Favorite Places in Art

La Orana Maria (Hail Mary)
Paul Gauguin
1891
oil
88x114 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art

I'm posting rather late this weekend, but was celebrating my daughter's 10th birthday with seven energetic tween girls here for most of the weekend, so the blog took a big backseat yesterday and today, as I 'm sure you can understand!

Anyway, I thought I'd still get my post in for the weekend, since it is our last one with a focus on the masters, and tomorrow we will be starting with a new topic.

I was looking through many pictures of art of some of the most famous painters, and it struck me that, integrated with their personal style was a unique view of place.

Just think of Gauguin, and what place comes to mind right away? Or Winslow Homer, or Turner (a few places...)

My point is, that how the masters painted their favorite places imprinted upon us forever a beautiful memory of that place- whether we had ever been there or not.

The Grand Canal- Venice
Joseph M.W. Turner
c. 1825-1850
91x122 cm
National Gallery, Washington DC

I have never been to Tahiti or Venice, but Gauguin and Turner transport me there, and make me feel like I am visiting when I look at their work.

What can you get across about some of your favorite places? Could you paint or draw them in a way that would make others feel that they would like to be there? Would you just paint the landscape, or would you add people, animals or objects in the scene? How can you use color or the way you apply your paint or charcoal to create a mood of the place? Look carefully at your scene before you start, and remember what strikes you most about the feeling that you get from the place. Try to make it your goal to evoke the same feeling by the way that you paint or draw it.

Take a look at some of your favorite vacation photos and work from one that you like, or draw or paint a local place that you love that says something special about the place where you live and what you love about it.

Do this in your sketchbook or on a small canvas or watercolor block, and let us know about it! I'd love to see your results!

Say it Again...and Again...and Again

Today, let's look at the power of repeating shapes or patterns in art. Some art can be *ALL* about the repeating shapes and take on a graphic quality (think of some of MC Escher's work
or Mondrian's color blocks). outside the world of fine art, think of the practical items that we use with repeating shapes to make our homes and lives more pleasing- symmetrical designs in rugs, patterns in quilts, and repetition of shapes in bolts of fabrics and even our clothing all come to mind.

Think back to earlier this week when we looked at one of Van Gogh's self portraits together. He didn't use an obvious pattern, but used the shape of the triangle many times in the same painting, to make his work more powerful.

Our mini-challenge today is to draw or paint something with repeating shapes that show up as a pattern. You can do something like Escher- with a flat interlocking shape, or simply find something in your world that has the same shape that repeats several times and utilize it in making an interesting composition on your page.

I think it would be great to work from life for this challenge, if you are able, but to illustrate repeating shapes, I am including a few of my photos and art for you to take a look at. Try this out! And let me know what you are working on or thinking about this week as you make art.

Weekly Theme-The Shape of Things

Vincent Van Gogh
Self Portrait
1887
42cm X 34cm
Oil on cardboard
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.


We are entering a new weekly theme today! I hope you enjoyed getting into the practice of keeping a daily art journal. This week, I'd like to look at how geometric shapes influence how we view art, and how all art (and what we see in general) is made up of these simple elements we refer to as shapes.

Even if you are already able to see the world as a compilation of shapes, you may not realize the tremendous power of simplifying your art based on the dynamics of shape.

Throughout the week, we will take a look at art done by the masters- from different genres and times of history, and break down some of their work down into these shapes. Then, in each daily challenge, I will offer an idea for you to take and try in your own work, related to what we will be discovering in this process. I hope that you will enjoy this weekly theme.

Today, we will take a look at one of Vincent Van Gogh's self portraits, to understand how he used shapes in his compositions. His works are not only bold in color, but bold in shapes, as well.

In the modified view below, you will see the very strong triangular shapes used in this painting. in the diamond-shaped area where the points of the triangles overlap, you will see the outlines of his beard and mustache. Also, notice the triangular shapes, that are left in the negative space of the background.

Now, look back to the unmodified view of the painting above. Do you notice the change in color in the background on both the left and right sides of his hat? These color and value changes help further create the line which makes up that side of the triangle.

