Banksy hires an older gentleman to sell genuine Banksy art for the small price of $60. Without the label, the art went unrecognized and only a few pieces sold. Imagine those people if they ever realize what their purchases are worth.
How to Recognize the Work of Artists
Here’s a funny link for those interested in art history. Consider it a politically incorrect Spark Notes.
I remember watching Bob Ross paint when I was a kid. I was too young to get much from it, but I was starved for art and this helped give me a dose of it.
This song is mostly for kicks and giggles, but it does have a good message – If you believe in yourself, and practice, you can make art. This is something I’m always trying to communicate to my friends and students, who all too often discount themselves with the phrase “I can’t even draw a stick figure.” You have to believe in yourself first, to give it a chance. Thanks for believing in us, Bob Ross. RIP.
On a side note, school has started again and I’m student teaching as well as pursuing my Master’s degree, so the frequency of posts on this blog is probably going to go down for a while. I hope you’ll still stop by now and then.
Color – Method of Action
Method of Action is an online course on design for analytical minds.
Here’s a fun color theory game online. It’s an interactive game that tests your ability to match color based on hue, saturation, and colors schemes of complementary, analogous, triadic and tetradic. You move your mouse over a color wheel to match the prompted color or scheme, all the while being timed. At the end of the game you get a numerical score. I did a quick video tutorial to show you how it works.
The game can be found here.
Color — Method of Action, a game which tests your design sense based on hue, saturation, complementary, analogous, triadic, and tetradic color theory.
Breaking news in the art world… and it makes me sick.
The two sources I’ve read about this on:
Apparently a slew of famous paintings were stolen from the Kunsthal Netherland museum…
The stolen paintings were: Pablo Picasso’s 1971 “Harlequin Head”; Claude Monet’s 1901 “Waterloo Bridge, London” and “Charing Cross Bridge, London”; Henri Matisse’s 1919 “Reading Girl in White and Yellow”; Paul Gauguin’s 1898 “Girl in Front of Open Window”; Meyer de Haan’s “Self-Portrait,” around 1890; and Lucian Freud’s 2002 work “Woman with Eyes Closed.”
…and now forensics scientists are analyzing ashes from a wood stove belonging to the main suspect’s mother. They think she burned them. If you’re like me, and the possibility make your stomach drop and heave in the most unpleasant of ways, you may need a moment or two to recouperate. I’ll wait.
Feeling any better yet? Here’s the rest of the story. The Huffington Post says Olga Dogaru, the mother of the cheif suspect, “told investigators she was scared for her son after he was arrested in January and buried the art in an abandoned house and then in a cemetery in the village of Caracliu. She said she later dug them up and burned them in February after police began searching the village for the stolen works.”
The New York Times reports, “To Olga Dogaru, a lifelong resident of the tiny Romanian village of Carcaliu, the strangely beautiful artworks her son had brought home in a suitcase four months earlier had become a curse…But if the paintings and drawings no longer existed, Radu Dogaru, her son, could be free from prosecution, she reasoned. So Mrs. Dogaru told the police that on a freezing night in February, she placed all seven works — which included Monet’s 1901 “Waterloo Bridge, London”; Gauguin’s 1898 “Girl in Front of Open Window”; and Picasso’s 1971 “Harlequin Head” — in a wood-burning stove used to heat saunas and incinerated them.
Mrs. Dogaru’s confession could be pure invention, and the works could be discovered hidden away somewhere. But this week, after examining ashes from her oven, forensic scientists at Romania’s National History Museum appeared on the verge of confirming the art world’s worst fears: her tale is true.”
The New York Times goes on to account that the forensics team “had discovered material that classical French, Dutch, Spanish and other European artists typically used to prepare canvases for oil painting, as well as the “remains of colors, like red, yellow, green, blue, gray.” The pigments included cinnabar, chromium green and lazurite — a blue-green copper compound — as well as tin-lead yellow, which artists stopped using after the 19th century because of toxicity. In addition, copper nails and tacks made by blacksmiths before the Industrial Revolution and used to tack canvas down were found in the debris.”
This story highlights the problem of stolen art work — who in their right mind would steal it and try to sell it? Obviously the desperate or the not very bright, or both. For art heists as big as this one, the reputation of the artwork involved brings them enormous price tags, but the reputation also works against the thief. Anyone big enough in the art world to be interested in purchasing the pieces will also be aware that the art recently disappeared, stolen. Art collectors in the know would probably report the thief rather than purchase it and get caught themselves. Let’s face it, as we learned in the world’s most expensive art documentary, one of the main reasons art collectors buy expensive art is to show it off. Nobody wants to buy famous art that everybody knows is stolen.
But the sad case is that Mrs. Dogaru decided if she couldn’t get rid of the artwork, she could burn it.
