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 Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Watercolor Magic 2006 Issues on CD
Posted by jessica
 It happens all the time: You’re having trouble with a passage in your painting inspired by New England architecture, and you remember reading a particularly helpful Watercolor Magic article on painting details in buildings. Exactly when that was published, you haven’t a clue, and your stack of archives is as tall as your desk. Help is on the way. For reasons such as this, we’ve just put all of our 2006 issues on one CD—so now you can save both time and space, instantly accessing the entire year’s worth of articles and advice. Just pop the CD into your computer, click on the issue you want to open, and go directly to a specific article by clicking on the respective bookmark.  Other pluses: The articles are printable for your own reference or sharing with friends; websites are hot-linked, thus allowing you to click on them and go directly online; and a comprehensive subject index makes the content fully searchable. They’re available now at our online back issue store for $19.96. Click here for details. By the way, that column, “More Than Bricks and Mortar,” by Mark Willenbrink, ran in the April 2006 issue.
From the Magazine | Tips and Tools
10/24/2007 10:15:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Host an Art Installation on Your Computer
Posted by Sarah
 The Holding Pattern Screensaver (available as a free download for Mac or PC), created by Los Angeles artist Cathy Davies, makes art that moves out of your computer's idle time: The Holding Pattern Screensaver turns
your idle computer screen into an airplane window, complete with a
moving aerial view. Every time the screensaver launches, it plays a
unique sequence of realistic, subtle animations. I've only tried and tested the Holding Pattern Screensaver (you can upgrade to a version that runs without the occasional "nag screen" for a small fee, by the way) but Davies offers several other free downloads on her site, which is a screensaver development project "founded on
the belief that screensavers are a hybrid form of cinema and
installation (pun intended)--a unique and underexploited medium."
Remember to adjust your screensaver preferences if you want to take "a relaxing meditative trip around the world," as Davies phrases it. If your timing is off and (like me) you're rarely idle, you may never get your window seat.
Overheard
10/23/2007 8:53:04 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, October 19, 2007
Joseph Raffael Exhibition
Posted by sarah
 Gallery owner/curator Nancy Hoffman tells us that it happens every now and again that she finds someone in tears in front of one of Joseph Raffael's paintings--they simply inspire that degree of awe. If you've ever wondered how you would do in front of one of Raffael's large-scale watercolors, you'll have your chance soon with the opening of a very special exhibition of Raffael's works at the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in NYC. The show runs from October 20 through November 28, 2007 and promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. The editors of Watercolor Magic have been cooking up something very special in conjunction with the exhibition for our readers. Check back next week to find out what we've been up to for the past few weeks.
Overheard
10/19/2007 4:26:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Painting with Dancing With the Stars’ Jane Seymour
Posted by jessica
 Actor, author, artist and dancer with the stars Jane Seymour is now bringing her love of watercolor to the public, with the help of art materials manufacturer Savoir-Faire. The two art sets, Paint With Jane: Watercolor Starter Kit and Paint With Jane: Drawing Starter Kit include the painting/drawing basics, plus an instructional DVD and pre-printed cards of Seymour’s drawings. Both are $39.95 and, according to Savoir-Faire, are available at art supply retailers starting this month. As Seymour says on her website, she feels that “watercolor is closer to the artist's hand and heart than any other medium.” How can we not agree?
Overheard
10/17/2007 10:18:51 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, October 15, 2007
Get Inspired AND See Your Creativity Workshop Activity in Watercolor Magic
Posted by sarah
 We debuted our new Creativity Workshop column a few months ago with a challenge from Nita Leland and since then we've been watching our mailbox for news from our readers. We've already published four paintings inspired by the first installation of the column on our website. And now we're sifting through the submissions inspired by Cathy Johnson's Creativity Workshop Activity (appearing in the December issue of the magazine). If you haven't already sent us your work, there's still plenty of time to get cracking. The deadline is December 20, 2007. Johnson challenges us to simplify, simplify with her activity:
Use Color as a ToolOne way to simplify your work is to let color do it for you. Just because your subject may contain all the colors of the rainbow in a dozen different variations, doesn’t mean you have to paint it that way. Decide which colors dominate the scene, and eliminate most of the others. Let color give your work punch; let it create a mood, whether festive or serene. Be creative with color and choose those that expresses your mood. Just remember to keep it simple. Choose a monochromatic color scheme, with tints and shades (lights and darks) of a single color; try an analogous color, with colors that are next to one another on the color wheel; or use the complements by letting them vibrate against one another, or by muting them through mixing.
