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How I Use Gesso: Some Approaches and Thoughts
Recently a subscriber on my Patreon site asked me about a gesso comment I made during a webinar. It seemed easier to answer the question with a video response. And once the video was finished I realized a lot of readers here would probably like this information as well. It’s something I’ve discussed in past […]
Artists Who Cook
I’m very excited to have my art and brownie recipe included in “A Collection of Art & Recipes from the Saint Paul Underground Artists League.” You can pre-order a book from Wet Paint at this link. I think it’s a fun collection that would be great for any art lover and cook. Something to […]
How Things Line Up
When you post on Instagram your images shuffle over and your whole grid of images, all the way back to your first post shuffle over. Rows change contents. I know there are folks who really plan the organization of their posts so that there is some type of cohesive whole going on. But since my […]
Useful Painting Tools: The Mouth Atomizer
As painters we do love our gadgets. But I like to find workhorse gadgets that have many applications and help me create an unusual texture or approach, while also speeding things up. The mouth atomizer is good for all that. It’s the perfect tool for artists who don’t own, or don’t want to deal with, […]
Flood Debris Part 3—Rubber Stamp Masking
From the 1980s until November 2016 I gathered a rather large rubber stamp collection. I used the rubber stamps for mail art and as art tools in my journaling and art. While I gave most of the stamps (and storage boxes and index) to a young stamper in 2016 (in a move I realize now […]
Brush Forensics
A few years ago I was asked to create an illustrated love letter for a show of such letters at a local gallery. At the time I wasn’t traveling much. For me a really good love letter requires time and distance to ferment. I chose instead to write a love note to Dick about the […]
What I Did During the Pandemic: Thinking about Frames
Of course one of the things I did during the Pandemic was to keep sketching and painting. There didn’t seem much point to stop, since it’s a life-long habit. But also I got to the point I couldn’t have stopped if I had wanted to because I started getting obsessed with gallery walls. The downsizing […]
A Cut Above—Wood Carving Competition Show
Spoiler alert, I’m going to write about who won “A Cut Above” season one. Don’t read if you want to watch a chainsaw-woodcarving composition and be surprised. First I just have to say I love Adam Beach. He’s a great actor and now we know he’s a great TV show host too—who absolutely […]
Jack Unruh Retrospective Show
I don’t draw attention to many upcoming shows, typically I just go to a show and then maybe write about it—like when I go to a show at Mia. But Jack Unruh is one of my all time favorite artists. His use of pen and watercolor is stunning and quirky at the same time. He […]
Breathing Room on the Page (or Page Spread)
One of the most important compositional tools you have in a visual journal or sketchbook is the breathing space on the page (or page spread). The negative space around an image helps define the image through silhouette, and shape recognition. The space will help you correct angles and proportions when you go off—or— if you […]