What a tragic loss for the art world.
I came across a series by Jeffrey Thomas which he calls “Twisted Princess” on his portfolio page. If you’re into the recent zombie craze and also happen to love Disney movies, you’ll like this series. Thomas is taking Disney princesses, and other Disney heroines, and adding an undead/malevolent twist to them. I’ll share a sneak-peek of his Twisted Princess art here, but as usual, I like to give the artists credit and direct traffic to their webpages. Mosey on over to Jeffrey Thomas’s portfolio and see the rest of the Twisted Princesses. He has posted nearly twenty in total.
Jeffrey Thomas is a character designer and story artist from Burbank California.
Mulan – Twisted Princess by Jeffrey Thomas
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Twisted Princess by Jeffrey Thomas
The Little Mermaid – Twisted Princess by Jeffrey Thomas
I started reading Art as Experience by John Dewey. He’s especially verbose, and sometimes it’s hard to get through his writing (I’m only through chapter one). But his words are so profound, and littered with gems of statements. I’m probably going to post some of my favorites as I read them.
Why are artists so often ostentatiously eccentric, and strangely proud of being “misunderstood” ? Dewey might be on to something here…
Because of changes in industrial conditions the artist has been pushed to one side from the main streams of active interest. Industry has been mechanized and an artist cannot work mechanically for mass production. He is less integrated than formerly in the natural flow of social services. A peculiar esthetic “individualism” results. Artists find it incumbent upon them to betake themselves not to cater to the trend of economic forces, they often feel obliged to exaggerate their separateness to the point of eccentricity. Consequently artistic products take on to a still greater degree the air of something independent and esoteric. p. 8
Perhaps this sense of separateness arises from our feelings that we are the few who truly see. Why does not everyone perceive the world like an artist does? Does our sense of being misunderstood arise from the perception that we are alone in activating all of our senses to see beauty in what others think of as “mundane” ?
In order to understand the esthetic in its ultimate and approved forms, one must begin with it in the raw; in the events and scenes that hold the attentive eye and ear of man, arousing his interest and affording him enjoyment as he looks and listens: the sights that hold the crowd 00 the fire-engine rushing by; the machines excavating enormous holes in the earth; the human-fly climbing the steeple-side; the men perched high in air on girders, throwing and catching red-hot bolts. The sources of art in human experience will be learned by him who sees how the tense grace of the ball-player infects the onlooking crowd; who notes the delight of the housewife in tending her plants, and the intent interest of her goodman in tending the patch of green in front of the house; the zest of the spectator in poking the wood burning on the hearth and in watching the darting flames and crumbling coals. These people, if questioned as to the reason for their actions, would doubtless return reasonable answers. The man who poked the sticks of burning wood would say he did it to make the fire burn better; but he is none the less fascinated by the colorful drama of change enacted before his eyes and imaginatively partakes in it. He does not remain a cold spectator. p. 3
On a separate note, this entry ties into what I’m writing my master’s thesis on.
The odd notion that an artist does not think and a scientific inquirer does nothing else is the result of converting a difference of tempo and emphasis into a difference in kind. The thinker has his esthetic moment when his ideas cease to be mere ideas and become the corporate meanings of objects. The artist has his problems and thinks as he works. But his thought is more immediately embodied in the object. Because of the comparative remoteness of his end, the scientific worker operates with symbols, words and mathematical signs. The artist does his thinking in the very qualitative media he works in, and the terms lie so close to the object that he is producing that they merge directly into it. p.14
So I’ve discovered a website/application so mind blowing, I have to climb to a top of a mountain and shout it to the world. Err, maybe we’ll just skip the whole mountain climbing business. But I simply have to share it with y’all. It’s called Google Cultural Institute.
On their About page, Google describes the project as:
Google has partnered with hundreds of museums, cultural institutions, and archives to host the world’s cultural treasures online.
With a team of dedicated Googlers, we are building tools that allow the cultural sector to display more of its diverse heritage online, making it accessible to all.
Here you can find artworks, landmarks and world heritage sites, as well as digital exhibitions that tell the stories behind the archives of cultural institutions across the globe.
This idea of sharing knowledge and making the world’s treasures available to everyone is great. I think it’s a beautiful example of how the internet can be a force of change, serving the greater good. (Not that I’m opposed the wasting hours and hours watching funny cat videos…:P ) What Google is doing here is an amazing thing for those who don’t live in areas where art museums or other cultural attractions are available. If I want to see famous artwork I don’t have to throw down a bunch of money, pack my bags, and fly across the country (or ocean) to see it. Google is bringing it to me, in the comfort of my own living room, and they’re not charging a dime for it. That’s pretty neat.
