Book Review: GEORGE BELLOWS by Mary Sayre Haverstock.
(Merrell, 2007)
This artist’s biography is the most beautifully illustrated and presented book I’ve seen in years. The color images are rich with color and look as if they represent the artist’s paintings superbly. The story of Bellows’ life is engaging. Even more interesting are the shockingly honest portraits dotted throughout the book. There are also some elegant portraits, and I kept speculating that those in particular must have been commissions, in which the sitter had to be pleased with the results.
Probably the most characteristic of Bellows’ paintings are the boxing ring paintings, straining muscles recorded in paint. It’s hard to imagine how all that action could be captured with a painter’s painstaking brushwork.
A beautiful book, with pleasurable reading and thought-provoking paintings.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
REVIEW: The Artist's Reality: Philosophies of Art, by Mark Rothko
REVIEW: The Artist’s Reality: Philosophies of Art, by Mark Rothko
This small, dense book is an interesting historical perspective, both in that Rothko views the artist’s place historically, and in the historic turning of art away from realism during Rothko’s lifetime. Rothko sees the artist as a sort of philosopher, an interpreter of the sensibilities of his time and life experience. He talks about the shifting attentions of artists throughout history, from the art of myth, to sensual art, to art of emotion expressed in light. We are left to speculate how he might have reflected on the abstracted forms of art prevalent in his later years, after the book was written.
Rothko’s prose is heavy, laden with undefined terms. Even when he does pause to define his language, his meaning is often unclear, as with his oft-used “plasticity.” A significant work of philosophy would require, I think, more exacting language.
An interesting glimpse into the mind of an artist at a crossroads.
This small, dense book is an interesting historical perspective, both in that Rothko views the artist’s place historically, and in the historic turning of art away from realism during Rothko’s lifetime. Rothko sees the artist as a sort of philosopher, an interpreter of the sensibilities of his time and life experience. He talks about the shifting attentions of artists throughout history, from the art of myth, to sensual art, to art of emotion expressed in light. We are left to speculate how he might have reflected on the abstracted forms of art prevalent in his later years, after the book was written.
Rothko’s prose is heavy, laden with undefined terms. Even when he does pause to define his language, his meaning is often unclear, as with his oft-used “plasticity.” A significant work of philosophy would require, I think, more exacting language.
An interesting glimpse into the mind of an artist at a crossroads.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
REVIEW: Edward Seago, by Ron Ranson
REVIEW: Edward Seago, by Ron Ranson
My favorite sort of artist biography: a bit on the artist’s life and perspective so I understand what I’m looking at, followed by lots and lots of high-quality color plates. Seago’s subtle paintings reward lengthy looking. His compositions are spare, neatly balanced, with exacting attention to values. He makes great use of balancing compositions, counterchange, and precise placement of a bit of more saturated color, leaving no question about what interests him in a scene.
These paintings are particularly interesting for me, because, while I enjoy and admire the subtle, grayed paintings, I find that I am emotionally drawn to those with more color in them. Value and composition make the paintings great. But color is what engages my heart.
Still, I am drawn to look at these paintings over and over. A lovely book to add to a collection.
My favorite sort of artist biography: a bit on the artist’s life and perspective so I understand what I’m looking at, followed by lots and lots of high-quality color plates. Seago’s subtle paintings reward lengthy looking. His compositions are spare, neatly balanced, with exacting attention to values. He makes great use of balancing compositions, counterchange, and precise placement of a bit of more saturated color, leaving no question about what interests him in a scene.
These paintings are particularly interesting for me, because, while I enjoy and admire the subtle, grayed paintings, I find that I am emotionally drawn to those with more color in them. Value and composition make the paintings great. But color is what engages my heart.
Still, I am drawn to look at these paintings over and over. A lovely book to add to a collection.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
REVIEW: A. T. Hibbard, N. A.: Artist in Two Worlds. By John L. Cooley.
A. T. Hibbard, N. A.: Artist in Two Worlds. By John L. Cooley.
Another art book recommended to me in an artist’s blog. This one is an entertaining biography. My favorite parts are the color plates (I do love color plates) of some Hibbard paintings, and a chapter near the end of some Hibbard wisdom about painting.
“Avoid using Nature photographically. Many adjustments are necessary. They should make the painting more successful as a work of art.”
“Associate with your material, aesthetically as well as physically. It is impossible to do that in a studio.”
“Beware of too much studio landscape painting. Direct contact gives you the rare elements, moods of short duration.”
“Be prepared to change quickly the scheme of the landscape; or if necessary try to remember it.”
“Follow the weather. Know how it affects your painting territory so you can know what will happen to your material at various times of day.”
