|
Cats have appeared throughout art history because they are both familiar companions and visually compelling subjects. Their graceful forms, expressive behavior, and mysterious independence fascinated artists. Different cultures also attached symbolic meanings to cats—representing fertility, protection, sensuality, domesticity, or the supernatural—making them useful for both realistic depictions and deeper artistic expression.
0 Comments
 I have always loved this painting by Tintoretto because it expresses a beautiful, richly textured chaos. The irony, of course, is that its beauty is based on war. I am always struck by how chaos and tragedy can appear beautiful.
For example, after a volcanic eruption, the fallen trees for miles around may radiate outward from the volcanic center like spokes of a wheel. And, as with any explosion, we are simultaneously shocked and yet riveted by the sight of billowing black smoke and intense fire. There is something similarly paradoxical in the tragedy of a majestic tree falling in the forest. In death, it becomes a nurse log, providing nourishment and habitat for new plants, fungi, insects, and microorganisms. Tintoretto’s Battle of Lepanto commemorates the famous naval battle fought on October 7, 1571, when the Holy League—led by Venice, Spain, and the Papal States—defeated the Ottoman fleet off the coast of Greece. The victory was particularly important to Venice, which had been fighting the Ottoman Empire for control of territory and trade in the eastern Mediterranean. Tintoretto was commissioned to paint the scene for the Doge’s Palace in Venice, probably in the late 1570s or early 1580s. Rather than depicting the battle as a precise historical record, he created a dramatic and chaotic vision filled with ships, smoke, fire, and violent combat. The composition emphasizes the confusion and enormous scale of naval warfare. The painting has undergone considerable damage and restoration but remains an important example of Tintoretto’s dramatic late style. The diagram I created below illustrates the creative process as a whole. Take a moment to study it and you're welcome to ask any questions about it in class.  I would invite you to notice two peculiar things...
First, notice on the far left, beginners start at the bottom learning about Technique and Color. As they become more proficient, they start creating their own Compositions to express their own Inspirations. In my experience, this represents about 90% of students. On the far right the opposite is true. Some beginners arrived with great ideas, and perhaps have studied photography so come with a solid understanding of Composition. For them, learning about Color and Technique is their challenge. (About photography: 10,000 photos of your cat is enough!—Now get out there and take some photos that look like art!) Here are the beginning primary and secondary colors. It is amazing how many beautiful paintings can be painted with these colors alone.  Secondary colors fall between Primary Colors:  Colors most frequently added:  Expanded color palette There are endless variety of wonderful colors and the below may seem like a lot, but it's only scratching the surface of what is available. However, these are basic colors that if you paint long enough you will accumulate.  Comparing Color Vibrancy They below illustration demonstrates why you would not want to highlight a subject with white and shade it with black. Noticed the column on the left is shaded with black-and-white. Notice how dull the colors appear. Then notice that the column on the right is vibrant with color.  Are there cases where you would want your colors to appear dull. Absolutely. But as the painter, you need to know the distinction so you could choose when to use either.
I understand this may not be enough cats for you so please check out my blog post All Cats #4
Deep space in painting must be painted entirely different than flat wall shapes.  Here are some excellent examples of flat plane painting, Why do artists close one eye and squint with the other to look at their painting? Why do artists stand back to look at the painting they are working on?  Artists do those two things for different but related reasons. Both techniques help them stop seeing details and start seeing the overall visual effect. Why artists close one eye and squint with the other (See a visual example at the bottom of this post). Closing one eye and squinting reduces the amount of visual information reaching the brain.
When you squint:
Why artists stand back When you're painting, you're often only 12–24 inches from the canvas. At that distance, you're concentrating on tiny brushstrokes and details. Stepping back 6–15 feet lets you judge:
The combination is powerful Many experienced painters repeatedly follow this cycle:
A useful saying Many painting instructors teach: "Work from the general to the specific." Squinting helps you see the general, while standing back helps you judge the whole. Only after those are working well do the specific details make the painting stronger.  Notice as how the blocked-in version above looks more like the blurry version above it. That's a good thing because it captures the overall structure of the subject. Then, after the block-in, the artist can continue moving toward the details. But going for the detail first unnecessarily complicates what the artist is looking at. It's better to block-in first.
