my oil-painting project on … More
Little Things Can Teach Us a Lot
Here is the second of my series of index card oil paintings as I go through the month learning about tonalism … More
Inspired by Autumn
I am loving my December tonalism project. Yep, that little project where I’m taking inspiration from a few favorite artists and … More
Exploring Tonalism
I’m getting back to my studio now, spending a little time here each morning, and I’m looking forward to creating … More
Contrast
Much of what I’ve done with art recently has involved the principle of contrast. This is a key principle in design, … More
Notan
I always enjoy learning new things, especially things involving art, and especially things involving other cultures. Put them together and … More
Perspective – A Glossary
I’m reading up on perspective again. I know the concepts. I’ve read more “Perspective Made Easy” books than I want … More
Sometimes I Surprise Myself
If you’ve been reading this blog, you already know that I’m not a botanical artist. I love seeing those exquisite, … More
Depth in Drawing
Today I’m sharing another quick landscape drawing, along with a few thoughts about one of the most basic principles in … More
Wherever You Are… It’s All Right
Today I’m sharing a quick graphite sketch I recently completed. It was done on Strathmore Gray Toned Paper since that’s … More
Drawing Techniques – Grids
My first introduction to drawing with a grid came long, long years ago, back when I was barely out of … More
The Bird is the Word
Back in 1963, if you turned on the radio you might hear this silly song: It went all the way … More
Bold, Broad Strokes
Learning new techniques is one of the most enjoyable aspects of art for me. It’s always fun, of course, to … More
This I Can Do
When I first began teaching myself to draw — back in 2015 — I had absolutely no confidence in my … More