“The foreground of your picture should be a lead-in to what is beyond.”
“Too much white weakens your sketch. Get color and vibrate it, without overmixing.”
“Focus on a dominant part of your subject, whether sky, distance, middle distance, or foreground.”
“Too high a key in a picture often sacrifices color and strength, and the painting becomes diluted. We must lower Nature’s key which many times is quite beyond the capacity of pigment.”
Another art book recommended to me in an artist’s blog. This one is an entertaining biography. My favorite parts are the color plates (I do love color plates) of some Hibbard paintings, and a chapter near the end of some Hibbard wisdom about painting.
“Avoid using Nature photographically. Many adjustments are necessary. They should make the painting more successful as a work of art.”
“Associate with your material, aesthetically as well as physically. It is impossible to do that in a studio.”
“Beware of too much studio landscape painting. Direct contact gives you the rare elements, moods of short duration.”
“Be prepared to change quickly the scheme of the landscape; or if necessary try to remember it.”
“Follow the weather. Know how it affects your painting territory so you can know what will happen to your material at various times of day.”
“The foreground of your picture should be a lead-in to what is beyond.”
“Too much white weakens your sketch. Get color and vibrate it, without overmixing.”
“Focus on a dominant part of your subject, whether sky, distance, middle distance, or foreground.”
“Too high a key in a picture often sacrifices color and strength, and the painting becomes diluted. We must lower Nature’s key which many times is quite beyond the capacity of pigment.”
Sunday, March 7, 2010
REVIEW Twilight of Painting by R. H. Ives Gammel
I picked up this book (on inter-library loan, as it is out of print) on the recommendation of an artist whose blog I read regularly, hoping to learn more about the traditions of fine art.
Gammel's thesis appears to be that the academic painters of the 19th century (which term he goes to great length to define) and the impressionist painters of the 19th century (which includes anyone not painting in the fine tradition of painting handed down through the ages) had a falling out. The first impressionists, having been themselves trained in the academic tradition, had all of the fine art skills at their disposal and experimented in new techniques by choice. But when they went on to train their successors in (Gammel admits) the fine art of observing from nature and capturing the effects of light, they threw out the baby with the bath water and neglected to teach a full range of the painter's art, including drawing, so that the skills of the academic painter have been lost.
For me, a perplexing part of this book was Gammel's critique of the various art plates in the book, (which are, unfortunately, black and white.) Even allowing for difference in taste, I fail to see why this noodly lady:
http://art-quarter.com/beck/joe/aj/1/3/ingres-odalisque98.jpg
is a better painting than this:
http://artrenewal.org/pages/artwork.php?artworkid=4889
or even than this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/2614520891_e557fc2c8d.jpg
It seems to me that most of the paintings he includes in his plates are examples of fine painting in their particular traditions, and only a few exhibit the flaws he claims they do. I would have liked better illustrations and better explanations so that I could have understood his point. If the tradition of fine painting has been lost, he failed to show me that it has.
The book is full of a great deal along this vein, which, now that I've told you, you don't have to read. Certainly, some lively debates could be made for and against many of his points. But ultimately, I think the embedded lesson is "don't neglect your scales," that is, don't neglect studying the basics of drawing and design and understanding value, and the technical manipulation of paint, all of which contribute to great painting in any style.
Gammel's thesis appears to be that the academic painters of the 19th century (which term he goes to great length to define) and the impressionist painters of the 19th century (which includes anyone not painting in the fine tradition of painting handed down through the ages) had a falling out. The first impressionists, having been themselves trained in the academic tradition, had all of the fine art skills at their disposal and experimented in new techniques by choice. But when they went on to train their successors in (Gammel admits) the fine art of observing from nature and capturing the effects of light, they threw out the baby with the bath water and neglected to teach a full range of the painter's art, including drawing, so that the skills of the academic painter have been lost.
For me, a perplexing part of this book was Gammel's critique of the various art plates in the book, (which are, unfortunately, black and white.) Even allowing for difference in taste, I fail to see why this noodly lady:
http://art-quarter.com/beck/joe/aj/1/3/ingres-odalisque98.jpg
is a better painting than this:
http://artrenewal.org/pages/artwork.php?artworkid=4889
or even than this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/2614520891_e557fc2c8d.jpg
It seems to me that most of the paintings he includes in his plates are examples of fine painting in their particular traditions, and only a few exhibit the flaws he claims they do. I would have liked better illustrations and better explanations so that I could have understood his point. If the tradition of fine painting has been lost, he failed to show me that it has.
The book is full of a great deal along this vein, which, now that I've told you, you don't have to read. Certainly, some lively debates could be made for and against many of his points. But ultimately, I think the embedded lesson is "don't neglect your scales," that is, don't neglect studying the basics of drawing and design and understanding value, and the technical manipulation of paint, all of which contribute to great painting in any style.