How to get over the biggest creative blocks #1 Fear of Failure  The fear that the paintings will be judged as inadequate often leads to procrastination, self-censorship, or abandoning ideas before they develop. Studies show that fear reduces experimentation, which is essential to creativity. Also, there's some ego involved. Others have seen you produce extraordinary masterpieces in the past! But what will they think of the dumb painting you're working on now? So you freeze up. Forget what others think—and what you think. Shed that ego and get messy! #2 Perfectionism  For many painters, perfectionism is their flow zone. They love it and they do well at it. But for others, perfectionism is not their goal, but striving for excellence is. But demanding perfection of yourself is painful and unnecessary. Many artists produce their strongest work only after numerous imperfect attempts. It took Thomas Edison almost one thousand attempts to invent the lightbulb. So, after you've tried and failed at a painting a thousand times, well, if nothing else, we’d be damned impressed! #3 Rigid Thinking  Creativity depends on cognitive flexibility—the ability to see multiple possibilities, question assumptions, and combine unrelated ideas. Rigid thinking traps artists in familiar solutions and inhibits originality. In other words, more play less thinking. As they say, you have to break a few paintings to make an omelette. # 4 Excessive Self-Criticism  Every artist needs an internal editor, but when the critic dominates the creative process, ideas are rejected before they have a chance to mature. The problem with self criticism is that you're thinking about yourself rather than your painting. If you're immersed in your creativity there is no self to think about. There is only creativity. Get your big, fancy self out of the way, and let that magnificent creativity flood through your veins, through your arms, and fingers, and into your painting. #5 Need for External Validation  When an artist becomes overly dependent on praise, sales, awards, or approval, intrinsic motivation diminishes. A little validation is like a pinch of salt flavoring your creative process. But addiction to it will give your creative process high blood pressure, kidney disease, and a potential stroke. For more, search this blog also for Creative Blocks, and Psychology of Art Here is a Cezanne painting as you would may see the actual painting in a museum:  Here is the same same painting as seen online. The one seen online appears to be much better—brighter! Why is that?  Here are the two main reasons 1. Our modern eyes have become accustomed to intense color in our environment. Neon lights, LED billboards, backlit screens, and colorful children's toys. What we see daily didn't exist 100 years ago when great masterpieces were painted. So when someone says paintings by Monet, for example, have wonderful color, you have to understand that statement in context to history. 2. Today, we have colors that are more saturated and brighter than colors they had 100 years ago. For example, we commonly use Phthalo Blue, Quinacridone Red, Phthalo Emerald, and Dioxazine Purple. So, while the Impressionists of the late 19th century were known for their brilliant colors no one had seen before, their colors pale by comparison to the colors we have today. Here is what a famous Monet painting would look like in a museum:  And here is what the same painting looks like online:  Here more reasons Printed reproductions are often enhanced. Publishers frequently increase saturation, contrast, and brightness so paintings look more vivid on a page or screen. They are not calibrated to match the original painting. Museum lighting is intentionally low. Many paintings are displayed under relatively low light levels to protect pigments and varnish from light damage. Dim lighting makes colors appear less vibrant. Aged varnish can yellow. Many older paintings had varnish that has yellowed over decades, muting colors and making the overall painting appear warmer and duller. Conservators sometimes remove old varnish, but not always. Impressionist technique. Monet, for example, often used broken brushstrokes and subtle color relationships rather than highly saturated pigments. Seen live and up close, the colors can seem doll. Reproductions often exaggerate these effects. Here is what a van Gogh painting would look like in a museum:  Here is what the same van Gogh painting looks like online:  So the next time you are disappointed when seeing original paintings in a museum, try to imagine how the paintings were absolutely astonishing in their day. One of the most important reasons that women are depicted in paintings more than men is that, historically, the majority of artists, patrons, collectors, and art academy officials were men. These individuals often determined what subjects would be painted and purchased. As a result, female figures were frequently chosen as subjects because they were associated with beauty, grace, fertility, romance, and other qualities that artists and patrons wished to explore or celebrate. This tendency contributed to the development of a long tradition in which women were viewed not only as individuals but also as aesthetic subjects.
