Robert Genn
We all work in some sort of genre. We paint abstracts, landscapes, florals, or still lifes, for example. Generally speaking, we try to be innovative and give our work a unique spin or style. Perhaps pathetically, many of us venture into the world looking for things to inflict our style on...
Karen
Karen
What liberating thoughts! Thank you. I am more writer than painter and your words help all the way around. (I didn't read this as suggesting we clone.)
Fri at 10:42am
Robert Genn
A demonstration video by subscriber David Jon Kassan shows him frequently looking through a small pair of binoculars at his subject. Working at some distance from his model, he's making a head and shoulders portrait...
Judy Minor
Judy Minor
I read with interest of the 'flip-down and stationary viewfinders are easily attached to baseball caps with the use of spring clips'...looking for a supplier for the flip down type, any suggestions? (the L shaped cards work well, but do flap around in the wind a bit!)
November 17 at 8:05am
Rhoni Harris
Rhoni Harris
Among others I also like the suggestion to go outside your studio,turn around and come back in and look at your work in surprise! Fresh perspective! Thanks!
November 17 at 1:15pm
Robert Genn
In the live comments of a recent clickback, I noticed a response by "Another in Anonymity": "At the peril of upsetting others," he or she wrote, "I think my main secret was my decision early on not to teach...
Michelle
Michelle
Teaching is a probaby a bit like giving blood in that it does the other person a lot of good whilst stimulating an own creative immune system. As long as it doesn't bleed one dry!
November 13 at 12:20pm
Lin Souliere
Lin Souliere
I have always believed that when one is given a gift, as most artists would agree we have been blessed, it is then our responsiblity to share that gift. Whether that be as a mentor or teacher or artist friend that will comment on others work. Nothing is of value if we keep it locked up and do not share with our fellow mankind. I think artists would discover if they give of themselves, they receive a lot more back.
November 18 at 8:42am
Robert Genn
This morning, Sharon Cory of Winnipeg, Manitoba, wrote, "A woman came into my gallery today, looked around for a bit and asked, 'What is art?' It was so direct I was stumped. I rambled on for a bit, talking about my favourite artists, art movements, styles, etc, but it sounded vague even to my ears...
Lisa McDill
Lisa McDill
The Ruth Franklin quote sums it up nicely! Just add making art too.
November 10 at 7:55pm
Terry Morrison
Terry Morrison
Art is a Expression of the heart, mind and soul, threw the hands. I'm just a farmer who loves art.
November 17 at 2:37pm
Robert Genn
You may have noticed the odd times when something is irking you, putting you into a bad mood, and you sit down at your easel and do good work. While it's not as pleasant as when you're in a good mood and everything is coming up peonies, it works to your benefit in another way...
Angie Kenney
Angie Kenney
Angry painting!:)
November 8 at 4:05pm
Robert Genn
Yesterday, James Harris wrote, "I've always dabbled in art, but now I'm looking to make the transition to my dream of being an artist. It's been said that your income will never be larger than the average of the income of your five closest friends...
Eloise
Eloise
Posted the quote and got immediate response! Great quote, excellent reply. Keep up the good work.
November 3 at 9:37am
Nina Allen Freeman
Nina Allen Freeman
Painting is my second career, I know in this one, I have to continually dig deep within myself to reach the essence of my art. When I find it in a painting, I find success.
November 4 at 4:53am
Robert Genn
Up there on the scaffold we have Michelangelo shouting, "Form, form, form!" And then there's Gustave Flaubert writing in French: "Art is nothing without form." These commands might have you think form is everything. It is, just about...
Terry Morrison
Terry Morrison
If I ever had art or wanted a teacher Wow Your words are great! Thanks Form Focus Sensation fact.
November 17 at 4:52pm
Robert Genn
Today it's raining in Chadds Ford, PA. Big drops fall from the ancient sycamores. Off in foggy Brandywine Valley, the witch hazel and pignut hickory still hold their muted colours. Great black trunks narrow down to sharp and random spikes...
