Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2024 i Artists Magazine

NEW DAY, NEW EXPERIENCE Ancient philosopher Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” This idea—that things exist in a state of constant change—comes to mind when I think of landscape artists who return to a favorite painting location, again and again. While they may be standing at the same spot, the shifting light and weather patterns, the seasonal changes—even the artist’s own state of mind—will alter the encounter. In this issue, we visit artists who find inspiration in this ever-changing outdoor world. When artist-surfer Jeff Sewell (page 54) took feature-writer Aaron Schuerr (also an artist) to one of his favorite painting spots on Laguna Beach, he gestured to the scene, saying: “See. There’s a…

Ever since iron oxide, charcoal and ochre were used to adorn the walls of France’s Lascaux Cave about 17,000 years ago, environmental graphics writ large have captivated people. More recently, a walk through old neighborhoods replete with historic buildings often reveals “ghost signs”—faded wall murals that recount the buildings’ historical legacies and character. During the late 20th century, murals appeared to be headed to obsolescense, viewed as relics wistfully remembered but ultimately cast aside. Thankfully, even as today’s society has become more digitally enmeshed, artisans are resurrecting the signmaking craft. Murals, in particular, have become an increasingly popular form of commercial and public art that encourages passersby to disengage temporarily from digital stimuli and appreciate what’s beautifully rendered on surfaces immediately before them. Josh Luke and Meredith Kasabian, the husband-and-wife…

When I was an art student, I remember feeling overwhelmed any time I had to draw or paint a model from life. It seemed so daunting. Of course, a component of working from life is that our perception can get the best of us. One of my teachers, Max Ginsburg, always reminded us to “draw what you see, not what you think you see.” The way an art student approaches a drawing is often dictated by the class, program or department they’re in. Some instructors say to copy exactly what you see, while others advise you to consider the basic shapes that make up the form, or to find the center-line and draw that in first. Back then, I had no idea that there are, generally, two different models for…

New York CityKÄTHE KOLLWITZ MUSEUM OF MODERN ART THROUGH JULY 20, 2024 MOMA.ORG In the early decades of the 20th century, when many artists were experimenting with abstraction, Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) remained committed to an art of social purpose. Focusing on themes of motherhood, grief and resistance, she brought visibility to the working class and asserted the female point of view as a necessary and powerful agent for change. “I have no right to withdraw from the responsibility of being an advocate,” she wrote. “It is my duty to voice the sufferings of men, the never-ending sufferings heaped mountain-high.” The first major retrospective devoted to Kollwitz at a New York City museum, this is also the largest exhibition of her work in the U.S. in more than 30 years. Born…

The art of John Frederick Kensett (1816–72) represents a high point of the Luminist movement, in which the American landscape was painted with hyperrealistic clarity and a reassuring serenity. Kensett, whose father was also an artist, was born in Cheshire, Conn., and trained as an engraver. In 1840, Kensett sailed to England to visit his grandparents and study painting in Europe. He spent two years in Paris, drawing at the École Préparation des Beaux-Arts, before returning to London to settle his grandmother’s estate. He briefly returned to France, then moved to Italy and, after further travels in Europe, sailed back to the U.S. in 1847. Back home, Kensett began painting New York State and New England scenes, subjects that were associated with the Hudson River School, with overtones of English…

“Simplify! It’s tempting to be inspired and seduced by all the information out there—not to mention the changing light and moving objects. Creating a value study helps ‘freeze’ the lighting and solidify what’s most important about the scene.” DAN MONDLOCHARTIST “It’s not easy. Remember that the only pictures you’re going to see in art publications or on social media are the successful paintings—and not all the failures that contributed to the learning process.” KATHLEEN DUNPHYARTIST “For a landscape painter, working en plein air is your school. Every answer you need, all your truths, are right in front of you. Light conditions, as well as color temperature, value, atmosphere, shape and form; they’re all there. You simply have to observe carefully and know that sometimes you’ll be surprised by what you…

After Rembrandt, the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals (1582–1666) is one of the most revered portraitists of all time. Judging from the revelry and joie de vivre depicted in many of his works, he was also likely a great party guest. In celebration of the life he brought to his portraits of adults and children in 17th-century Holland, the National Gallery, London; the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; and the Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, with the special collaboration of the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, is presenting the first major retrospective of the artist’s work in more than 30 years. “There are only a few painters in the Baroque period who managed to take portrait painting to another level,” says curator and Hals scholar Bart Cornelis. “Frans Hals is one of them.”…

If you’re only ever painting within your comfort zone or for sales purposes, you may inadvertently be impeding your growth as an artist. You’re relying on things that have worked for you in the past instead of trying something new that could potentially take your art to the next level. It takes a lot of courage to experiment, and while you certainly won’t like the outcome every time (it’s impossible!), I guarantee you’ll learn a lot and grow steadily as an artist. Take this one subject/four media painting challenge and see what you discover. THE CHALLENGE The instructions are simple: • Pick a rose (or roses) from life or, if you prefer, work from a reference photo like I did. • Select a medium, paint the flower(s) fairly quickly and…

Packing for a plein air outing should not be like packing for a camping trip. It’s best to keep it simple. The bare minimum is something to paint with and something to paint on. You don’t even need an easel. There have been many times when I’ve gone out with just a small gouache kit and worked in my lap while sitting on a rock. If you’re more ambitious, however, the following tools and supplies will expand your plein air experience. EASEL If you prefer not to paint in your lap, you’ll need a field easel. There’s a wide range to fit every need. Here are some things to look for: • Lightness. Lugging a heavy easel to your painting spot can be cumbersome. Choose a lighter option, so you…

The practice of painting outdoors in scenic spots is at the very core of Kathleen B. Hudson’s career as an artist. In ways both practical and profound, plein air painting has been—and continues to be—the central driving force for her. It spurred her initial foray into fine art; it drives the bulk of her painting process; and it’s her ultimate inspiration for creating. “My job is literally to go out and find beautiful places and then paint them,” Hudson says. “It’s hard to beat.” Hudson participated in her first plein air event—the annual First Brush of Spring Plein Air Festival, in New Harmony, Ind.—in 2014. She was living in Lexington, Ky., at the time, just a few years out of college, and decided to give full-time painting a go. “I…

Any number of good things may take place throughout an artist’s career—a big sale, a museum retrospective, a magazine cover placement—but not everything that happens may be good. Consider, for example: A customer slips and gets injured while visiting the artist’s studio. Or a sculpture tips over and hits a workshop student on the head. Or the artist gets sued by someone who hasn’t been paid or who claims copyright or trademark infringement. A single adverse judicial ruling can cost an artist almost everything they own. SAFEGUARDING THE ARTIST With an eye on protecting themselves from one type of mishap or another, more and more artists have set up business entities such as a limited liability company (LLC) or an S corporation. When, for example, Daniel Grant the artist becomes…