The tradition of the nude figure also played a major role. In ancient Greek art, both male and female bodies were depicted, but over time, especially from the Renaissance onward, the female nude became one of the most common subjects in Western painting. Artists often used mythology, religion, or allegory as a justification for depicting unclothed women. Paintings of Venus, nymphs, goddesses, bathers, and other idealized female figures became staples of artistic production. Although male nudes remained important in certain periods, female nudes became more prevalent in later centuries and contributed significantly to the visibility of women in art. Women were also frequently used as symbols representing abstract ideas. Concepts such as liberty, justice, victory, peace, nature, and even entire nations were often personified as female figures. These symbolic representations appeared in paintings, sculptures, and public monuments, further increasing the number of female images in the artistic tradition. Economic considerations also influenced artistic choices. Artists depended on commissions and sales for their livelihoods, and they often produced works that appealed to the tastes of buyers. Throughout much of European history, collectors showed strong interest in images of women, particularly those that emphasized beauty, elegance, or idealized forms. Consequently, artists had practical incentives to create such works.  Many artists possess the extraordinary skill to paint photorealistically, rendering every detail—even a single eyelash on a model painted from life in the studio. Yet many painters with that level of ability choose not to work that way because they are more interested in communicating mood and feeling than in demonstrating technical virtuosity. The analogy I like to use is the album Kind of Blue, featuring jazz musicians Miles Davis, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and other top-tier performers. Any one of these musicians could have dazzled listeners with the speed of their fingers and the power of their technique. Instead, the album is subdued, smooth, and unhurried, moving with a steady groove. The performers felt no need to impress listeners with the full scope of their capabilities. Throughout the album, they ease into simple tunes with mastery rather than flash and flair. And this has made it one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. All of us painters can learn from this. The paintings I am presenting in this Weekly Art Beat do not display the full range of the artists' technical capabilities. Many of them are quiet and simply rendered, but that restraint allows the message, metaphor, or emotional statement to come through more vividly.  Replace Your Paint Tube Caps with Flush Valves I've been using them for a few weeks now, and they seem to work really well. The benefit is that you no longer have to fiddle with paint tube caps. The little valve pinches together so tightly that it forms a sufficient seal, keeping your paint from drying out. Then, all you have to do is squeeze out paint when you want. I will probably continue using them, but here are a few minor inconveniences. You have to press very hard and twist to get the valve onto the end of your paint tube. And when you squeeze paint out of the tube, you have to squeeze a little firmer. But those are minor issues. (Just in case you don't care for the flesh valves after trying them, don't throw your paint tube caps away) Amazon here.  To attach a valve to your paint tube: To attach the valve, don’t try to press the valve straight onto the tube. Instead, you have to stretch the valve opening at an angle against the rim of the tube, then twist firmly to get it on.  The invention of collapsible metal paint tubes in the mid-1800s transformed painting. Before tubes, artists mixed and stored paints in cumbersome containers, making outdoor work difficult. During the Impressionist era, painters such as Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir could carry ready-made oil paints into the countryside, allowing them to paint quickly on location and capture fleeting effects of light and atmosphere.  Art History—Invention of Paint Tubes The invention of collapsible metal paint tubes in the mid-1800s transformed painting. Before tubes, artists mixed and stored paints in cumbersome containers, making outdoor work difficult. During the Impressionist era, painters like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir could carry ready-made oil paints into the countryside, allowing them to paint quickly on location and capture fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. Famous Artist Quote “Without colors in tubes, there would have been no Cézanne, no Monet, no Sisley or Pissarro, nothing of what the journalists were later to call Impressionism.” —Pierre-Auguste Renoir I look forward to seeing you in the studio soon! Check out theseSome people may not experience that feeling because they are only looking at what a painting is of. They see the subject matter, or, a little more advanced, they appreciate the color relationships, the form, and the texture relationships. But the deeper level is also to experience the feeling those elements may inspire. In these paintings, take note of the subject matter, then notice the colors, forms, shapes, and textures. Then, in a state of mental and emotional stillness, feel the energy, the vibe, the emotion of the paintings.  