Patrick Howe's art blog - PATRICK HOWE, ARTIST, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR

Maxfield Parrish

12/13/2025

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.

Why are there more women in painting classes? And what does that say of the few men who take painting classes?

11/4/2025

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.

Women, on average, are more socially encouraged to process emotions through expression like writing, talking, or creating.
Men, by contrast, are often taught to manage emotions through action or distraction (e.g., sports, gaming, or practical projects).
So painting fits comfortably into the ways women are socialized to manage feeling and meaning.

2. Cultural Framing of “Appropriate” Leisure
Society subtly signals which hobbies are “feminine” or “masculine.”

Activities emphasizing aesthetic sensibility, introspection, and beauty like painting, floral design, or decorating are seen as more feminine.
Hobbies emphasizing competition, mechanics, or mastery of tools like woodworking, car restoration, or sports are seen as more masculine.
Painting, particularly non-competitive painting, lands squarely in the “feminine-coded” zone.

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.

Halloween Costume Ideas

10/28/2025

Here are some fabulous Halloween costume ideas inspired by famous paintings of art history.

Benefits of Painting in Monochrome: Strengthening Value, Contrast, and Composition

10/15/2025

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.

15 Painting Hacks

8/27/2025

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!

50% Off Oil Painting Classes—Starting Soon!

8/18/2025

First-time students get 50% off their first month of classes. Offer is for September and October classes, 2025

Washington State Fair Art Show Judge, and Recent Color Theory Presentation

8/13/2025

I had the privilege of being a juror in the Washington State Fair art show. Another oil painter and I viewed about 100 oil paintings and selected which ones would be in the show, which ones would be rejected, and which would be the first, second, and third place winners. Below is me standing next to the winner in the oil painting division.

How do you judge an art show?
It's not easy. Sometimes you might reject an outstanding painting because its garish frame has made the painting look terrible. Other times, you might include a painting that is poorly executed but has an outstanding concept. Or, several beautiful landscapes have been submitted, but you reject one in order to make room for a still life or an abstract to make the exhibit well-rounded. In the end, the selection is subjective because there is no objective, scientific, quantifiable method of determining good art. If you ever enter an art show and are rejected, don't feel bad; it happens to really good artists all the time. Maybe the judge doesn't like the color orange in any painting, and yours happens to have orange in it. The selection can come down to superficial decisions like that.

Color Theory Presentation
In several classes last week I offered a color theory presentation, focusing on complementary colors, and color mathching:

The Psychological and Emotional Benefits of making Art

8/7/2025

Making art offers measurable mental and emotional benefits, supported by a growing body of research in psychology and neuroscience. Engaging in visual art—particularly painting—has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance cognitive flexibility. These effects are not limited to professional artists; they apply to anyone, including beginners in painting classes.

A 2016 study published in Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association found that just 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lowered cortisol levels, a biological marker of stress, in 75% of participants. Importantly, this stress reduction occurred regardless of participants' prior art experience. The act of making art engages the parasympathetic nervous system, inducing a relaxation response similar to meditation.
Beyond stress relief, painting enhances emotional processing and self-awareness. According to a 2018 meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Psychology, visual art activities promote emotional expression and help individuals explore complex feelings, leading to increased psychological resilience. Creating images can allow people to process trauma or grief nonverbally, offering a powerful outlet for those who struggle to articulate emotions through language.

Cognitively, making art stimulates several brain regions associated with memory, attention, and executive function. A 2014 study by Bolwerk et al., published in PLOS ONE, found that adults who participated in a ten-week visual arts program (as opposed to an art appreciation course) showed increased functional connectivity in the default mode network of the brain. This network is tied to self-referential thought, memory retrieval, and emotional regulation. Participants also experienced higher levels of psychological resilience and reported greater personal fulfillment.

Painting specifically requires fine motor skills, visual-spatial reasoning, and problem-solving, which contribute to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. These cognitive demands may help delay age-related decline. A study published in Neurology in 2014 found that individuals who engaged in artistic activities in mid-to-late life were 73% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment compared to those who did not.