Mary
Mary
Love Chadds Ford
October 27 at 1:32pm
Patrick Matriscino
Patrick Matriscino
Ahhh....sounds like a great day for painting Robert!!!!
October 27 at 6:33pm
Robert Genn
A good friend, Ron Longstaffe, now passed away, was an off-and-on fishing companion. A significant collector of what we amusingly called low- and medium-skilled art, he and I frequently whiled away boat hours discussing the virtues of his multi-million dollar collection...
'Marie
'Marie
so very sorry to hear of RON LONGSTAFFE`S passing
October 22 at 9:59pm
Sharon Himes
Sharon Himes
Sargent is always an inspiration. I will have to get to the Corcoran Gallery soon. Thanks!
October 23 at 4:57am
Angie Kenney
Angie Kenney
My condolences Robert. May there always be something around you to remind you of your good friend and the good times.
October 23 at 8:03pm
Robert Genn
I'm laptopping you from Table 6 in an intimate restaurant in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City's Upper East Side...
Angie Kenney
Angie Kenney
I'm with you Janet, just the thought of being abe to right now is "outta of sight" ,get it! ;)
October 20 at 9:01am
Sheran
Sheran
That's so cool Mr Genn.
October 20 at 1:37pm
Robert Genn
During a recent short workshop, I reintroduced my legendary hourglass. Bought in a junk shop some years ago, its "hour" consists of only 37 minutes. Such is the deflation of time. The idea for the 25 participants was to complete a painting in one turn of the glass...
Phyllis Eaton Steimel
Phyllis Eaton Steimel
Super idea for our Plein Air rainy days.
October 16 at 6:46am
Robert Genn
This morning, Michael Epp of Bowen Island, B.C., wrote: "'Just take away everything that doesn't look like a horse.' That's what the sculptors say. Which implies that as long as you avoid all the obvious mistakes, you'll end up with something good...
Seshadri Sreenivasan
Seshadri Sreenivasan
I firmly believe like many people do that there is no good art or bad art. We are all great in our own eyes! I subscribe to the belief that though the forms of art change the highest aspirations shoulld remain.It makes our life worth living!
October 14 at 2:01am
Lisa McDill
Lisa McDill
Good to know mistakes are appreciated somewhere. . .I must be rich if they are golden!
October 15 at 9:35am
Robert Genn
Yesterday, Roscoe E. Wallace of Fort Walton Beach, FL, wrote: "Do you recommend painting over acrylic paintings or should they be kept for reflection...
Cindy Sternberg Key
Cindy Sternberg Key
I thyink one or two should be kept to remind you of how far you've come, but if you prefer painting on pristine canvas, give them to a school for art students to paint over. They'll be thrilled to have extra canvases free!
October 10 at 6:40pm
Kelley MacDonald
Kelley MacDonald
A section of my studio is called the Cemetery. That is where paintings go that have SOMETHING right about them. Can't bear to get rid of that one little right thing. A friend suggested I cut out the good piece & collage them! Then have a bonfire ;)
October 13 at 7:05pm
Robert Genn
Yesterday, Melinda Wilde of Gabriola Island, B.C., wrote: "I'm design challenged. I see the shapes and I love the shapes but, for whatever reason, I just can't get my work to go WOW with them. I'm quite sure it's a design problem as technically I'm not bad...
Angie Kenney
Angie Kenney
I'm glad I'm not the only one that does that, but it will come, it'll just take some persistance Mr. G!
October 6 at 6:24am
Robert Genn
Where I live the spiders come out in autumn. They're in my face when I bend to turn on the garden hose. Going about their sky-harvest and their devious mating-games, their webs spread across my larger windows. In the nearby forest there's a surprise of mushrooms...
Judy Minor
Judy Minor
Wonderful descriptive writing--was right there with you--
October 2 at 6:08pm