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A Challenge to Myself
Many years ago I heard a motivational speech about overcoming our weaknesses. It’s not enough, the speaker advised, to simply overcome. What we should do, she explained, was to take a weakness and turn...
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Drawing Through
I learned something today. Of course, I try to learn something every day, and usually I do come across at least one new fact, one new idea, one new piece of information that I find interesting,...
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49 Dots and Other Drawing Exercises
In the summer of 2021 I downloaded an art instruction book by Barrington Barber — Learn to Draw: 10-Week Course for Aspiring Artists — and had a lot of fun drawing my way through the lessons. While I...
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The Shadow Knows
I’m old enough to remember “The Shadow” radio program. Although it began in 1937, a bit before my time, it lasted until 1954, and I loved pretending to be scared silly by the ominous laugh and that...
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School’s Out!
Being a life-long learner, I seem to naturally move with the rhythms of the school year. My excitement peaks each year in September as I make plans for new studies, and then as May comes around, I look...
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Close Your Eyes… And Draw
In learning art, we hear over and over again about how important it is that we LOOK at what we’re drawing, not necessarily at the marks we’re making, but definitely at our subject. In fact, in Keys to...
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It Ain’t Me, Babe
If you’re old like me, you’ll remember this Bob Dylan classic. “It Ain’t Me, Babe” is said to be one of the greatest poems ever set to music, and as a huge fan of Dylan, I count it among my favorites....
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Making Messy Art
Many times I’ve said that creativity is “making a mess” — but that’s only part of it. The rest of it is “cleaning it up”. For me, that’s the truest definition I’ve ever heard about the creative...
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More Academic Drawing
A little over a year ago — March 2021 — I shared a sketch I’d made while following a demonstration by Ashley Bane Hurst. Perhaps you remember it. My drawing is quite basic. I’m not precise in all my...
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Let’s Pretend
As I browsed through the various workshops offered during this year’s “Sketchbook Revival”, one in particular caught my attention. It was titled Gold and Graphite Reverie, taught by Ida Andersen Lang....
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Graphitint Pencils
I buy a lot of art supplies. Some I purchase because I really need them. Others I buy because I want them for projects I have in mind. And some — many, in fact — I order simply because I’ve heard about...
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Subtle Influences in Art
I’ve always had a fascination about influences. I love reading, for instance, that Mary Cassatt was influenced by Japanese woodblock printing, or that Edouard Manet was influenced by the Impressionists...
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Make of It What You Will
“Art Days” with grandsons Madox and Carsen are always fun times around our house. Our most recent Art Day involved making a few “mythical creatures”, using a set of prompt cards. The cards are...
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Art Misconceptions
Because I had a very limited acquaintance with art as a child, I grew up with a lot of misconceptions, some of which I think are shared by many others, as well. The biggest misconception — and the...
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From Afar
From the time I first began oil painting, I’ve been aware of how very different art looks up close as compared to seeing it from afar. In some respects, it’s been problematic for me. It’s very...
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Rocky Falls: Value Study
When I began my current project — Rocky Falls — I first made several small “value sketches” designed to help me create a strong composition. I explored several different possibilities. Through...
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Tonal Bars
A few days ago I picked up Keys to Drawing — my current favorite “how to draw” book — and turned to a drawing exercise. It involved making what Bert Dodson, the author, calls a “tonal bar”. If that...
View ArticleA Shopping List for Learning
I like lists. Some people do, others don’t, and I’m one of those people who is always making one list or another. It’s just how my mind works. I would never think of going to a grocery store without a...
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The 5-Minute Burn
Got your phone? You probably have it in your hand, right? And it probably has a “timer” feature included with its clock. So, grab a pencil and paper, set a timer for 5 minutes, and go! Burn, baby,...
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Disoriented Dreams
Throughout much of my adult life, I’ve had a recurring dream. I see myself at an airport, and I’m trying to board a plane, but I’m being sent hither and yon, never quite getting accurate directions to...
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