Participating in painting classes adds further psychological and emotional advantages beyond solo art-making. Structured instruction provides goal-oriented engagement, which has been shown to improve motivation and increase the sense of agency. Social interaction in group classes can reduce loneliness and contribute to a sense of belonging. A 2020 review in Health Education Journal concluded that adult learners in community-based art programs reported increased self-esteem and well-being, largely due to social cohesion and skill mastery.

Painting classes also foster a growth mindset. Students routinely encounter failure (such as a color mix not working or a composition falling flat) and learn to iterate and adapt. This process builds frustration tolerance and reinforces the idea that improvement comes through practice—an attitude that can transfer to other life domains.

Still Life Painting From Life

7/28/2025

I was asked if students can bring objects from home to paint in class. Yes! Here are some things to consider:

• Make sure that the objects you bring to class aren't busy with lots of complex details and patterns. Keep it simple.

• Plan to have your painting done in 2 hours, the length of the class. That way, you will be painting under the lighting conditions in the classroom that day; there's no saying the same light conditions will be there next week.

• Bring items to paint and we'll make it happen!

To paint a still life from observation, begin by arranging objects under consistent lighting. Use a viewfinder or mark your canvas edges to establish composition. Sketch the basic shapes lightly with pencil, brush, or charcoal, focusing on proportion and placement. Identify the light source and block in shadow masses first to establish value structure. Mix and apply middle tones next, keeping paint thin in the early stages. Observe color temperature shifts and refine edges—keep some sharp, others soft to suggest depth. Use a limited palette to control harmony and mix colors accurately, based on observed color, not assumptions. Work across the whole painting, not object by object, to unify the composition. Avoid overworking; maintain brushstroke intention. Finally, step back often to assess relationships and make corrections. Let it dry between sessions if using oils. Clean tools thoroughly when finished.

Above is a setup I made at home. It would make a fun painting.

I have a big @ symbol. It would also be fun to paint.

Above is a more complex arrangement. Notice the lighting was carefully adjusted.

Here, the painter has kept the strokes loose.

Give it a try.

Plein Air Painting 2025

7/26/2025

Plein air painting is the practice of painting outdoors, where artists directly observe the landscape. Artists bring their materials to the site and work on location to capture natural light, color, and atmosphere. This method requires quick decision-making due to the changing weather and lighting conditions. It challenges artists to simplify forms and focus on essentials. Plein air painting improves observation skills and deepens understanding of color relationships and spatial depth. Artists often complete studies on-site and may refine or expand them later in the studio. It’s a practical exercise that builds technical skill, visual memory, and confidence in working efficiently under natural conditions.

Here are three of my recent plein air paintings:

"Rose Garden in July." I was mesmerized by the flowers' soft colors.

"Rose Garden 2". Toward the far side of the Rose Garden, there is a small wooded area. I set up there to avoid the crowds.

"Woodland Park". Every direction you turn—trees! This one took about an hour.

Watch for more plein air paintings in future posts!

What Attracts Us to Some Paintings but Not Others?

7/9/2025

Some paintings attract us more than others due to psychological, emotional, cultural, and aesthetic factors. While taste is subjective, certain elements engage our attention and emotion on a deeper level. These include composition, color harmony, emotional resonance, symbolic content, and the viewer’s personal experiences or cultural background.

In the below paintings, observe what each painting evokes in you:

Visual composition plays a foundational role in our response to paintings. We are naturally drawn to visual balance, rhythm, and clarity. A well-composed painting guides the viewer’s eye through the image in a way that feels satisfying or intriguing. The placement of elements within the frame can create tension, harmony, or curiosity. This subconscious visual organization can make a painting feel “right” even before we understand its content.

Color is another powerful attractor. Warm tones such as reds, oranges, and yellows create excitement or warmth, while cool tones like blues and greens evoke calm or introspection. Artists often use color to evoke emotion, and we are often unconsciously drawn to hues that resonate with our internal states or emotional needs.