Aside from the convenience of what they’re doing, I also think it’s going to revolutionize education. Part of why I was so struck by the Cultural Institute is that it makes so very much possible for educators. In the example of an art teacher, such as myself, who uses Art Project (a subsection of the larger Cultural Project), I can show famous artwork to my students in a format that allows them to get up close and personal, zooming in to ultra-high quality photos so close they can see individual brush strokes. They can virtually tour museums. The students can also pick and choose items to compare side by side, activating higher thinking. Teachers and students can curate their own lists, whether it’s their favorite items, art from a specific period, or pieces that support a current unit in the curriculum. On top of that, they can search pre-organized sets or look at collections put together by other people. And best of all, Google has gone ahead and made print-outs and lesson plans available to educators. I’d call that more than just a nifty tool. It’s fantabulous.
(See more About Art Project.)
But I realize I’m rambling when maybe not all of you care as much about how teachers can use this. I’ll let Google’s promotional/how-to videos speak for themselves, and let you imagine the possibilities.
P.S. Expect to see more content from Art Project featured here, on my blog.
P.P.S. Google didn’t pay me anything to post this. I’m just really excited about what they’re doing (can you tell?) and want to share it with others.
Description from the YouTube page:
“Art critic Alastair Sooke tracks down the ten most expensive paintings to sell at auction, and investigates the stories behind the astronomic prices art can reach. Gaining access to the glittering world of the super-rich, Sooke discovers why the planet’s richest people want to spend their millions on art.
Featuring works by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Klimt and Rubens, Sooke enters a world of secrecy and rivalry, passion and power. Highlights include a visit to the art-crammed home of millionaire author Lord Archer; a rare interview with the man at the heart of the sale of the most expensive old master of all time; privileged access to auctioneers Christie’s; and a glimpse of the world of the Russian oligarchs.
These revelatory journeys allow Sooke to present an eye-opening view of the super wealthy, and their motivations as collectors of the world’s great art treasures.”
Learning how to accept criticism can be one of the most difficult lessons for any artist to learn. That’s why criticism, when given or taken, should be done constructively. So when engaging in an art critique, don’t be that kid who can’t handle criticism. While I can totally identify with the unidentified artist in this video and I pity her vulnerability, I don’t approve how she decided to react. Talk about an artistic ragequit.
Viewer discretion – strong language in the following video.
So I dropped by a yardsale the other day and found treasure. Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly treasure, but at the time it caught my eye and I knew I could do something with it. I spotted a lazy-susan spice rack for $1. I had it in my head that we could put pencils or paintbrushes in it. The outer “shelves” were round, and I wondered if I might be able to fit little paint bottles in that.
So I wandered home, cleaned the kitchen grease out of it and gave it a test run. Turns out the outside round slots are perfect size for my Liquitex acrylic paint tubes! I filled ‘er up, putting my paint tubes around the outside, and then painbrushes and other necessities on the inside. I put foam brushes in the very center, but I could also imagine putting a jar of water in the middle for rinsing my brushes.
So for $1, I repurposed a plastic spice rack into a DIY lazy-susan art caddy. There you have it folks. One man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure.
I do love a good art quote. My senior quote was by Georgia O’Keeffe (see first below). Here are some favorites that speak to me:
Do you have any favorite art quotes?
Check this post for a few more art quotes.
I love TED Talks.
In case you’re unfamiliar with TED, their website describes the project as:
TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences — the TED Conference on the West Coast each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer — TED includes the award-winning TED Talks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.
The two annual TED conferences, on the North American West Coast and in Edinburgh, Scotland, bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes or less).
On TED.com, we make the best talks and performances from TED and partners available to the world, for free. More than 1400 TED Talks are now available, with more added each week. All of the talks are subtitled in English, and many are subtitled in various languages. These videos are released under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.
In case that didn’t get rid of the question mark floating over your head, here’s my synopsis: In usually about 15 minutes each you get to watch video and listen to excellent speakers with intriguing concepts of philosophy, psychology, leadership, science, creativity, and more, making it an elightening 15 minutes you don’t have to feel guilty about. Sorry, Youtube, I’ve found a better use of my video-watching time.
So when I discovered TED had a playlist curated just about art, I knew I had to share it with my blog viewers. I tried to embed the playlist directly into my post, but failed. So you’ll have to click a link and go to the TED website. Happy viewing.
The playlist includes the following videos:
The Artist Is In: TED Playlist
*Disclaimer, I try to keep my blog pretty PG, but these videos may contain foul language, images of nudity, or other adult content (but not that kind of adult content). Viewer beware.
On the subject of artistic growth my mind wandered back to a post I discovered a long time ago. Titled “More Drawing Advice than Anyone Wanted,” artist Kelly Turnbull, pseudoname Coelasquid, sits her readers down for a long talk about what it takes to improve your drawing skills. Her words really resonated with me the first time I read them, and they still do today.
