My Study in Scarlet

I love it when things converge around me. Call it coincidence, call it synchronicity, call it whatever you like. A … More

Disaster at Sea

Somewhere I found a browser add-on that includes a breath-taking picture, a place to list my to-do’s for the day, … More

Art and Music – Memorization

As a pianist, I’ve always struggled with memorization. It doesn’t come easily for me. Recently I spent weeks memorizing Schumann’s Melodie, a … More

Eine Kleine Nacht… Kunst

First, apologies to Carsten Wieland or any other German speakers…I hope I wrote my title correctly. I’ve been doing a … More

September is Here!

I love September. I always have, and I’m sure I always will. Really, what’s not to love? Although it’s still … More

Basic Brush Strokes – Blending Techniques

Over the next few weeks I’ll be learning about — and practicing — lots of different brush strokes for oil … More

Do I Have an Egbert?

I wrote about brushes once before — when I was first doing watercolor painting. That was a little over two … More

A Definite Improvement — Or Not?

Recently I wrote about the process of critiquing our own art, and I used a painting I’d recently finished as … More

Critiquing Our Art

Having studied art now for several years, I’ve learned that two specific things tend to give us problems: Knowing when … More

Finding Value in Acrylics

I’m never going to be an acrylic artist, but along with toning canvases, I’m finding another good use for all the acrylic paints I have sitting by my easel.

Under Construction

I have never been good at drawing buildings, and when it comes to painting them, I’m even worse. I struggled … More

Building Blocks

Canvas panels are piling up around my house. I keep a good supply of them — in all sizes — … More

The Call of the Sea

Every summer I re-read Treasure Island, and without fail, I begin to hear the call of the sea. As an artist, … More

The Age of Innocence

When I was growing up, a beautiful framed reproduction of The Age of Innocence hung above my bed. Even as a young … More

If It Looks Like a Duck…

I recently joined a Facebook group where members contribute photographs for artists to use as references. If you’re interested, here’s … More

My Fate in a Fortune Cookie

I have always been a believer in fortune cookies. More times than I can count, I’ve opened one, pulled out … More

Painting from the Heart

As I learn more about art and oil painting, I’m learning a lot of other things, too. I’m learning about … More

The Art of Practice – Tip #9

Oh, this is a good tip — one I definitely need! Stop Sooner Move on, or set it aside as … More

The Finer Things in Art

In my on-going quest to paint more realistic trees — meaning trees that actually look like trees — one of … More

May I Have Your Attention, Please?

There is a very long story behind this painting, much too long to recount here. Suffice it to say that … More