Beyond formal elements, emotional resonance is a major reason why some paintings attract us. A painting may reflect a mood we’re experiencing or longing for—joy, melancholy, nostalgia, wonder. We are drawn to art that mirrors our emotional world or gives voice to feelings we cannot easily express. This is especially true of figurative or symbolic art, where facial expressions, gestures, and settings invite empathy or contemplation.

Cultural and personal background strongly influence what we find attractive. A painting that references a viewer’s heritage, beliefs, or lived experiences will often strike a deeper chord. Likewise, personal experiences—such as a memory of a place, a relationship, or a trauma—can create a magnetic pull toward certain subjects or styles. This makes the viewing experience unique for every individual.

Lastly, the mystery or originality of a painting can be a powerful attractor. We are naturally curious beings, and when a painting challenges our expectations, invites interpretation, or contains ambiguity, it compels us to look closer. Innovative techniques, unusual perspectives, or imaginative concepts stimulate both the intellect and the imagination.

What to do with all your artwork piling up in your house or studio?

7/1/2025

All paintings below by Dennis Congdon

A musician friend once said, "The advantage of making music over art is that once you are finished performing your music, it goes away, but when you finish a painting, it just sits there, out in the world."
So what is an artist to do?

Keep it - Collect your own art.
I have paintings I did 40 years ago that I still love looking at. Not because I think highly of myself, but because I’m still amazed that I somehow managed to paint them. It's OK to be amazed by your accomplishments and fill your walls with them.

Recycle your art
Embrace an honest assessment of a painting and determine if it is really, really a keeper? If not, paint another painting over it with a clear conscience. (Cover the painting with a solid tint of color first, before painting on it.) This has been a practice by many great artists throughout art history, so you're in good company.

Give your art as a gift
Someone may not appreciate your thoughtful gift of a 10' x 10' (305 x 305 cm) painting, but they may be super excited to receive a smaller one.

Offer your art at auctions
Many organizations host fundraisers and are seeking items to auction off. Help their cause and bring happiness to those lucky people who buy your art.. (Caveat: your art must be your original creation, not a painted copy of another person’s photograph or painting.)

Art Galleries and coffee shops
If you are accomplished enough and consider yourself an artist, find art galleries, gift shops, or coffee shops that will display and sell your artwork. If no sales happen, at least people will see your amazing artwork. (Caveat: your art must be your original creation, not a printed copy of another person’s photograph or painting.)

Studio Sale
Once a year, have an art party and studio sale at your house. Bring out all of your paintings and spread them out everywhere, on the walls, on tables, leaning on furniture—everywhere! Make the whole place look like the studio of a mad artist. Then, invite all your friends to come over. Offer works for rock-bottom prices. Offer two paintings for the price of one. Refuse no offer!

AI-Generated Content and the Visual Artist

6/25/2025

In the New York Times article below, commercial illustrator Christof Niemann discusses the challenges artists face when confronted with AI-generated images. He makes many excellent points, and his illustrations that accompany his ideas are delightfully original. I can see why he is a successful illustrator. Please read the article here:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/23/magazine/ai-art-artists-illustrator.html
Then see my own comments on the topic below

My Take
My primary concern is the use of AI-generated images with respect to fine art, specifically painting.
First of all, I respect the choices of every artist who chooses to use AI in their creative process. And I will tell you why I personally will never use AI in any part of my artistic creative process. The first and foremost reason is that its use diminishes and atrophies an artist's creativity and imagination, while paradoxically making the art appear superior. It's much easier to tell a machine to come up with amazing images and ideas than for artists to have to go through the difficult work of doing it themselves.

Someone could argue, but why do it the old, hard way "by hand”? My argument is not whether it's old or new, but about what using AI may do to my cognitive skills and imagination.

Some have equated AI-generated images to the advent of photography and its impact on the artistic creative process over the past 150 years. Using a camera makes a person smarter because you have to activate your cognitive skills to select scenes to photograph. In contrast, AI-generated images are just handed to you, and then you curate them. "I'll take this one but not that one.” The AI artist has become a curator of images, not an originator. Related to this, recent studies have examined writers who use ChatGPT extensively for writing, revealing that their cognitive skills have declined significantly due to their reliance on the tool. One may assume that something similar would happen to a visual artist using images generated by AI. (Ask ChatGPT about the 2025 MIT study about the use of AI-generated content and the decline of cognitive function.)

