Following Intuition

After years of painting and studying art, an accomplished artist should have some sense of intuition. She should know what kind of composition she wants at the start of the project, what color harmonies will work best, and what emotion she wants to convey to--or invite from--the viewer. My latest painting is an example of intuition winning over reason... I began "Katie and Bogota" at the end of September, after having a wonderful late-afternoon photo session with the two. Katie is an award-winning dressage rider, and Bogota is her beautiful Oldenburg mare. I would have loved to start the painting from life, but when working with animals, I'm usually forced to use photographic reference. After taking over 400 photographs, I took my camera back to my studio and began to narrow … Read more »

Following Intuition

Some great thoughts on representational art

The following is an exert from the catalog for "Immortal Works," an exquisit show currently being held by the Nerdrum Art School and the Florence Academy of Art in Gothenburg, Sweden. I wanted to share some of the author's extraordinary thoughts on the philosophy of art, and why these traditional schools continue their work in the midst of a world whose definition of Art has changed completely. "WITH ALL DUE RESPECT Edvard Munch had several houses. Coming to one of them in order to paint, he had often forgotten the keys. So he had to find someone who could open the door. The person concerned would receive half a Krone for the job. But every now and then, Munch had forgotten money as well… At one such occasion, he tried giving away a print instead. Of course he meant well,… Read more »

Some great thoughts on representational art

Ode to a Minivan

Two weeks ago, I lost an old friend. My trusty '96 Honda Odyssey - an invaluable gift from my mother-in-law about four years ago - finally died. I used to laugh about it and wonder why I had to be the childless soccer mom driving around in that thing, but truthfully, it was the best vehicle I could have ever had for that time in my life. It got me around campus while I was still in school (especially in the dead of winter - how on earth did I live without a car freshman year??). It helped me help friends who needed rides, and it fit ALL my stuff for coming back home when I graduated from Hillsdale. From the very start, I used it for hauling art and art supplies. These things take up a lot of space, you know! After I got married, the minivan came with Steve and me to Texas, and when we… Read more »

Ode to a Minivan