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 Wednesday, May 14, 2008
ArtistsNetwork.tv Makes its Debut
Posted by jessica




We told you it was coming: Today we’re proud to announce the launch of ArtistsNetwork.tv, a new website from F+W Publications that offers instructional (streaming) videos from today’s leading artists—so you don’t have to download anything, and you can watch any time of the day as long as you have a high-speed Internet connection.

So far, the site offers five 40-plus minute workshops, including two with Stephen Quiller (and at least two more coming before the end of this month), and more on the production lineup from other beloved watermedia artists such as Mark Willenbrink and Jean Grastorf.

You can choose to subscribe to any of the individual workshops for a six-month period, or subscribe to all of them for a six-month period—your call. Click here for subscription information.




From the Magazine | Overheard | Videos
5/14/2008 4:37:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Monday, May 12, 2008
Online Exclusive: Andy Evansen
Posted by sarah

WCA_evansen.jpgIn September of 2007, watercolor artist Andy Evansen and three friends—oil painters Jason Situ, Kevin Macpherson and John Budicin—had a rare opportunity to explore both the world and their own abilities as artists. They were invited to travel to the city of Kaiping in southeastern China for a seven-day plein air painting trip. Though they'd done little planning and knew very little what to expect, the experience proved to be a memorable (and productive) one for the artists. Read about their special journey and see photos and paintings from the trip in our latest online exclusive: a free downloadable pdf of the full-text feature.



From the Magazine
5/12/2008 1:16:26 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Friday, May 09, 2008
Spend Mother's Day With Mary Cassatt
Posted by Kelly

02gall.1901.jpgBest known for her Impressionist paintings of adoring mothers and their children, Mary Cassatt is one of several artists whose works are currently on display at Adelson Galleries in New York City. The exhibition, "Prints and Drawings From the Collection Of Ambroise Vollard," features a number of lesser known Cassatt works that demonstrate a decidedly modern sensibility. Within the collection of etchings, aquatints and prepatory pencil drawings are works that exhibit a preference for painterly washes over precision and untypically bold color choices.

"The Barefooted Child" (1896-1897; drypoint and aquatint) is one of many works by Cassatt on view at the Adelson Galleries.


Overheard
5/9/2008 4:37:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Thursday, May 08, 2008
Notes from NAMTA
Posted by jessica

Last week a group of us from F+W headed to Reno, Nevada, for the National Art Materials Trade Association (NAMTA) convention and trade show, where we were able to see some of the newest products on the market from more than 200 exhibitors. Not only was it great to meet some of the manufacturers and retailers, but to see these materials in action—either by playing with them ourselves or watching an artist do so—was quite exciting!

Fortunately, new trends this year included earth-friendly products and supplies—as Maureen, the editor of our sister publication, The Artist’s Magazine, said, “green is the new primary color”—so be on the lookout for more eco-friendly art information in the future.

On our last day, as the convention was coming to a close, Maureen and I ventured out into town for a trip to the Nevada Museum of Art (NMA). A modest space, the museum has a great collection that includes some California scene painters—and hosts worthwhile exhibitions such as “Frank Lloyd Wright & The House Beautiful” (on display through July 20). We took the museum associate’s suggestion to start at the top of the building, where a playful, dancing rabbit lured us out onto the rooftop terrace. The hare, Barry Flanagan's bronze sculpture, Large Left-Handed Drummer, is a big deal for the museum: Newly arrived, it last exhibited at Union Square Park in Manhattan. (It should be noted also that NMA restaurant Café Musée is excellent.)

And now, some photos:


Flying over Salt Lake City




Seat covers on the buses (that took NAMTA attendees to and from the hotel to the convention center) promoted Watercolor Artist, as well as sister publications The Pastel Journal and The Artist’s Magazine. That’s Maureen, editor of TAM.



Part of our space at the show



A champagne toast at Daler-Rowney



View of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as seen from the roof of the Nevada Museum of Art



Barry Flanagan’s Large Left-Handed Drummer (Nevada Museum of Art)



Some cool benches outside the NMA



The NMA’s newest acquisition by Dennis Oppenheim. Looks like engagement rings, no? Hence the title, Engagement. According to the museum, the steel sculpture is “a monument to the institution of marriage and ties directly to Reno’s history of quick marriage and easy divorce.”