Send
a slide, photograph or a disc containing a digital image of your
painting to Watercolor Magic, Creativity Workshop, Simplification
Activity, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati OH 45236. (Note: include a
self-addressed, stamped envelope if you’d like us to return your
submission.)
Cathy Johnson's Missouri Landscape, Fall is pictured above.
From the Magazine
10/15/2007 9:41:45 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, October 12, 2007
Steve Mumford Sketches the War in Iraq
Posted by Kelly
 New York artist Steve Mumford originally went to Baghdad in 2003, making four trips in all during that year and the next. Embedded with the U.S. military, he kept a journal and made countless drawings and watercolors of what he saw there. In early 2007 he returned to Iraq, where he worked at an army hospital for approximately a month. During his stay, he documented the heroic efforts of the doctors, nurses and medics to save lives, both U.S. and Iraqi. "The scenes from the 28 CSH [the 28th Combat Support Hospital] are some of the most moving I've experienced and tried to draw from all my trips to Iraq," says Mumford. "The deaths leave a deep impression, yet it's the soldiers who survive, and the staff who keep these lives from slipping away, that define the day-to-day experience here. But I feel that beneath the cheer in their sharp, young faces is a lingering sadness, an understanding that the scars of the survivors can never be erased. The scars of the hospital staff aren't visible but occasionally the hurt contributes, in their daily actions, to something like a state of grace." We were pleased to bring you Mumford's story of his first four trips to Iraq in our August issue. You can see his latest drawings and journal entries from the war zone on artnet.com. Image from artnet.com.
From the Magazine | Overheard
10/12/2007 11:09:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Into the Mind of van Gogh
Posted by jessica
 Sure, reading letters intended for someone other than oneself is voyeuristic, but when the letters are written by an artist legend, delving into them becomes a lesson in art history and criticism. " Painted With Words: Vincent van Gogh's Letters to Émile Bernard," on view at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City (through January 6), provides such an opportunity. The exhibition, which also has an accompanying book, features van Gogh’s notes, criticism and sketches to fellow artist Bernard between 1887 and 1889—during the time van Gogh was living in Arles and St. Rémy, in Provence—plus more than 20 watercolors, drawings and paintings by the two that reflect their shared ideas. Incidentally, it was during this period that van Gogh unlocked his artistic potential, according to the Morgan Library. For an online preview, check out the Morgan Library’s presentation of a few of the letters, with translation capabilities. Image from www.morganlibrary.org.
Overheard
10/10/2007 10:54:44 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, October 08, 2007
Milton Avery Still Lifes
Posted by sarah
 Those of you who share our affection for the work of Milton Avery will be pleased to hear about an upcoming show: Waddington Galleries has announced an exhibition of twenty-six still life paintings by Milton Avery that trace the artists development between 1927 and 1960. Paintings such as White Pitcher (shown here), which Avery painted at various intervals in his career, will be set in the context of the artist's developing style: In the earlier painting, the illusion of three-dimensional space is created by the contrast of light and dark, whereas in the later picture detail has been extracted and recognizable objects condensed into abstract shapes. The background or negative space begins to become part of a shallow picture plane of interconnecting silhouettes. The colours have been tonally heightened and harmonized through the addition of white paint, the flower petals given a lucid delineation by scratching through the pastel tone surface to reveal a dark green ground.
The show will take place October 31 through November 24, 2007. We reviewed Avery's work and life in the June issue of the magazine and had the distinct pleasure of publishing several images the artist created for an illustrated children's book, Paul, which only recently came into light. See some of these delightful paintings at The New York Public Library's website here.
