Art Journal

The Art of Richard Schmid

                                         “Zorro" 28" x 38", Oil on Panel

                                      "Pansies"   16"x20", Oil on Panel

I recently ran across a blog article about Richard Schmid, who is one of my favorite contemporary artists. Schmid is also one of the most highly respected artists alive today, and I hope that you will also enjoy the article, and his art. You can view more of his work on his site.

From Lines and Colors:

“ Richard Schmid, though a well known and well respected contemporary American painter, is perhaps better known as an instructor, through his widely read book and, more recently, series of instructional videos.

His web site doesn’t do much to change this, in that the images of his work, though presented well enough, are frustratingly small. At least they’re frustrating to me, as I’m particularly interested in his economical and beautifully handled brush work, which you can only really appreciate in large images.

You can still see in the reproductions his beautiful handling of color and value, his remarkable ability with “lost and found” edges, and his wonderful control of texture, light and atmosphere. When viewing work on his site, there are images in the Lithographs section in addition to Available Work and Archive Gallery. ” Continue reading…….

Painting of Roses on the Arbor

Roses on the Arbor No. 2   |  32" X 48"   |  Oil on linen   

A painting of the roses on an arbor in my backyard from 2006.

Almost Wordless Whatever Day

 
Watercolor and Oil Pastel on Arches 300lb hot-pressed paper.

I was feeling guilty because I haven't been paying much attention to this blog lately, so to assuage my guilt, I decided to post  a small plein aire sketch. 

  

Copyright © by Art Journal 2008. All rights are reserved.

Doodle Week, a little late ....

My only contribution to Doodle Week, albeit, a little late.

These were actually done back in June, when I cut some of my peonies for the house. They are VERY rough sketches,  painted on  canvas, with oil sticks/no brushes, which I find a bit awkward.

I do small studies like these frequently before I start an actual painting.....they help me to determine form and color.

 

 

Copyright © by Art Journal 2008. All rights are reserved. No re-posting of articles or my images without prior written permission is allowed.

Defining Art Jewelry - Six Simple Rules

  In a previous post, I talked about the frequent misuse of the terms "art" and "artist". Along the same lines are the  terms "art jewelry" and "artisan jewelry", and they are also widely misused.

Because I create and sell both artisan jewelry and art jewelry, I would like to define the terms here, for the edification of readers. Feel free to post your own opinions in comments, as always.

Six Simple Rules to Help You to Discern "Art Jewelry" From "Artisan Jewelry"

1. Art jewelry is not defined as "art" by the materials from which it is made. All materials are fair game. 
2. A piece of art jewelry involves more than simple stringing.
3. A piece of art jewelry involves more than simple wirework.
4. The mass manufacturers do not create art jewelry. Rather, art jewelry is created by independent designers|artists, usually as unique, one-of-a-kind pieces or as limited editions. 
5. Art jewelry is considered art, and is judged in the same manner as other forms of visual art.
6. True art jewelry does not use the patterns of other artists or artisans. Art jewelry is always original.

Examples after the jump.

Female Portraiture

The faces of women who have been immortalized in art. A short, and very well done video. Enjoy.

Thanks to my friend, John Le Sainte, who drew my attention to this. :)

 

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Beauty in a Photograph: Odd Vantage

When I paint a still life, like many painters, I prefer to paint from life, i.e., a still life set up by myself, and painted outside or in my studio. I also usually take shots of the scene, just in case......in case I can't finish the painting before the flowers die, the fruit shrivels, or I temporarily lose my motivation. sigh.....:(

When I paint landscapes, I paint them on location aka painting plein aire. I do take photos, just in case.  And, I try to finish at least a rough draft/canvas, while on the scene. The biggest problem is painting quickly enough, as the light changes so rapidly.

Rarely, I will work from a photo taken by someone else, but I have to be truly inspired to do this because it is simply much more difficult to attempt a true depiction from a photo rather than from life.

My friend, Rachel, whose blog is filled with the beauty of the photographs she has taken, is without formal training, and yet, she is one of the best artist-photographers I have seen.

A couple of days ago,  Rachel posted an image that I fell in love with, and that you see in a reduced size above; I am hoping to paint it, as she has kindly given me her permission, and I wanted to thank her, thus this post.

Do be sure to visit Odd Vantage, Rachel's blog, and take some time to view her completely stunning photographs!

Thank you, Rachel!

 
Image is copyright © Odd Vantage 2008.
Article Copyright © by Art Journal 2008. All rights are reserved. No re-posting of articles without prior written permission is allowed

  

Technorati Tags: art, photography, painting, odd vantage, art journal, image

Defining the Terms "Art" and "Artist": Opinion

The terms "art" and "artist" are being thrown around pretty freely these days........primarily on the net.

This has been sort of bugging me, so I am going to define my opinions about certain forms of "art" here. This will not be my last post about it.........rest assured, I have more to say, lol. However, I'll  start with web graphics.

Are web graphics art?
Some of them are, and some aren't, in my opinion.
Well, what's the criteria that you use when you think about this?
If a graphic is hand-drawn,  as an actual illustration is, whether it be on a Wacom tablet or on a piece of paper, that is art. Whether it  qualifies as "fine art", is another matter altogether.

If it is simply a vector graphic, created using text and shapes, it isn't art, it is design, and it is a craft. These are just my opinions of course, but I am not alone in that determination.

Examples after the jump.