Her main points in the article are:
These are the main points of the article, but you can’t just read these titles and “get it.” What’s important is the content between the titles. I’m going to pick some quotes from the reading that I really think are gems, but you can’t get the whole message without reading its entirety yourself. So go check it out.
P.S. While you’re over there, check out her hilarious web comic Manly Guys Doing Manly Things. It’s a treat for video game lovers.
Learning to draw is a little like learning to speak a language, the younger you get into it, the easier a time you’ll have with it and the less you’ll remember the uphill struggle it took to get where you are… It is true that getting the basics down will save you years of mediocrity, but frankly, learning to draw is hard. If it feels like a chore and if you aren’t getting any kind of instant gratification out of it, you’ll probably give up before you get anywhere. Like language, you don’t jump right int the thick of it off the get go. Start simple, imitate, immerse yourself, and keep at it to grow.
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If you never try to figure out what you could be doing better and expand your repertoire, you will continue to make the same mistakes for as long as you draw.
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The short of it is, things will ALWAYS look wrong if you learn to draw them from copying the way other artists have chosen to stylize them rather than understanding how they work for yourself. This really seems to be a hangup that kids who learn to draw exclusively from copying anime or comic books have to get over. You need to think of a character as a three dimensional object sitting in space and figure out how to best represent that, don’t treat them like a composite of two dimensional symbols.
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We are all the sum of our parts, every one of us is influenced by everything we ever see, hear, say, or do. What we bring to the table is our interpretation of all of those happenings, which we try to present in the most appealing or interesting way possible to the best of our abilities. Studying the ground other artists have already broken is nothing but a tool to help us figure out how to look at something from a new perspective, and there’s no reason to shy away from it.
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It’s easy to become comfortable drawing one thing and put all of your effort into polishing that off, while neglecting everything else… If you don’t try to draw something, you’ll never learn how to draw it.
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Few and far between are the fledgling artists who can’t improve without some practice and constructive criticism. You don’t have to sugar coat your suggestions and handle them with the kiddie gloves, but telling someone they suck and they should stop drawing is just being a dick.
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There is nothing more annoying to listen to than an artist waxing on about how much they suck and how they’ll never get anywhere…Yeah, I get it, all artists are invariably disappointed in themselves. Everyone sees nothing but the mistakes when they look at their own art, everyone is always measuring themselves up against other people and thinking they come up short and wishing they had done better…But honestly, if most people spent a fraction of the time identifying their specific issues and working on them that they do crying on the internet about how bad they are at their hobby, wow, they’d be published professionals by now…If you feel self conscious accepting a lot of kind words about something you made, don’t just brush it off with “bleh, I suck”, say something like “Thanks! I really wish I had spent a little more time on *insert problem area here*, though”. That way you show them that you appreciated the compliment, you identified your specific issue with the drawing that you can work to improve next time, and you didn’t turn the situation into a self-pity circle jerk.
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Art is dynamic, it’s exciting because there is always new ground to break. There is no ultimate conclusion, It’s like evolution. There is always the opportunity for your abilities to grow and change.
I found an amazing article on 22 Words that shows the artistic progression of Mark Allante. From age two to twenty-five, he shares samples of his artwork. I love this concept because it shows that good artists aren’t just born that way. They start with scribbles, just like everyone else. This collection of drawings demonstrates the importance of practice over years and years. I’m a big advocate of this idea. I hear lots of people lament at how poor they are at drawing or painting, and I want to ask them “How long did you work at it? Did you practice?” Just like any skill, whether it be running, singing, writing, or dancing, it takes a lot of time and effort to improve your talent. I appreciate the generosity of Mr. Allante for sharing his artistic progression with the world. It inspires me to want to create something similar.
So how about you? What do you think is your greatest talent? When did you first start, and how many years of practice have you invested in your skill?
An Artist’s Progression from 2 Years Old to 25
http://twentytwowords.com/2013/02/15/an-artists-progression-from-2-years-old-to-25/
From 2 years Old…
Marc Allante’s drawings, at two years old.
…to 25 years old.
Marc Allante’s work at 25 years old.
Follow the link to see the whole progression!
“Art is a mode of discovery and experimentation.” -Jonathan Fineberg
“Art is an epiphany in a coffee cup.” -Elizabeth Murray
“Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul – and you answer.” Terri Guillemets
“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” -?
“Art consists of questions, not answers.” -William Dunning
“Art is not a thing. It is a way.” -Elbert Hubbard
“Art is for us an occasion for social criticism.” – Hugo Ball
Art Perspective 
Written
on October 14, 2013