John Singer Sargent had a secret weapon. He had an extraordinary determination to mix a brushstroke’s worth of exactly the right color and (more importantly still) the precise value he wanted – whipping each piece [...]

In an article published not too long ago in The Atlantic, Arthur C. Brooks argued that art is as important to human helath as exercise and good nutrition. Art needn’t be primarily an escapist activity [...]

In the year 1855, the same that saw the first publication of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, American landscape painter Asher B. Durand published a series of nine letters on landscape painting in his son’s [...]

If portraits seduce, confront, and fascinate us, it’s not least because they put art directly in the service of the human psyche, with all the mysteries that entails. Out of the several genres of realism [...]

“Steal like an artist.”  That’s the title of a popular self-empowerment book for artists and a phrase on lots of peoples’ lips these days. It’s a variation on “Good artists borrow, great artists steal!” which [...]

If you want to loosen up your paintings, here’ a little piece of advice: "Swing a bigger brush - you don't know what fun you are missing." So wrote Charles Hawthorne in a little gem [...]

Since we’re talking about him this week, I thought we’d give Matisse the floor and see what he has to say for himself.  White Algae on Orange and Red Background (Algue blanche sur fond [...]

Beloved of artists and art-lovers alike, Henri Matisse painted from a place of exuberance and honesty – he took a joyful approach to the world as well as to painting. Matisse’s canvases show plainly he [...]

“With almost any creative endeavor, we mistakenly think that we know what translates into success.” – Susan J. Langer Most people look at paintings in galleries and museums and think that artists are special people, [...]

THINK AGAIN The late Canadian landscapist Robert Genn suggested that, “rather than go with your first choice in a composition, go with your second choice.” Why? I think it’s partly because our first choice is often the [...]