Some painters prefer prepared board over canvas for its rigid, smooth surface and durability. Board allows finer detail, cleaner edges, and less texture interference than stretched fabric. Oil paint often behaves more predictably on panel surfaces, especially for glazing and precise brushwork. Properly prepared boards can resist warping and last for centuries.... Because hundreds of years from now, people will surely want to see your paintings! If you haven't painted on board yet, try it out to expand your experience of painting surfaces. Find on Amazon.  Personally I paint on both, however, when painting smaller pieces I often prefer board because you can get more refined edges and textures. But not so fast... Board requires that it be primed with Gesso (pronounced "Jess-O"). Three coats, with very light sanding between coats. This primer is the same that is used on canvas. It enables the oil paint to adhere firmly, and seals the wood protecting the painting from oils and impurities that may be in the wood. Buy the smallest amount (8oz), found on Amazon.  Learn lots of stuff about painting on board and displaying it here:
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso   Developing your painting style Paint on most days. Developing your painting style by painting a variety of subjects: interiors, landscapes, mountains, oceans, pets, people—whatever subject is at hand. Paint subjects that inspire your curiosity. By giving yourself these painting challenges, you continue growing and learning as an artist, and this becomes the foundation for your own painting style, which will eventually emerge. Regular engagement with your painting practice is the best way to develop your own artistic style. Developing an Artistic Eye Your painting style is how you apply paint, but developing an artistic eye is about how you see the world. Developing your artistic eye is the same as developing your artistic voice. It’s easy to notice a beautiful landscape or flower, but the artistic eye goes beyond that. Our days are full of the busyness of life, but to develop an artistic eye, we must slow down enough to take the time to truly see. Every day we look at things, but we don’t really see them because they are not essential to accomplishing whatever tasks have gained our attention. To develop an artistic eye, however, we must sometimes let go of those tasks and enjoy seeing the world for no other reason than the pleasure of seeing. This requires moving more slowly and cultivating mental stillness.  Look for things in the world that are beautiful. Allow yourself to broaden your understanding of what beauty is. Some things we see may not be beautiful in the conventional sense, but may instead be interesting because their shapes, colors, or textures are unusual and captivating.
Notice how light falls across your kitchen counter. Observe the colors, light, and shadows on the face of the person speaking to you. Observe reflections of people and objects in windows, along with their shapes and colors. Look at a wet street and see it as a painting in your mind. Practice this daily. This does not mean you have to paint everything you see; you only need to practice seeing it. This practice builds your “visual vocabulary,” the storehouse of visual impressions that accumulates in your mind over time. It requires no effort other than giving the things you see your attention for a moment. Over time, your unique way of observing the world will naturally find its way into your artwork.  They say to make a good blog post, you should say something about the content. But honestly, sometimes I find paintings online that are beautiful, interesting, or in some way evocative, and I really have nothing to say about them. I just want to share them with you and let your eyes enjoy them. If you'd like me to offer analysis of any of them, please let me know.  I love this Australian artist. She plays in the same creative space I've occasionally explored. Now I'm inspired to return there. Some of her paintings are H-U-U-G-E.  Excellent basic color presentation. Art by clague_fine_art Here is the finished painting:  Values are the lightness and darkness of a color. Here the color is stripped away and we only see value:  Complementary Colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. In this case blue and orange:  Color Saturation is how much color is in the color. Below the left square is highly saturated with orange. The square on the right is less saturated with orange. It is muted and dull:  Color Temperature. On the inside of the orange, the orange square is WARM. The rind of the orange has COOL blue added to it to make a brown color.   Maxfield Parrish (1870–1966) was an American painter and illustrator known for his distinctive use of saturated colors and luminous landscapes. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and later at the Art Students League of New York. Parrish gained prominence through magazine illustrations, advertising, and commercial work, including covers for Collier’s and Scribner’s. His technique involved layering glazes over detailed underpaintings to achieve depth and vibrancy, often combined with photographic references and careful perspective. He frequently depicted idealized figures and fantastical settings. Parrish’s work influenced American illustration and remains widely reproduced in prints and posters.   I am often asked by men in my oil painting classes, why are there more women than men? And here are some results of studies that address the topic. And below are studies that have addressed why men take painting classes. (The studies addressed only traditional "men" and "women", not the fluidity between genders).  Why do women take painting classes? 1. Emotional Expression and Stress Relief Painting is often pursued for emotional release, mindfulness, or personal reflection.
