Innholdsfortegnelse for February-March 2025/No. 161 i International Artist

Welcome to the February/March issue of International Artist magazine! We are expecting great things in the art world in 2025. New artists will be discovered, existing artists will gain more recognition and master painters will continue their quest for genres that capture our collecting interest. All along the way we are creating community! In this issue we have brought to you our second annual guide to art groups and societies. We believe that artists by nature collaborate, inspire and admire like-minded artists’ work. There is a saying, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” We hear artists discuss this often, especially as their journey becomes their career. Joining a society or group like the International Guild of Realism, the Colored Pencil Society or the Portrait Society will bring…

FULL COLOR DIGITAL PRINT-OUTS Use the Official Entry Form over the page ONLINE Visit our website to upload digital files of the images you want to enter and pay for them using our secure server. www.internationalartist.com To upload your entries you need to prepare your image files to be at least 400 pixels at the shortest edge. Once you are in the Official Online Entry page simply select which challenge you wish to enter then follow the prompts and finally pay the entry fee via our secure server. There you can also see other entries received along with past winners of our competitions. CHALLENGE ENTRY FORM SCHEDULE AND CLOSING DATES HINTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ARTWORK • Set your camera to the highest quality available.• Shoot your paintings dead square on and…

I painted Olivier as part of a demonstration for my Wednesday online class. The month’s theme was “Alla Prima Portrait Expressions,” focusing on capturing dynamic emotion in a static image. The aim was to avoid a staged, awkward or flat appearance while conveying the subtlety of expression through brushwork and texture. The added challenge was completing the piece within a two-hour timeframe. STAGE 1 At the start of a painting, I always assess how much time I have and what is realistic within that window. This determines the scale, composition and approach. I begin with a loose sketch to establish the position and basic structure. STAGE 2 Since this is an alla prima sketch, I aim to work directly without much drawing. The focus is on large masses of value…

Art groups and societies are one of the most rewarding communities to be a part of. They foster camaraderie and connection within the art world, offer artists opportunities to grow in their careers and encourage continued appreciation of the arts across the globe. Many of these prestigious groups have been around for well over a century, like the historic Salmagundi Club, which began as a fine arts center in the Greenwich Village of Manhattan in 1871. In its over 150-year history, the club has welcomed such esteemed members as Thomas Moran, N.C. Wyeth, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Emile Albert Gruppé, Norman Rockwell, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Ernest Martin Hennings and many more. Through joining and getting involved with art societies, modern-day artists are creating a beautiful, shared history with some of…

To me, clouds, in their ethereal and ever-splendor, serve as a canvas changing upon which any emotion or feeling can be portrayed. Their formless nature allows them to be compared to almost anything, embodying the boundless freedom of interpretation and expression in art. My approach to painting clouds reflects the limitless potential and the full spectrum of colors to capture the variety of moods and atmospheres clouds can convey. This unrestricted choice of colors is not random but a deliberate strategy to evoke specific emotions and to enhance the visual storytelling of a piece. To successfully translate the complex beauty of clouds onto canvas, my essential tools include soft brushes and a palette knife. These tools offer the versatility needed to mimic the soft, delicate textures of clouds as well…

Like many artists, I find inspiration from nature where I observe color combinations and imagine how I would create texture from what I’m seeing in my art. I fell in love with watercolor many years ago, and I am still exploring and enjoying the adventure of finding new ways to create with it as a medium. I am intrigued at how versatile pigments can be, giving us completely different results each time we use them. I work with them as if they are my friends, and I do not aim to control them. Instead I prefer to be guided by what they do naturally, as I believe that this partnership brings out the best of both of us–the artist and her tools. I have always worked without a preliminary sketch,…