... and wouldn’t you know, we had a wedding chapel right in our very own hotel.



Overheard
5/8/2008 9:42:16 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Tuesday, May 06, 2008
World Wide Watercolor Web
Posted by sarah

The number of instructional watercolor videos on YouTube is not small. Sifting through the pile for little gems has (of late) become a habit of mine. I like finding ordinary artists who are compelled by their simple desire to share what they know with other artists like themselves. If you're a beginner in the medium, looking for answers to basic questions like, "How do I stretch my watercolor paper?" check back in the with blog from time to time. I'll be posting helpful videos posted by artists just like you. This time, check out this watercolor tutorial posted by Bob Davies, "Stretching Watercolour Paper." He offers two approaches from start to finish in less than 10 minutes. And he seems so nice!



Tips and Tools
5/6/2008 1:30:37 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Other Artists Who Rock: Amy Winehouse?
Posted by jessica

amy_w.jpgThe June issue’s Making a Splash column (“Art Rocks”) focuses on the convergence of visual and sonic art, noting some musicians who also dabble in the visual art realm: Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Bryan Ferry, Marilyn Manson, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Natalie Merchant, David Byrne, Miles Davis, k.d. lang, John Mellencamp, Stevie Nicks, Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Graham Nash, John Entwistle, Kim Gordon, Bono, Grace Slick, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin.

Readers were asked to submit other names, and while we’ve received a few—Donna Summer, Cat Stevens, Herb Alpert, Paul Stanley (keep them coming)—we were especially pleasantly surprised to see that tabloid target Amy Winehouse is discovering watercolor. Rock on.







From the Magazine | Overheard
4/30/2008 4:28:21 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Monday, April 28, 2008
Win $100 in Art Supplies for Your Watercolor Painting
Posted by sarah

1Avoiding_the_pits.jpgGood news: we've extended our deadline! Now you have until May 10, 2008 to send us your Creativity Workshop Activity.

In the April 2008 issue of Watercolor Artist, Nancy Collins invites you to discover new creative territories: "Bring new energy to your work by experimenting with a process or a surface. Select subjects that mirror the qualities you’d like to explore with your choices. For example, if you’d like to experiment with a burnishing process as I did, select subjects that will be enhanced by a shining surface. Learning through trial and error can be challenging and it can also reap unexpected rewards. It’s all about finding what works for you—and running with it," she says. Read a full summary of Collins' Creativity Workshop column here.

Send us your Creativity Workshop Activity for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Jerry’s Artarama. Send a JPEG image (with a resolution of 72 dpi) of your painting to wcamag@fwpubs.com or send a disc to Watercolor Artist, Creativity Workshop, Experiment Activity, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati OH 45236. The new extended deadline for entry is May 10, 2008.

Interested in seeing what artists just like you have painted in response to previous Creativity Workshops? Go here and here.



From the Magazine | Overheard | Tips and Tools
4/28/2008 2:37:25 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A Watercolor Master in Our Midst
Posted by jessica

jackson1.jpgMiller Gallery, located right down the road from the Watercolor Artist headquarters, has just received four paintings from renowned watercolorist Paul Jackson, a featured artist many times in the magazine—as well as others, such as Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NPR and CBS News, to name a few—most recently in our April 2008 issue. Two of the works new to Miller Gallery were actually featured in the WCA article by Christine Proskow: Floating Palace (watercolor on paper, 57x23; pictured at left) and Fascination (watercolor on paper, 40x60; below).

Here’s what the gallery says about the artist:
“In our continuing efforts to bring the top artists in the world to Cincinnati, Miller Gallery is pleased to introduce Paul C. Jackson, A.W.S. Paul, who lives in Columbia, Kansas, is without doubt, if not the best, easily one of the top five finest watercolor artists in the world.”

