Category Creativity Inspiration

I want to take this time to thank everyone for their outpouring of support and well wishes I have received over the last few months. So much has changed in such a short amount of time, and without the feeling of love I have received from my family, friends and fans, this would have been almost too much to bear.

In the April 2016 issue of Magazine we profiled mixed media artist Steven Spazuk and his unusual choice in medium in our “Artist’s Life” column. Be sure to order your copy of the April 2016 issue here, or click here to subscribe to Magazine!“I have a bachelor’s degree from Université Laval in Québec City in Fine Arts.

It’s fun to see a real life transformation, when a mediocre artist becomes a master . . especially when that happens really fast. In my home study art courses, I share a few common mistakes beginning artists have made and how you can avoid them.Drawing Basics: What Masters DO that Amateurs DON’TCarol Leather adores her granddaughter and wanted to freeze that young energetic spirit.

Seven years ago, Fabriano in Aquarello was established to unite the world of watercolour by creating a place and a forum to display and discuss an international selection of watercolours.This 2016 global watercolour event was chaired by Anna Massinissa. The Canadian representative, Alfonso Tejada, contacted me with an invitation to participate in the 2016 watercolour exhibition in Fabriano, Italy.

In the spring 2016 issue of Drawing, we feature Ben Tolman as our New and Notable artist. Tolman’s ink drawings are painstakingly detailed, and they portray city life as both disorderly and structured. The interplay between reality and fantasy often makes its way into his pieces, which incorporate such elements as a crumbling complex full of zoo animals and an office building occupied by nude figures.

In the June 2016 issue of Magazine we feature the abstract art from the young artist Niam Jain. At 13-years-old Jain’s unique abstract work helps express that which he cannot: his voice. His work is the result of those emotions.Read below for a more in-depth look at the artist and his incredible story.

Editor’s Note: Confession: I let my kids play video games, almost every day. I know this isn’t a praiseworthy parenting style, but before you throw a shoe at me, allow me to explain. Prior to heading downstairs to get comfy with their controllers, my two sons first have to complete a series of tasks that include everyday chores, weeding and harvesting the garden, playing a musical instrument, reading, and otherwise being creative.

As an artist and a writer, I’m opening the door to other people’s opinions when I create.That’s risky business, for not everyone thinks alike. I was shocked to find out that not everyone would see my work the way I do, and even more surprised that they would actually tell me! In this day of social media, the world has gotten very small, and words from clear across the globe can reach you in an instant.

Oil painter Nancy Boren is our October 2016 Artist of the Month! Boren was a finalist in Magazine‘s Annual Art Competition! Her piece Mamma Mia! can be seen below. Read more about Boren and how the support from her family pushes her to do her best work.The Colony, Texas ~ nancyboren.com I’m an artist full time.

I recently concluded a wonderful class about drawing portraits. In the class, there were many newcomers to drawing, and they were eager to learn all of my tricks and techniques. Being accurate is the most important aspect of drawing portraiture. I teach the grid method predominantly in my books, but when teaching a class, I have other tricks as well.

Anne Laddon has long enjoyed traveling and painting in Mexico, and on a recent visit she witnessed one of the country’s most colorful celebrations, Dia de los Muertos.The paintings of California artist Anne Laddon transport us to San Miguel de Allende, the historical city in the hills of central Mexico.

The need to create is one of life’s great mysteries, and art itself is highly misunderstood. Few will ever really know or understand what drives an artist to create what they do. And many wonder why the artist can’t stop, or ever to want to. Artists are often highly misunderstood, for the mystery of how we think is impossible for most people to comprehend.

Jerry Weiss shows us how we works in the studio in our November 2016 issue for a session on figure painting, and how the creative mind is constantly in flux.Late this spring I returned to paint in my studio after an absence of some months. We typically worked from 4:30 to 7:30.McKenzie brought a batch of dresses, and I chose a red one, short at the hemline and long in the sleeves.

Congratulations to our March 2017 Artist of the Month, Nicholas Stirling! Stirling was a finalist in Magazine‘s Annual Art Competition! His piece Stoic can be seen below. Read more about the artist below and why this piece resonates with him in these changing times.Ontario, Canada ~ nstirling.

In last year’s Annual Art Competition, we had the pleasure of getting to know oil artist Kadir Nelson. His piece A Hole in the Roof puts a unique spin on figurative work; it’s brimming with personality and story. Read below for a more in-depth conversation with the artist about his process and inspiration, and don’t forget to enter this year’s Annual Art Competition.

It’s Never Too Late to Become an ArtistOf the countless reasons we love our Over 60 Competition, the inspiring stories we receive from the artists themselves tops the list. Many of the winners from Magazine‘s Over 60 Competition are beginners or new to the art world, offering us the necessary perspective to never give up on your dreams.

5 Simple Ways Savvy Artists Can Exhibit Their ArtworkAt times you may feel you are just making art for yourself; no one sees it; no one knows about it; and, ultimately, no one cares about it. However daunting showing your artwork to others may seem, it can help you get out of this type of rut and become more confident with your art-making process.

Climate change is a hot topic of conversation that draws many opinions from all sides. Celebrated sculptor Lorenzo Quinn’s response to the ongoing debate was, well, larger than life.Lorenzo Quinn’s large art installation titled Support is in response to the planet’s ever-changing climate. The subject — two massive hands helping hold Venice’s Ca’ Sagredo Hotel — plays with the duality of the human experience, how we’re equally capable of creativity and destruction.

The environment we experience influences our creative process. When we experience variations in lighting, colors on the walls, different smells, and different types of sounds, they evoke different feelings within us and in turn these sensory experiences invade our creative process. The sensory effects of music affects our painting process; I distinctly see how music plays out in my art and in the art of my students.

This Year’s Best Watercolor PaintingsEvery winter, we look forward to putting together this article of the best watercolor paintings of the year. Of course, “best” is subjective, but one way a painting earns that distinction is to stand out in competition.So with that being said, we turn to art societies — from the West Coast to the East Coast, Florida to Canada — to bring our attention to some of North America’s best watercolor paintings of 2017.