It's a larger discussion than I can get into here, but these are some of my initial thoughts.

Expose Yourself to New Ideas in Art

6/17/2025

Exposing yourself to new art offers a wide range of concrete benefits, many of which are supported by research in psychology, education, and even business. When you engage with art outside your usual tastes or comfort zone, you develop cognitive flexibility, improve your ability to empathize, and enhance your problem-solving skills.

Encountering unfamiliar art challenges your perception. Whether it’s a type of visual art, performance, or music you don’t normally enjoy or understand, your brain is pushed to interpret new symbols, patterns, and forms. This process activates areas in the brain related to critical thinking. You may not immediately understand what you're looking at, but the act of trying to make sense of it is intellectually valuable. This kind of mental engagement builds tolerance for ambiguity, a trait associated with higher creativity and adaptability. (Read more below).

A Deeper Dive
Exposing yourself to new art increases your capacity for empathy. Art often reflects the experiences, beliefs, and values of people from different backgrounds. When you see a painting from another culture or watch a film that portrays life in a different socioeconomic context, you’re given a window into someone else’s world. This exposure doesn’t just increase knowledge; it also helps you understand emotional perspectives that are different from your own. Studies have shown that regularly engaging with the arts can make people more empathetic and socially aware.

There are also measurable benefits for communication. People who engage with diverse forms of art often become better at expressing themselves. That’s not just because they’re picking up artistic skills, but because they’re exposed to many different modes of expression. For example, a sculpture might convey a complex idea without using any words at all. Observing how artists communicate helps you refine your own ability to convey ideas in more precise or nuanced ways. This can be useful not only in creative fields, but also in business, education, and personal relationships.

From a practical standpoint, seeing new art can help break routine patterns of thought. This is especially useful in problem-solving. When your brain gets used to the same kinds of inputs, your ideas tend to become repetitive. New art interrupts that cycle. It introduces unexpected elements that can stimulate different ways of thinking. This kind of mental disruption is a key ingredient in innovation.

Finally, exposing yourself to new art can reduce stress and improve overall mental health. While art doesn’t replace therapy or medical treatment, studies have shown that people who engage with art regularly often report feeling more satisfied with their lives. Even passive exposure—like walking through a museum or listening to an unfamiliar piece of music—can lead to lower cortisol levels and improved mood.

In short, regularly seeking out new and unfamiliar art isn't just a hobby—it’s a way to expand your mental toolkit, improve social and emotional understanding, and stay mentally flexible in a fast-changing world. The benefits are practical, measurable, and applicable to many areas of life.

New Product - Gamblin 3-in-1

6/10/2025

• No need to mix Gamsol and Galkyd Lite to create an oil out
• Can be used as a primer for board, instead of gesso. (But you can't apply an acrylic layer over it. Any underpainting or colored tinting before painting must be done in oils.
• Made of safflower oil, so less odorous and safer for chemically sensitive people
• Dries in a semi-gloss sheen rather than high gloss.
• It is a "lean" layer, so thicker paint can be applied over it

Learn more at Gamblin here

See video

(Sidebar: Notice how they always display tubes of paint upside down? This way, when you squeeze paint out of the tube, you won't get a lot of oil first.)

Beautiful Paintings to Study

6/3/2025

The Psychological and Emotional Benefits of Painting.
Creating and studying painting offers profound emotional and psychological benefits. The act of painting allows for self-expression beyond words, providing a safe outlet to process complex emotions such as grief, joy, or anxiety. It can reduce stress and foster a sense of calm through rhythmic brushwork and color immersion. The focus required in painting encourages mindfulness, grounding the artist in the present moment and quieting internal noise. Studying painting also deepens appreciation for beauty, history, and human experience, enriching one's emotional life. Engaging with art enhances empathy and introspection while building confidence through creative risk-taking. For many, painting becomes a meditative ritual that cultivates patience, resilience, and inner peace. Whether practicing or observing, painting connects individuals to something greater than themselves—nature, culture, or the human spirit—helping to nourish a more centered, expressive, and emotionally intelligent self.