My work is known for its raw, dynamic energy and freshness. It is an intimate journey that blurs the lines between impressionism, abstraction and realism and conveys the unique character of a scene. Fearless exploration of color and brushwork allows me to portray not just the visual but also the emotional depth of any subject. My painting process is an intuitive response. I do not begin every canvas the same way. Instead, I allow myself the joy and feel of the paint, pulling off the brush, slightly adjusting the pressure onto the canvas, giving in to spontaneity. Having a firm idea is essential for me. Sometimes my planning is quite thorough. Other times, the idea has been developing in my head for years, and the painting seems to paint itself.…

This classic little scene had all the elements for a beautiful little painting, but it all seemed a bit too much. Where was my center of interest? Who was the star of the show? Another way to ask yourself this question is, “What do I love the most about this scene?” For me, it was the light shapes sparkling against the dark forest background. Once I figured that out it was just a matter of deciding how best to showcase that light. The most obvious thing to do was to darken and simplify the background so that the foreground light would stand out more strongly. I encourage you to look for ways to enhance the actors you love in a scene simply by subduing the other elements. Works every time!…

Hunches are built upon years of experiences, accrued wisdom and constant observations. In my art life, I’ve had hunches and didn’t know why. Given time, it all comes back about this gut feeling from things I learned and knew and let slide into the subconscious. That inner mind so often comes to our rescue. It’s part of our enriching artistic wisdom. What I’m talking about is the golden moment when a hunch might lead to something much more. That’s when we can listen to what’s in us and our art. Creating Each Moment We all continually create. Notice yourself in the next few minutes. You are creating a moment that will never be exactly duplicated. This happens when you converse, write or even move around a shopping center. It is…

I have always loved art. Like most of you, I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid—drawing characters from my imagination and creating stories around them. Through the years, I’ve come to learn and appreciate all of the ways that creativity manifests within the world. All of the different mediums out there to experiment with, all of the styles, subjects and ways in which individuals express themselves and what they love. Lately, I have been drawing quite often. And because it always feels more natural when you draw or paint what you know and love, I’ve gravitated toward birds. As an avid birder, it’s been such a joy. I’ve enclosed some photos of a tufted titmouse and a great horned owl that I drew a few months back. They…

ENTER OUR NEW ART COMPETITION CHALLENGE No. 147 People & Figures See your work published in International Artist magazine and also receive a 4-page Editorial Feature in American Art Collector, the prestigious magazine read by collectors and galleries looking for new art work in the world’s biggest art market. Winners and Finalists in our competitions don’t just win awards to hang on their walls. The real value of entering and being one of the winners is that your work will not only be seen by hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide but also by leading galleries and collectors in America, the biggest art market of all. Our Grand Prize Winners receive a 2-page spread in International Artist magazine and a 4-page Editorial Feature in American Art Collector. Publicity at this…

INTERNATIONAL GUILD OF REALISM Scottsdale, AZ, info@realismguild.com, realismguild.com The International Guild of Realism was founded by a group of renowned realist artists in 2005. IGOR now represents the work of over 500 juried members from more than 35 countries and prides itself in selecting today’s finest realist artists through a jury committee. Along with holding annual gallery exhibitions at some of the best galleries in the United States, IGOR organizes museum tours throughout the country to showcase members’ work. IGOR’s primary mission is to advance realism in fine art through museum exhibitions, art gallery shows, online exhibitions, workshops and educational programs. VISIT WEBSITE IGOR is thrilled to announce the 19th Annual IGOR Exhibition taking place at Sugarman-Peterson Gallery in historic Santa Fe, New Mexico, from June 6 to 30. Opening night…

Most people are familiar with the process and techniques of an artist working on a canvas since it can be observed firsthand. However, the real secret is how the artist observes and perceives the subject before starting to paint. This is something outsiders cannot know. The way an artist observes the subject, their sensitivity to it and their creativity are the keys to a successful work of art. What do you feel about the subject? What moves you? Focus on that point to determine the emphasis in your depiction. For this particular demonstration (shown in the following pages), the light coming from both sides of the subject creates a rich and subtle line of light and shadow along the contours of the face, capturing its volume changes. Therefore, I decided…