Friday, January 8, 2010
REVIEW Watermedia Techniques: Watercolor and Gouache
WATER MEDIA TECHNIQUES: WATERCOLOR AND GOUACHE by Stephen Quiller. (Crystal Productions)
This video is full of basic techniques, which Quiller demonstrates in clear, simple demos. It’s a real treat to watch Quiller make shapes with quick confidence using a two-inch wash brush. Grasses, trees, and wood grain emerge magically from the various brush angles and negative and positive shape making.
He constructs a painting, using the transparent qualities of watercolor, then builds translucent and opaque passages with gouache. Because gouache is made of the same gum arabic binder and handles similarly on the brush to watercolor, it is fully compatible with watercolor. It’s great for fine detail, and for creating highlights on a painting, similar to the use of “body color” in 18th century traditional watercolor. The combination of watercolor and gouache also allows the artist to build a painting from dark to light, as in oil painting. Underpaintings, and scumbling techniques become possible.
One interesting demo is a plein-air sketch in watercolor, followed by a studio painting in watercolor and gouache. It’s interesting to see how Quiller takes elements from the sketch and creates a dramatically different studio work, informed by the information he collected in the field.
An excellent video for exploring the possibilities of the two media.
This video is full of basic techniques, which Quiller demonstrates in clear, simple demos. It’s a real treat to watch Quiller make shapes with quick confidence using a two-inch wash brush. Grasses, trees, and wood grain emerge magically from the various brush angles and negative and positive shape making.
He constructs a painting, using the transparent qualities of watercolor, then builds translucent and opaque passages with gouache. Because gouache is made of the same gum arabic binder and handles similarly on the brush to watercolor, it is fully compatible with watercolor. It’s great for fine detail, and for creating highlights on a painting, similar to the use of “body color” in 18th century traditional watercolor. The combination of watercolor and gouache also allows the artist to build a painting from dark to light, as in oil painting. Underpaintings, and scumbling techniques become possible.
One interesting demo is a plein-air sketch in watercolor, followed by a studio painting in watercolor and gouache. It’s interesting to see how Quiller takes elements from the sketch and creates a dramatically different studio work, informed by the information he collected in the field.
An excellent video for exploring the possibilities of the two media.
Friday, December 11, 2009
REVIEW Acrylic Painting Techniques, by Stephen Quiller
ACRYLIC PAINTING TECHNIQUES by Stephen Quiller.
When I picked this book up, I thought I would be discovering a world of acrylic painting techniques that could be applied to watermedia. Those techniques are in the book (divided into thick, oil-like applications and thin, watercolor-like applications) but what really enchanted me in this book were Stephen Quiller’s paintings. Each is filled with surprising, complex color, with startling, expressive harmonies. Beyond that, Quiller is a superb shape maker. His shapes are intricate, balanced, filled with windows, brushed with veils of acrylic color. Forget the acrylic techniques. Give me a book of Quiller paintings and I will sit, rapt for hours. That said, you could pick up this book and learn much about transparent, translucent, and opaque layers, special colors and mediums, and even collage. Tidbits on glazing, resists, and opaque passages are some of the highlights. And as always, Quiller fills his book with his special approach to color relationships. This is a book to study on multiple levels.
When I picked this book up, I thought I would be discovering a world of acrylic painting techniques that could be applied to watermedia. Those techniques are in the book (divided into thick, oil-like applications and thin, watercolor-like applications) but what really enchanted me in this book were Stephen Quiller’s paintings. Each is filled with surprising, complex color, with startling, expressive harmonies. Beyond that, Quiller is a superb shape maker. His shapes are intricate, balanced, filled with windows, brushed with veils of acrylic color. Forget the acrylic techniques. Give me a book of Quiller paintings and I will sit, rapt for hours. That said, you could pick up this book and learn much about transparent, translucent, and opaque layers, special colors and mediums, and even collage. Tidbits on glazing, resists, and opaque passages are some of the highlights. And as always, Quiller fills his book with his special approach to color relationships. This is a book to study on multiple levels.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
REVIEW The Oil Painting Book
THE OIL PAINTING BOOK
by Wendon Blake, Paintings by George Cherepov
After recently seeing the movie, LOCAL COLOR, in which I was intrigued by the paintings glimpsed throughout the movie, I searched out a couple of books by Cherepov, who was supposedly the basis for the curmudgeonly old artist, and this was one of them. Turns out, I read this book years ago, when I was just learning to oil paint. At that time, I learned two things from it: that paintings are built in layers, and how to paint vibrant skies. Interestingly enough, if this book has more to teach me now, I wasn’t able to see it. The approach is step-by-step, with prescriptions for what colors to use, which I have never found a very useful approach to learning painting. And because it is a relatively old book, there are few color illustrations, with age-dulled inks, making it hard to see the artist’s use of color. Most disappointingly, I didn’t get to see the vibrant, energetic paintings I glimpsed around corners in the movie. The search goes on.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
BOOK REVIEW: BOLD STROKES: DYNAMIC BRUSHWORK FOR OILS AND ACRYLICS
BOOK REVIEW: Bold Strokes: Dynamic Brushwork for Oils and Acrylics, by Mark Christopher Weber. North Light Books, 2009.