2. Cultural Framing of “Appropriate” Leisure Society subtly signals which hobbies are “feminine” or “masculine.”
3. Aesthetic Orientation Women tend to have a stronger interest in environments that involve aesthetics and visual harmony like interior design, clothing, and decor, which naturally aligns with painting. That doesn’t mean men lack visual sense, but men often express it through design linked to utility. 4. Time and Social Networks Women are more likely to participate in community and social hobbies that foster connection and calm, such as group painting classes. Men’s leisure networks tend to center more on shared activity (sports, games, projects) than introspective or artistic collaboration. 5. Identity and Self-Care In recent decades, painting has been reframed in popular culture as a form of self-care and mindfulness. Why do men take painting classes?
1. Comfort with Emotional Expression Painting requires a willingness to engage with feeling, ambiguity, and aesthetic experience, all of which many men are socialized to downplay. So a man who paints as a hobby is often more emotionally self-aware or comfortable exploring the inner world. He may have an above-average capacity for reflection, empathy, or sensitivity to beauty. 2. Independence from Social Expectations Men who paint for pleasure are often confident in their individuality and less concerned about fitting into traditional masculine roles. That independence signals psychological maturity and self-assurance. They’re pursuing what feels meaningful, not what’s expected. 3. Cognitive and Sensory Strengths Painting draws on visual-spatial reasoning, pattern recognition, and hand–eye coordination, traits that are not gender-specific, but men who paint often find joy in the problem-solving and design aspects of visual creation. They may think analytically and aesthetically — a rare blend. 4. Appreciation for Process over Outcome Painting as a hobby often appeals to men who value craftsmanship and the meditative rhythm of work, similar to woodworking, music, or model building. They may enjoy getting “in the zone”, a focused, almost meditative flow state where thinking quiets and making takes over. 5. Broader Emotional Range Men who paint tend to be more comfortable with ambiguity, nuance, and subtlety, qualities that help in relationships, leadership, and personal growth. In research terms, they often show higher levels of openness to experience, one of the Big Five personality traits correlated with artistic engagement. 6. Balance and Self-Regulation Many male painters describe the hobby as a counterbalance to work stress or rational overdrive, a way to access intuition and calm.  Here are some fabulous Halloween costume ideas inspired by famous paintings of art history.  Painting in monochrome helps artists focus on the fundamental aspects of visual structure without the distraction of color. It strengthens understanding of value relationships, contrast, and light distribution. This approach improves control over tonal transitions and spatial depth. It also enhances accuracy in rendering form, volume, and perspective. By simplifying the visual information, monochrome painting allows for clearer analysis of composition and balance. It is an effective method for studying texture, edges, and brushwork. Additionally, it serves as a strong foundation for later color work, ensuring that the underlying value structure remains stable and consistent in more complex paintings. I highly recommend doing a monochrome painting sometime. Noticed the below images do not have bright highlights or super dark shadow.        These painting hacks for artists working in oil paint will help you simplify your workflow, improve your results, and help keep you organized. These artist painting tips and time-saving painting techniques will make the process smoother so you can focus on what really matters—exploring your curiosity in oil painting.