In fact, look closer at the painting, and you will see that triangle shapes are used many different ways in this painting, from his lapels to the shape made by his shirt underneith the overcoat. If you squint your eyes and look at the changes in value (lights and darks), you will even notice the areas of his eyes and cheeks, and the mustache above the straight horizontal line of his mouth.

Today, take a photograph that you like and break it down into shapes, preferably the same or similar shapes that repeat. Here are two photographs from my own collection that you can use if you like. You should be able to find triangles in both of these photographs:


Please share your work and ideas about this topic and leave a comment. I am sure you will find lots of great examples of how shapes are used in art. Use it in your own work, and see how the focus on shapes can make your work stronger.

Weekly Art Theme #1- Keeping an Illustrated Journal

You can call it an illustrated journal, an art journal, a sketch journal or sketchbook- all of these describe the book that you will be using for your work, but after you work in it for a while, you will find your book transform into something so much more than just a sketchbook. It will become a wonderful compilation of your creative self, using your art, tidbits of things you collect that inspire you, and your own journaling about the process or whatever is on your mind that day.

You will first need to purchase or begin using an unwritten-in, unlined sketchbook to devote to your illustrated journal. You can buy any brand you like, but look for one that opens flat when you work in it, so that you can work across both pages to make larger sketches. I like ones that are bound, rather than the spiral type, because you can draw without running into the spirals. Just check the bound types to make sure that they are easy to open completely flat.

My favorite type of book for this is the Moleskine brand large sketchbook. They can be purchased in most of the larger bookstore chains- (you know- the ones with the cafes and WiFi)....The size of this journal is compact and easy to carry along, and opens completely flat. The other great thing about these is that you cannot tear out the pages!! Yes- you heard me right! You do not want to discard any of your work along the way, because we are not perfect people. We are not art robots! When you make something that you think looks weird- write something funny about it in your journal or collage on it or add paint- transform it! You will become more creative if you don't let your internal editor get the best of you. This is about freeing you up to be creative. You can keep your art journal private or show it to everyone you know. It will be much more authentic if you let your work stay there and grow. So if you don't like how something came out, look at it the next day with fresh eyes and do something different to it, until you like it, or just let it be as a little record of how you were in that moment.

Another fun thing about Moleskine journals is that there is also a whole culture of devotees who are crazy about using that brand of journal, so it is fun to search on the internet and check out how other people are using their Moleskines. But, I digress- use any darn brand you wish- the important part of this is that you actually work in your sketchbook as much as possible. If you work in it daily, it will totally transform how you think about life and art and become part of who you are, but any work in it is valuable- just do it!!

So go get yourself a sketchbook today, if you can, and go ahead and draw or write something in it! Tomorrow, and the rest of the week, I will give you a new little idea each day about the work you can do in your new art journal. I know you will enjoy trying this.

Art Inspiration Every Day- A new art blog

This blog will be about making art and working creatively every day.

I will be posting new art themes every week, with different mini-challenges on the general theme which will be added every day. Are you looking for a little nudge to get you moving in the right direction and get you working more creatively? Check in daily, and read my blog for a little art inspiration every day!

Have you wanted to try new materials or techniques to make your work more interesting or to help open you up more to the creative process? I will also be posting articles with illustrated tutorials that will help you follow along with more confidence, and will reveal new processes that you will love!

I highly recommend the practice of keeping an art journal to record your sketches, favorite writings, and your own journaling about your feelings and experiences which relate to art and life in general. I will help you get started keeping an art journal, with articles related to the practice.

An illustrated journal is highly personal and can be very powerful for many reasons- it can be a great way to keep your work together, watch your art skills increase, and create ideas that can later turn into more developed work. You will definitely find art inspiration every day if you begin spending a little time with your journal. It is a very rewarding practice.

I will be posting new weekly themes to the blog every Monday morning before 11:30 AM EST, USA. Daily challenges will also be posted before 11:30 AM EST, USA, each day. Check back on the weekends- I will post at least once each weekend, and sometimes both days, depending on what is happening that particular weekend, but need to be a little more flexible on when and which day of the weekend.

I hope you will enjoy starting this adventure with me as we look for a little art inspiration every day together!