And here’s what Jackson had to say about watercolor (from our April 2008 issue):
“Watercolor always seemed to have a soul that other media didn’t possess. Its translucency and transparency make it one of the most exciting things I know.”



jackson2.jpg







From the Magazine | Overheard
4/23/2008 10:15:50 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [1]
 Monday, April 21, 2008
Printastic: Jeanette Pasin Sloan
Posted by sarah

sloandotsII_lg.jpgIf you, like me, received your introduction to the art world from your mother (Mine went so far as to dress as famous artists, by the way. Her van Gogh was complete with bandanged ear.) you'll appreciate the excitement I experienced when my mother expressed an interest in buying work by one of the artists I'd recently interviewed. She was simply floored by Jeanette Pasin Sloan's remarkable still lifes. And I have to admit, I was thrilled by the prospect of seeing Sloan's work hanging in the family home.

If you (too) would like to see Sloan's work on your walls, you'll be pleased to hear that Landfall Press has collaborated with the artist to produce a brand new print: Dots II is one of Sloan's most ambitious prints to date, both for its impressive size (38x36.5) and the number of successive color overlays (nine). The painting represents the new direction Sloan's work is heading, a territory where the lines between representation and abstraction are blurred.

Incidentally, Landfall publishes work from a wide range of artists and has done so for more than 30 years. If you have an hour to get lost in the archives, you could wind up spending two.

Watch a video that takes you inside Sloan's studio here. And read the feature I wrote on on Sloan's work here.


Overheard
4/21/2008 8:52:02 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [1]
 Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Art Chicago 2008
Posted by jessica

logo.jpgThose who live in close proximity to Chicago (or who happen to be visiting next weekend) will want to take advantage of the arts filled weekend ahead. Art Chicago, held April 25-28 in the Merchandise Mart, features international contemporary and modern art—painting, photography, drawing, prints, sculpture, video and special installations—by more than 2,000 artists (represented by 180 of the world's top galleries).

How delighted we (in Cincinnati) were to learn several months back that Cincinnati’s own Carl Solway Gallery had been chosen by a committee of esteemed names in the art world to exhibit in this year’s festivities! “Carl Solway Gallery can consider themselves among the finest company in the arts world today,” said Tony Karman, Art Chicago director of Sales and development. Check out their space if you go.


Overheard
4/16/2008 3:29:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Monday, April 14, 2008
Watercolor for Sale
Posted by sarah

Picture 1.pngI must (first) confess a bit of an addiction: I love sifting through all of the beautiful handmade items on Esty. The amount of time I can spend doing this is not small, which is why I generally try to avoid the site altogether while I'm at work, but today I have an excuse!

I just wanted to draw your attention to many watercolor artists who sell their work there. You'll find watercolors as inexpensive as $0.20, ranging all the way up to $10,000, and a lot of interesting work in between. You'll also find some nice cards, illustrations, watercolor-inspired jewelry and giclee prints. If you can get past the inexplicable preponderance of faerie art (my apologies to those among us who are devotees), you can find at least an hour's worth of items to peruse and perhaps you'll even find yourself at home enough to consider selling your wares there.

If you're looking for advice on selling your work, check out the June issue of the magazine. We walk you through the in's and out's of choosing the best venues for selling your paintings with our special report, "Art for Sale." Maggie Latham, Robert Highsmith, Dwight Baird and Michael Chesley Johnson weigh in on art festivals, galleries and exhibitions and selling work online.



Overheard | Tips and Tools
4/14/2008 11:35:04 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Colorful Thoughts
Posted by jessica

rebus.jpgHaving just returned from New York, where I caught Color Chart at MOMA, I’ve got color on the brain. Aside from the few waves of Stendhal Syndrome set on by the museum’s stellar collection, I found the exhibition as thought provoking as it was easy on the eyes. “Color Chart: Reinventing Color 1950 to Today” looks at contemporary artists’ color decisions for chance, readymade source or arbitrary systems and the beauty that follows.

Particularly interesting was viewing Robert Rauschenberg’s 8-by-almost-11-foot mixed media collage Rebus (shown here). The artist, influenced by Marcel Duchamp’s Tu m’ (also part of the show), wanted to depict paint as a commercial product and, as our docent explained, he bought unlabeled quarts of surplus paint because they were cheap and made a rule for himself that he had to use each can at least once, no matter the color. Talk about a limited palette! Check the website to view the rest of the exhibition online.

Speaking of color, that’s how social networking site for selling music Guitarati is organizing its music. Click here for details from Wired.


Overheard | Reviews
4/9/2008 1:14:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]