Empty Spaces and Quirky Subjects

5/20/2025

Hiroki Kawanabe is one of my favorite Instagram painters. His intentionally amateurish paintings capture our attention with their quirky subject matter and the unexpected spacing between elements in the artwork. A half-cup of coffee. The back of someone's head, partially. A close-up of the corner of an umbrella at night. Rain captured by a street light. A big space between two birds. A street light as seen through the branches of a tree. And clothes hanging in the closet. This work is exciting because it's refreshing and unexpected. He points his camera in the opposite direction from where everyone else is pointing their cameras. He looks at what others would not bother looking at. If he had painted these subjects photo-realistically, it would've detracted from the childlike innocence and his refreshing vision.

Fritz Thaulow, Norwegian Impressionist

5/11/2025

Frits Thaulow (1847–1906) was a Norwegian Impressionist painter known for his serene, atmospheric landscapes, especially of water scenes. He studied in Copenhagen and Paris, developing a naturalistic style influenced by French Impressionism. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Thaulow preferred rural settings over urban life, capturing rivers, canals, and snowy streets with delicate realism and luminous color. His brushwork conveyed the reflective and moving qualities of water with poetic sensitivity. Thaulow spent his later years in France, where he gained widespread acclaim. His ability to merge Scandinavian light with French technique made him one of Norway’s most internationally recognized artists.

Frits Thaulow's water paintings capture the delicate movement and reflective beauty of rivers and streams with remarkable realism. Using soft brushwork and nuanced tones, he conveys light shimmering on flowing surfaces. His compositions evoke tranquility, drawing viewers into serene, natural settings infused with atmosphere and subtle impressionist influence.

Easter

4/17/2025

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, a foundational event in Christian faith, symbolizing victory over sin and death. Observed on the Sunday following Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion, Easter marks the culmination of Holy Week and the end of Lent, a season of fasting and reflection. For Christians, Easter affirms the promise of eternal life and the transformative power of God’s love and grace. It is both a solemn remembrance and a joyful celebration, often accompanied by church services, music, and gatherings that honor Christ’s sacrifice and triumph, offering hope and renewal to believers.

Below, the crucifixion of Christ, his death, and resurrection are portrayed by three artists.

Crucifixion. I intentionally included the Grünenwald altarpiece above because art historians know it is one of the few depictions of the Crucifixion that expresses the true pain and brutality of torture. It is not romanticized.

The Grünewald Altarpiece, also known as the Isenheim Altarpiece, is a monumental polyptych painted by Matthias Grünewald between 1512 and 1516 for the Monastery of St. Anthony in Isenheim. Renowned for its intense emotional power and vivid imagery, it was designed to comfort patients suffering from skin diseases like ergotism. The Crucifixion scene, with Christ’s contorted body, graphically conveys pain and redemption, while inner panels reveal scenes of the Resurrection and healing saints. Combining Gothic spirituality with early Renaissance detail, the altarpiece stands as one of the most hauntingly beautiful religious artworks of the Northern Renaissance.

The death of Christ. Michelangelo’s La Pietà, sculpted in 1498–1499, is a Renaissance masterpiece housed in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. I would have to admit it moved me in a very deep way when I saw it live. Carved from a single block of Carrara marble, it depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the lifeless body of Jesus after the Crucifixion. Remarkable for its emotional depth, the sculpture captures both sorrow and serenity. Mary’s youthful face and the flowing drapery contrast with Christ’s lifeless form, creating a powerful expression of grief and divine grace. La Pietà was Michelangelo’s first major commission and remains the only work he ever signed, showcasing his extraordinary skill and spiritual sensitivity.

The Resurrection, Easter. Affirming the promise of eternal life and the transformative power of God’s love and grace. It is both a solemn remembrance and a joyful celebration, often accompanied by church services, music, and gatherings that honor Christ’s sacrifice and triumph, offering hope and renewal to believers.

