Book Review: Art Student's League of New York on Painting

As an artist, I have always held the Art Students League in high esteem. This is the art school I wish I had attended.  This book, Art Students League of New York on Painting, Lessons and Meditations on Mediums, Styles and Methods, by James L. McElhinney and the instructors of the Art Students League, gives us the opportunity to peek into the classroom studios of many prestigious artists.
The book is divided into three sections which provide a wealth of information regarding the entire painting process.
The book reads rather like a text book and should probably be required reading for art majors\\\\\

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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

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goodbye rockabelly

i hardly have words for the rain that falls in my heart tonight..

rocky had to be put down. he was only 4 and a half years old.. He had been a very sick kitten who was not expected to live beyond a few months.. He rallied and grew to be strong and beautiful.  i was fortunate to witness that.miracle.

sadly, today his history betrayed him and he had to be put down..  this is a huge loss ,Coming so soon after kohl's passing....barely 3 weeks,

the house is so quiet tonight as we continue our journeys separately. .   good bye rocky. kohl will be waiting to welcome you when you cross that rainbow bridge.

crossing the rainbow bridge

my kohlie girl passed last night.  she was the sweetest creature and she will be missed.

RIP my baby/

Book Review: Design the Life You Love, a step-by-step guide to building a meaningfull future

When this book arrived in the mail, I was eager to get started.

Presented in a simple, easy to  understand manner, the book is filled with illustrations and spaces to record your own progress.

Designing your life (or maybe RE-designing) is accomplished in 8 steps.  It begins with a "warm up" of your right brain, where you do a simple drawing.  From there you go onto a more detail oriented study of your life, which entails "deconstruction".  This is basically listing any and all things that your life entails; friends/family/work/children/movies/art/volunteering, etc.  The list is endless, and yours alone.

The book goes onto to lead you on a search for what/who inspires your life, then asks you to shift your point of view from your present life to your future life.  At that point, you begin REconstructing your life; picking and choosing from that list you made to deconstruct, and possibly adding new things to the list.

At this point you will have created a whole new design for your life.  The book is filled with ample space, and suggestions/prompts that will help you flesh out this new design, and give it EXPRESSION.  This is accomplished through creative means of drawing, poetry, creating vision maps and such.

Exercises for deconstruction and reconstruction are presented throughout the book, as this would ideally become something you do on a regular basis.

It is not easy work.  It pushes you outside your comfort zone, perhaps.  But it is worthwhile if it triggers some shift in you to begin building a more meaningful and purposeful life.

For more information, see the following links: 

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I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

 

fall colors

was missing the autumn colors which haven't yet arrived in brooklyn....so i made my own!

some shots from the roof

watercolor sketches

still life with blue bottle 

:take your place in the great mandala....

self portrait with chins

a body of water

still life with ceramic cat

book reviewThe Watercolor Course You've Always Wanted, Guided Lessons for Beginners and Experienced Artists

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As a long time watercolor painter, I was curious about this book..The Watercolor Course You've Always Wanted... Guided Lessons for Beginners and Experienced Artists, written and illustrated by Leslie Frontz.  Many times books of this nature tend to be overly simple or so  advanced only a select few will relate.  This is not the case with this book. the text is straight forward and concise and well presented. Almost every page of this volume is illustrated, either by the author or a host of other watercolor artists.

The book opens with lists of supplies necessary to begin painting;styles of brushes, paper weights and colors.  It continues to instruct the artist in surface preparation and the benefits of a limited palette.   The first few chapters would be most beneficial to a novice.

Each lessons contains specific, step by step instructions and introduces a new concept...value, color, line and texture.  The understanding of these concepts is fundamental to creating an effective watercolor painting.

The Watercolor Course You've Always Wanted emphasizes the fluidity and grace of watercolor. I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who has ever wished to master this art form, especially to beginners.

ps   it made me want to paint!!

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Book Review: Classic Human Anatomy in Motion

   This book, Classic Human Anatomy in Motion; The Artist's Guide to the Dynamics of Figure Drawing, by Valerie L. Winslow, should belong in every visual artist's library. 

   The illustrations are informative, accurate, and well presented, as is the accompanying text.

   Geared towards the fluidity of the human form, this book is all about anatomy in motion; how the underlying muscles and bones shift/expand/contract, all resulting in the subtle nuances of the painted or drawn human form.

Throughout the book there are delightful comparisons of the male and female anatomy, using everyday objects. For instance:  A muscular male abdomen is similar to a six-pack, whereas, the female anatomy is generally softer, and violin shaped.

You can turn to any page in this work, and learn something.  Suitable for both the novice and the seasoned artist, the text is not overly difficult to understand, nor is it simplistic.

This book is sure to remain an important reference for many years to come.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review

For more information, see the following links:

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once you've heard the blue guitar

this is a painting i did several years ago. collier was alive then and he praised the piece as one of my best..."except for this line...and that line and the one over there" i had to laugh. he was pointing to the drips....which i had put in on purpose. i was trying to achieve the sense of the music cascading over the figure.
looking at it now i am unmoved by those deliberate drips...and the color, while dream like in it's monotones leaves me kinda cold.
an old friend, who knows my financial circumstances and also knows i'm prone to recycling my own canvases, once sent me fifty dollars to let this particular painting remain as is. i agreed and have spent the last few years wondering why.
maybe i've lost touch with my original concept  here but the lack of color and the very thin application of paint is so not what i do when i'm painting.
so after several years i've taken the piece off the wall; an action which usually means the painting as we know it, will soon cease to exist. and will soon reemerge in an unrecognizable form.
i don't intend to paint over the subject matter, but i need  to add some color, some texture....some, me.
so, with apologies to jim i begin the process ...
here are some ideas i am playing with.

watercolor on paper

computer print

crazy cat lady

a first attempt at glazing

previous address

mother earth

watercolor sketches

cherry pie

 

blue diesel

 

 

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flower

 

the train to coney island

 

 

dancer

 

 

morning

 

 

a place i'd like to live/a building with a balcony where i can batik again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

anatomy of a painting

a day at the met

with frank, barbara, mary and sue

and vermeer

blue dream

she dreams of burgundy walls
on a warm night in april;
wall expanding to the sky.
the universe, a shadow of blue.

boys at the water's edge,
floating in liquid blue
layers of color on canvas.
dead end.