WHEN EVERYTHING GOES WORNG … WRONG ! Recently I posted on Facebook a meme that read, “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” When experienced artists confront difficulties, they either know that somehow they will get through it, or that it is just not worth the time or artistic juices […]
COMMERCIAL ART – “Art created for commercial purposes” Getting inspired and being highly-motivated in your commercial art is an “art” unto itself. Inspiration and motivation are the primary components needed, followed by your God-given talent, skill, and experience, to complete a successful commercial art project. Unbeknownst to you, your new client has, for a number of […]
When an artist accepts a commission or works as a commercial artist, everything shifts into high gear – BIG TIME! For over 20 years, I have designed and built props, sets and miniatures for movies and print commercials. As my super-talented friend and assistant’ Aaron Dytyniak, would say, “Once you utter these words to the client, […]
SERENDIPITY … an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. Artists can’t help but listen to that beckoning within; often wooing us away from family, friends and business simply to sit at an art table or computer screen, stand at an easel, or wrestle with some three dimensional medium. Like the lyrics in the song […]
The word “inspire” is, for me, best defined as “to breathe life into”. You can certainly tell in all of the arts and some of the crafts if inspiration is lacking. Singers, Musicians, Actors, Speakers, Artists, Authors and even Teachers … When they are just going thru the motions and lacking inspiration it is obvious […]
Above: Detail from “Caire” by Tim O’Keefe” “Contour” is taken from a French word meaning “outline” or “to go around”. In art “contour” usually has two meanings. The use I am least familiar with is to just block in the main shapes avoiding details. To me a better word for this is “gesture”. Gesturing is […]
When you enter a piece of artwork into a juried show you must remember that juried art shows are relative. Your art piece is judged worthy or not according to the other pieces being considered. BEST IN SHOW isn’t the “best” in the world … It is the “best ” in the “show”… and all […]
I have, for my whole life, been in love with cartoons and cartooning. Cartoons are usually free and fun but when you are asked to consider illustrating a children’s book you are crossing a line. No matter how casual or “just between us Buddies” the invitation seems to be, remember when your cartoons are […]
Portraits are hard … not only do you have to be anatomically correct but you further have to achieve a likeness. When I jury a portrait in an art show I have no idea if the likeness was good. I can only judge by if the portrait is anatomically correct and how well it […]
Above are some of my bas-relief sculptures – each sculpture is only about 2 inches thick. I can imagine that most two dimensional artists from amateur to professional would probably never think of grabbing a hammer and chisel and start beating the snot out of a piece of sandstone or marble. Nor would they dream […]