1. Prevent Galkyd Lite from hardening in the bottle Whenever you use Galkyd Lite, always add a small amount of gambol to the bottle before closing it. This will keep it liquid over a longer period of time and prevent it from oxidizing and hardening inside the bottle. 2. Color-code your paint tube caps For those of us who leave the caps off our paint tubes while painting, paint a dab of that color on the top of the cap so you can quickly identify which cap belongs to which tube of paint. 3. Prevent oil from oozing out of your tub of paint This effect, which is normal, is related to the storage, temperature, and humidity conditions during paint manufacture. The oil sometimes rises to the top of the tube. A simple solution is to hang or store your tubes of oil paint upside down, with the cap at the bottom. The oil will migrate slowly upward. Later, when you turn the tube over and squeeze out the paint, it will not be overly oily. 4. Use acetate to test your brush marks You know that you're painting needs something, but you're not sure what. And you do not want to mess up your painting by taking a wild guess. A great solution is to lay a sheet of clear acetate over your painting and paint over the acetate, allowing you to see your brush mark effects without committing to them on the actual painting. Then, if you like the effect, remove the acetate and paint the marks on your painting. Some acetates will accept oil. Check the manufacturer's guidelines. 5. Stay on the level I often see painters paint a copy of a photo they have taken, and not realize they had not held their camera level, and subsequently, the horizon in the painting is also crooked. It's normal to take a photo that is not perfectly level. But always check the level in your painting. Even when it's off slightly, it shouts! 6. Another oily paint trick If your paint is excessively oily when you squeeze it out of the tube, squeeze the paint onto a piece of cardboard. Spread the paint around, and the cardboard will absorb the excess oil. After a few minutes, scrape the paint off the cardboard, and you will have a nice, thick, pasty color. 7. A hard copy is better than digital If you are painting from any kind of reference image, it is far better to have a good, high-quality color printout than to try to paint off of your phone. The downside of painting off your phone is that the image is small, and the colors are backlit, which is an effect that is difficult to reproduce in paint. A better approach is to paint using a high-quality printout, as a printout is on a reflective surface, and your canvas is also reflective. That way, they are both in the same visual environment. 8. Work out the wrinkles If your painting is wrinkled, spray Tight-N-Up on the back of the canvas. It will work even after you have painted your picture, but it is best to tighten your canvas before you begin. 9. Lavender oil Some artists use lavender oil in their painting, and it smells delightful, but it's also toxic. Don't use it in your painting. 10: Take your eyeballs for a walk Studies have shown that when artists look at their painting for a long time, they lose objectivity, enter tunnel vision, and lose perspective in what they're doing in the context of the whole. It is essential to constantly refresh your eyes and shake out the stiffness in your hands and back. Set the timer on your phone to every half hour, to remind you to get up and loosen up. Take five minutes to check in with other painters or take a walk down the hall. You'll come back refreshed and see your painting with new inspiration. 11 Make a name for yourself Sign your painting at least 1/2 inch from any edge to avoid a picture frame from covering it. And practice your signature over and over until it looks like a work of art itself. You don't want to go to all the work of making a beautiful painting and then have a child-like signature. 12 Experiment with a limited palette Limit yourself to three primaries + white (ultramarine blue, cadmium red medium, cadmium yellow medium, and titanium-zinc white). A reduced palette makes color mixing easier and creates natural harmony in your painting. 12 Keep a palette scrap canvas Don’t waste leftover paint—scrape it onto a spare canvas or panel. Over time, this becomes an interesting textured ground for a future painting. 13 Work on a toned ground Instead of white Before beginning a painting, cover your canvas first with a thin layer of burnt umber, raw sienna, or gray. A touch of Gamsol may be needed. Scrub in the paint, then wipe it off with a dry rag, and the canvas will remain stained. This reduces the stark white, helps judge values better, and often speeds up the painting process. 14. Use the Mirror of Truth There is something wrong with your painting, but you don’t know what it is. Place your painting in front of a mirror. Seeing it reversed tricks your brain into noticing proportion errors, awkward edges, or compositional imbalances. Or take a photo of you painting, then flip the image in your phone's image editing feature, and you will see the painting in reverse, making errors stand out. 15 Brush soaps Artist brush soaps can be expensive, and I have experimented with them all. Try this alternative method: After cleaning your brushes with Gamsol, clean them more thoroughly with inexpensive Dawn dishwashing liquid. It is formulated to break down grease and oil. Put a dab of Dawn soap into the bristles of your brush, massage it in well, then rinse in water. Lay your brushes flat to dry. Keep following your curiosity!
|
AuthorPatrick Howe Archives
September 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
Copyright © 2025, by Patrick Howe, all rights reserved.
Patrick Howe, Artist, Author and Educator Seattle, WA. Contact: [email protected] |
|