Overheard
10/8/2007 1:25:48 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Rarely Seen Andrew Wyeth Works in Youngstown, Ohio
Posted by jessica
 The Butler Institute of American Art features Andrew Wyeth Watercolors and Drawings: Selections from the Marunuma Art Park Collection, Japan, 114 watercolors and drawings of landscapes, portraits and still lifes inspired by siblings Christina and Alvaro Olsen in Cushing, Maine (through December 16). Our staff had the honor of viewing the exhibition here in Cincinnati last February, where it made its debut at the Cincinnati Art Museum. (The Butler Institute is the third and final tour stop.) Guided through the private collection by the artist’s own granddaughter, Victoria Wyeth, we were fascinated to see in person exactly how the artist’s watercolors and drawings inform his finished temperas—evident especially in the 10 studies for Christina’s World. It was particularly interesting to learn what being a part of the Wyeth legacy entails. “To make the connection that the people sitting across the table and living next door to you are the people in the paintings—once that clicks, it’s the most amazing thing,” said Victoria. “He always says, ‘Vic, I’m painting my life.’ And he is painting his life, but he’s painting my life, too.” Image from www.butlerart.com.
Overheard
10/3/2007 10:30:31 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, September 28, 2007
Edward Hopper Doumentary
Posted by Kelly
 Narrated by award-winning actor and avid art
collector Steve Martin, a new documentary film traces Edward Hopper’s
varied influences, from French impressionism to the gangster films of
the 1930s. Using archival photographs and old footage, as well as
current pictures of the locations Hopper painted in New York and New
England, the 30-minute film explores the iconic paintings and artistic
impact of the revered artist. Produced by the National Gallery of Art
to accompany the “Edward Hopper” exhibition on its rare tour, the
documentary also includes revealing interviews with scholars, curators
and artists Eric Fischl and Red Grooms, regarding Hopper’s influence on
their careers.
You can catch the “Edward Hopper” exhibit at The National Gallery of
Art, in Washington, DC, through January 21, 2008, and at The Art
Institute of Chicago February 16 through May 11, 2008. The film is
available for purchase in the Gallery Shops.
Watch a three-minute clip of the film here.
Then poke around a bit on the National Gallery of Art's website.
They've got some really cool interactive features related to the Hopper
exhibit, including a timeline of the artist's life and art, a closer
look at three of his most recognized paintings, and a visual essay
about the major themes in Hopper's work.
Photo from www.nga.gov.
Overheard
9/28/2007 1:18:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Reader Tip
Posted by jessica
 Here’s a suggestion from one of our readers: “Most watercolorists occasionally have one painting that can’t be saved. When all else fails, including cropping, I make book markers. I start with very durable, 140- or 300-lb. paper, and use a paper cutter to save interesting vignettes here and there—cutting strips about 2 inches wide and an appropriate length. Corners can be rounded with scissors or a corner cutter found at a hobby shop, and a paper punch makes a hole at the top center for a ribbon.
 "I write a quotation or message on the front or reverse side of the strip, or glue my business card on the back. These make very functional gifts, samples of my work, words to brighten someone’s day, free advertisement and a way to cause friends to think of me and my work each time they pick up a book—perhaps for years to come.”
—Marcus Miller, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
Bookmark and photo submitted by Marcus Miller.
Tips and Tools
9/26/2007 3:58:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, September 24, 2007
International Watercolor Exhibit
Posted by Sarah
 The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society has announced its 28th Annual International Exhibit, to take place September 15 through October 28, 2007 at the Lancaster Museum of Art in Lancaster, PA.
Jurors include John Salminen and Nancy Barch and first prize is a medal and an award in the amount of $1,200. Attendees will have the pleasure of viewing the work of watercolor artists around the world in beautiful Grubb Mansion, home of the Lancaster Museum of Art, which boasts an unusual oval staircase, cast iron fireplace and Egyptian marble mantel.
(Pictured: Divine Dhalia No. 1 (21x20) by Amy Pember, PWS member)
Overheard
9/24/2007 4:14:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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