Rob Pointon Artist

4/8/2025

If you're painting from photos, why not take photos with a fisheye filter or wide-angle filter? Or imagine your subject in a swirled state rather than predicably static, and paint directly from your imagination.

See more like this here.

I enjoy Rob Pointon's paintings above, and it made me think of how artists throughout history have distorted images to create new and exciting effects. Movements like Cubism, led by Picasso and Braque, fractured perspective to reveal multiple viewpoints at once, while Expressionists, such as Edvard Munch, exaggerated form and color to convey psychological intensity. Surrealists like Salvador Dalí twisted reality to explore the subconscious, merging dream logic with the real world. Abstract artists, including Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, abandoned literal representation entirely, using shape, color, and gesture to evoke mood and meaning. These distortions often reflected broader societal shifts—industrialization, war, existential uncertainty—offering new ways to see and feel the world. Rather than mere imitation, modern art became a language of transformation, allowing artists to reinterpret reality, confront truth, and provoke thought. In distorting the familiar, they opened doors to deeper understanding and imaginative freedom.

All Cats #4

4/1/2025

Cats have long been symbols of mystery, playfulness, and the uncanny, making them perfect subjects for art. Their fluid movements, piercing eyes, and mischievous expressions lend themselves to endless artistic interpretations. From ancient Egyptian depictions of divine felines to the surreal cats of contemporary paintings, these creatures captivate with their enigmatic presence.

From vibrant, swirling patterns to exaggerated, elongated forms, artistic depictions of cats highlight their wonderfully weird nature. They embody contradictions—graceful yet chaotic, affectionate yet aloof—making them ideal muses for surreal and whimsical compositions. Whether they appear stretched beyond proportion, rendered in swirling colors, or sitting with an all-knowing stare, cats in art reflect both the strange and the sublime.

Study the styles and moods of each painting. Try to imagine painting in a similar style.

For more information about each painting, grab the image and drop it into Google Lens.

Discovered Treasures

3/10/2025

For all the downsides of social media, there are occasionally wonderful things to be discovered there. Below are works of art that I found on Instagram that captured my attention and imagination. There is no theme or style that I am directing your attention to, just the wonder and curiosity of paintings that catch my eye. (To get more info about these paintings, drag image onto Google browser, double click and select Google Lens)

Art lovers who love reading books

The Great Awakening

Alien artists have come to Earth not to enslave or destroy humans but to save them from their own insanity. Read all about it in my new science fiction metaphysical thriller, "The Great Awakening." Available on Amazon.

Richard Diebenkorn, Abstract and Figurative Painter

3/4/2025

In class last week we were talking about Artist, Richard Diebenkorn (1922–1993). He was an American painter known for his contributions to both Abstract Expressionism and the Bay Area Figurative Movement. His early works reflected the gestural, expressive qualities of abstraction, but he later shifted to figurative painting, blending abstraction with recognizable forms. Diebenkorn’s most celebrated series, Ocean Park, features luminous, geometric compositions inspired by the California coast, marked by layered colors, subtle textures, and a masterful sense of space. His work balances structure and spontaneity, evoking both landscape and emotion. Diebenkorn remains an influential figure in modern art, bridging abstraction and representation with a distinctive, contemplative style.

Composition Challenge. Make an Abstract-ish Painting of a Room Interior

2/18/2025

Study these paintings by Carlos San Millan. They portray a dark room with a door or window providing a source of light. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to take reference photos of room interiors that could be used for painting. See my examples at the bottom of the page.

Here are samples of interior photos with a door or window as the source of light. They could be used as reference photos for paintings. If you wish to share your photos with others in my program, post them on our Artist's Network FB page. Here are some photos I took for the challenge:

Below is an example of an interior reference photo, and then my abstract-ish interpretation of it as a painting.

Recent Painting Discoveries

2/12/2025

Here are some beautiful and interesting paintings that I found recently. Please check them out and ask yourself how they were painted. Perhaps even download an image and printed out to use as a reference photo for yourself. Enjoy!