I paint a lot on the theme of the ocean—in fact my comfort color is blue along with its harmonies and complementary colors. I like the strength of contrasts, and I like light and saturated colors. I draw my inspiration from my travels, in museums and from my artist friends with whom I exchange a lot, which gives me a great deal of creative energy. I always look for an emotion or an element of excitement, which I then transfer to my canvases. Ultimately, I paint what moves me. Before starting a canvas, I often have a precise idea of what I would like to paint. I then do composition research on paper or on the computer. I also take up my watercolor sketches drawn during my travels. Everything is…

Cats are my dominant painting subject. They inspire me in so many ways. My daily routine is all about cats, from waking up to feed the street and stray cats in several feeding stations to working in the studio where there’s always a cat ready to model for a painting. I just love cats, and with the important role they play in my life, I think it was only natural that they became my primary painting subject. Just watching them doing the ordinary things they do, like eating, grooming, sleeping or playing, triggers me to grab a brush and paint. There is a wonderful quote by Ernest Hemingway that goes, ‘One cat just leads to another,’ and that is certainly the case here. Not just in my personal life but…

In watercolor, I work exclusively with transparent pigments, carefully building textural effects through multiple glazes (sometimes up to five or six layers) to achieve dimension and detail in my realistic watercolors. I will use masking fluid to preserve my whites and lightest lights where small details are concerned. I start with the wettest, softest focus areas and create large sweeping washes, sometimes allowing the hues to blend together on the surface. Once dry, I may re-wet an area with clean water to introduce smaller wet-into-wet colors to specific shapes that require a blended application. I will continue in this way, allowing layers to dry until finally I am at the phase where I am exclusively working on dry paper with my smallest darkest details (fine controlled lines or more spontaneous…

Subscribe today to get the most comprehensive magazine filled with demonstrations, workshops and creative inspiration from the best international artists working today. International Artist is the only educational magazine by artists for artists devoted to sharing voices from across the world, along with special features, columns and more. In every issue, you’ll find: » 6 issues a year, each one featuring a diverse range of work from artists around the globe! » 8+ artist demonstrations and workshops, featuring mediums, styles and subject matter that will inspire you. » Special features that dive deeper into the world of art and the artists. » Regular columns from famous artists such as James Gurney and Harley Brown. » Enjoy features from esteemed organizations including the Portrait Society of America every month. Join our…

Scan for larger reference image For artists, inspiration can strike anywhere at any time. In this section, we’ll present a different photo prompt in each issue for artists to use as inspiration for their next piece. Rather than a reference, this photo is meant to be interpretive. It’s a jumping off point—a means to spark creativity and get the imagination going. Capture the image exactly as you see it, or take elements of it to create something entirely new. Submissions can be fully completed artwork or rough sketches. Every approach is the right approach. In the following issue of International Artist, we’ll highlight several Editor’s favorites (including your Instagram username), along with the next photo prompt. Chosen submissions also receive a free six-month digital subscription to International Artist. Happy painting/drawing/sketching!…

Tracy Frein Illinois, USA, Bound by her weakness 2, colored pencil, 21 x 12" (53 x 30 cm) Grand Prize is a four-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine The Human Spirit After responding to a “call for artists” posted by the non-profit Mental Health America of Illinois back in 2012, artist Tracy Frein began documenting subjects struggling with mental illness. The peer-led awareness project featured 24 stories written by authors with lived mental health experience. The stories and artworks would then become part of a series of community conversations held in venues across Illinois and nationwide, all culminating in a gala and silent auction held by Mental Health America of Illinois. “I use my work to bring awareness to issues surrounding mental health and give a broader spectrum of…

Eddy Greenwood Escape from Reality, oil, 47.2 x 35.4" (119 x 89 cm) INSPIRATION From the safe space of her bedroom, a girl is painting a scene from Alice in Wonderland. It’s a place where she can play with the borders of reality and develop, just like Alice, from shy and insecure to confident and heroic. The painting explores how fairytales help children understand the world around them through the fight between good and evil. I believe fairytales let children deal with these issues in their own mind before facing them in the real world. PROCESS As an artist, I like to keep the painting experience as real as possible, so first, I built the bedroom in my studio with two walls and a child’s bed. Then I designed all…

