On Copying From the Masters
At my studio, beginning students get their first opportunity to copy a drawing by one of the Modern Masters (think Van Gogh, Degas, John Singer Sargent) after spending several weeks working from the still life in charcoal. With good drawing habits now firmly in...
On Taking Creative Risks
Have you ever stood in front of the easel…the cutting board…the lathe; sat in front of the word processor…the lined notepad…the typewriter, or kneeled in front of a flowerbed & longed to really step out, break the mold, do something completely,...
On Diminutive Things
In my previous post, I discussed The Goldfinch, a painting by Carel Fabritius that Tom & I were fortunate enough to see last month in an exhibit in San Francisco. Still savoring my enjoyment of the painting several days later, it somehow brought to...
On Seeing a “Girl” & a “Goldfinch”
A mere three days after we viewed Vermeer’s Woman in Blue Reading a Letter in Los Angeles, Tom & I were standing in front of yet another Vermeer in San Francisco, the much-beloved Girl with a Pearl Earring. Popularized in recent years by both a novel & a...
On “Woman in Blue Reading a Letter”
Last week Tom & I visited the Getty Center in Los Angeles. This time we were there specifically to feast our eyes on Vermeer’s Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, but anytime spent at the Getty is cause for excitement because it presents to the visitor the simply...
On Why I’m Blogging
When I asked my web designer a few months ago if it would be possible to add a “blog” category to the navigation bar of my new website, I really didn’t have any specifics in mind about the kind of blog it would be. “Some sort of art blog” was as far as I...
More on Perfectionism & Making Art
Perfectionism has defined me for much of my life. It lurked behind the endless hours spent studying & later, working; behind the good grades & later, the promotions. I’ve been called a perfectionist by teachers, bosses, co-workers, friends & family....
On Perfectionism & Making Art
At the beginning of my first drawing lesson, the art instructor sat down at the bench & demonstrated how to begin a drawing of the fruit & bottle arranged on the shelf in front of us. I was amazed to see him searching for the correct lines as he worked...
Overcoming Resistance
In an earlier post, I wrote that the greatest hindrance to learning to draw is one’s resistance to the process itself. Resistance occurs when one knows & understands the good drawing habits, but fails to apply & practice them. Resistance can be partial:...
On Making Changes
In my previous 2 posts, On Being Mindful & On Learning to Draw, I mentioned the importance of drawing new lines before erasing old ones. In this post, let’s look at why this is a good – in fact, essential – drawing habit to practice. Imagine this scenario: ...