This new book by Mark Christopher Weber takes the highlights of BRUSHWORK ESSENTIALS, his previous publication, and goes one step further, with step-by-step painting exercises to teach you expressive brushwork. He begins with the basics: how to get paint on your brush. Then, with three main ways of loading the brush, he demonstrates the variety of strokes you can make. Once you have the basics down, you’re ready to tackle the paintings.
Weber takes a subject and walks you step by step through initial washes and expressive strokes laid on top. By going through these exercises, you can begin to get the feel of how to choose where to put your paint to make the most impact. You can learn how to vary the width of your stroke with pressure and with twisting the brush. You can practice the essential color notes and highlights to simply capture a subject. The illustrations make it very clear where to put the paint in the exercise paintings, but not as clear how to get it exactly there.
The painting demonstrations are in both acrylic and water-miscible oil, a nice bonus if you are having trouble finding books in this relatively new medium. Personally, I’d prefer some demos in traditional oils. If I could wish for anything, it would be that he’d spend more time demonstrating how to lay paint on top of wet paint, how to create gradations, and how to add color into already painted areas.
If you’re looking for a spur or need some guidance in creating your own signature brushwork, this book is worth playing with.
Friday, August 7, 2009
EMOTIONAL LOGIC
Here's a book I recommend reading, especially if you get criticism from friends and family about being too illogical or emotional:
HOW WE DECIDE By Jonah Lehrer
Lehrer goes into aspects of decision making, both emotional and logical, and guess what? There are times when the logical works best and times when the emotional works best. And they aren't what you think they are. It turns out that much of experiential expertise relies on the emotional decision-making process.
"Every time you make a mistake or encounter something new, your brain cells are busy changing themselves. Our emotions are deeply empirical."
Enjoy the journey!
K
HOW WE DECIDE By Jonah Lehrer
Lehrer goes into aspects of decision making, both emotional and logical, and guess what? There are times when the logical works best and times when the emotional works best. And they aren't what you think they are. It turns out that much of experiential expertise relies on the emotional decision-making process.
"Every time you make a mistake or encounter something new, your brain cells are busy changing themselves. Our emotions are deeply empirical."
Enjoy the journey!
K
Monday, June 22, 2009
Book Review: CONFIDENT COLOR
CONFIDENT COLOR: AN ARTIST’S GUIDE TO HARMONY, CONTRAST, AND UNITY by Nita Leland. (North Light Books, 2008.)
Imagine a book you could open to almost any page, and find a thought to explore for the day. Nita Leland has created this book, in CONFIDENT COLOR. Every page of the book explores color with illustrations from a variety of artists, charts, and “Try It” exercises to emphasize the principles. Want to know what colors will emerge from your palette? Create color cards and organize them or display them. Want to create a more brilliant palette? Leland helps you explore this too. She covers basic color terminology and theory, the seven contrasts of color, and color harmonies. She includes exercises in limited palette and thoroughly explores many different types of palettes. Her exercises will open your eyes to working with color, not to creating color recipes. This book, with its wonderful stay-flat binding, is easy to open and use in the studio. A compendium of color thoughts for the beginning and advanced artist alike.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
FRANK WEBB ON WATERCOLOR, Review of DVD
FRANK WEBB on Watercolor. DVD
This DVD, produced from a classic movie of Frank
Webb, is a departure from the usual step-by-step demo. Almost like voyeurs, we get to watch Frank in action as he creates two watercolor paintings in his inimitable graphic style. With guitar background music and voice-over, Frank makes philosophical remarks about painting and art while he hypnotizes us with paint. He doesn’t explain what
he’s doing. But it’s a treat to watch him draw, pull color out of
his paint wells, and lay his color into complex shapes with a large flat brush. He considers design to be of prime importance in art, saying about his subject, “What’s my chief pleasure in this?” With assured marks, he builds his painting, until his subject magically appears out of the abstract jumble of values and colors. Then he pops it into a mat and points out the design elements. An inspiring visit with a master painter.
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