Before he was the Painter of Light, and before I was the creator of Dinotopia, Tom Kinkade and I were two unknown and penniless art students. We had grown weary of sitting in windowless classrooms enduring lectures about art theory. We hatched a bold plan to drop out of school for a while, hop on a freight train and discover America, documenting everything in our sketchbooks. Our heroes were Lewis and Clark, John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac. My mother was so terrified of the fate that might befall me (her brother was killed by a freight train) that she took out a life insurance policy on me. On September 16, 1980, a friend dropped us off at the Los Angeles freight yard. We spotted a boxcar with an open door,…

SCOTTSDALE ARTISTS’ SCHOOL: How did your teaching career begin at the Scottsdale Artists’ School? GUY COMBES: The executive director reached out to me soon after I had moved to Tucson and asked if I would be interested in teaching at SAS, and I jumped at the chance. I had been teaching for many years previously around the country and overseas, so to have this opportunity not too far from home has been a huge plus. SAS: What inspires you to paint wildlife? GC: I grew up in Kenya surrounded by wildlife with a father who was an honorary park warden, safari guide and wildlife artist. My childhood fascination and wonder has matured into a strong spiritual and creative relationship with nature, and I find it quite challenging to go for…

My piece, Bird Bath, is a scene from my own washroom, which I kept passing and thinking “that light is gorgeous!” Once I spot an area that I’m inspired by, my sink in this case, I start to organize a composition around it to suit the painting. As I paint from life, I don’t always have the luxury or time to rearrange a setting how I’d like it (my friends would likely not enjoy me redecorating their places). But since this was my house, I took the liberty of adding a few plants and even a tiny bird on my tap, much to the delight of my husband, because this is the only time I clean. Once I had spruced up the bathroom, I set up my easel in the…

Of all of the wonderful views of Wales, the coastline of Pembrokeshire has to be my favorite, especially the spectacular cliffs and shoreline of St. David’s peninsula. The St. David’s coastline seems to be in a perpetual state of flux: ripping clouds and simmering casts of color. The light shifts dramatically, and the evening illumination of the sun (golden hour) is particularly enchanting along the spectacular line of shattered rock cliffs, which have been both sculpted by the sea and distorted, over eons, by geological movements in the earth. It’s totally inspiring. I make no secret of my use of a phone camera to capture my reference in preference to sketching or painting plein air. Using my camera gives me more time to walk and explore. I augment the compositions…

“Go out and look at any landscape… there is a sentiment, a feeling, which pervades the whole—you may call it the poetry of nature if you like—something which you cannot see, which is not material, and yet is as much a part of the landscape as the trees and grass themselves.” – William Preston Phelps, artist (1848-1923). When I happened upon this statement several years ago, the phrase “poetry of nature” resonated deeply with me. As I began to grasp what this meant to me, I realized this is what I am seeking in my work: to portray the elements of a scene that are beyond the subject. The miracle of light hitting the grasses, causing sparkle like diamonds, the weight of the branches of a tree, the gentle movement…

In this watercolor workshop, I will demonstrate how I approached painting this sheltered spot on a nice sunny day. This pond with mossy rocks, water lilies and lush green vegetation made for great subject matter. I worked in a small sketchbook with a limited amount of equipment, so there was no pressure to produce a masterpiece—just enjoy the location and have fun with the subject. MATERIALS Here is all the equipment I used: At the top you can see a collapsible water container and a small, transparent, rectangular, plastic mixing palette. I placed the mixing palette on a white card so I can see the colors. The sketchbook is Arches 300 gsm colored pencil paper at about 7 by 9”. Beside the sketchbook is a black, fine tip waterproof Muji…