Artists Magazine - July August 2022

ALL ABOUT INK THE INFINITE POTENTIAL OF PEN-AND-INK
Art sts
ARTISTSNETWORK.COM
Magazine
The
POWER
of LINE
How Scope and Scale Take
Drawing to a Whole New Level
CREATIVE
CHAOS
In Defense of
a Messy Studio
SKETCHBOOK
WORKOUT
18 Ideas &
Skill-Building
Exercises
JULY/AUGUST 2022
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Contents
Volume 39 | Issue 04
JULY/AUGUST 2022
40
56
Compositions
32 48 56
LINES OF CONVICTION THE POWER OF THE PEN POETRY IN PAINT
Rick Shaefer’s supersized, detailed Alphonso Dunn finds that art and Jill Barthorpe harmonizes color,
drawings suggest past eras while science work hand-in-hand. line and shape in lyrical still lifes
addressing contemporary issues. BY ALLISON MALAFRONTE and landscapes.
BY JOHN A. PARKS BY TIM SAUNDERS
40 “I learned early that the 64

LINING UP MEMORIES structure of scientific THE WOMAN IN WHITE
Riffing off vintage reference photos, principles liberates A major exhibition examines the
Sarah Creasman creates nostalgic influence of the muse behind James
mixed-media works. creative thinking.” McNeill Whistler’s famous painting.
BY RUTH RODGERS — alphonso dunn BY CYNTHIA CLOSE
ArtistsNetwork.com 1
74
14 20
Prime Build Outfit
6 ANATOMY OF 20 TUTORIAL 72 ART NEWS
A PAINTING Examine compositional Keeping you in the know
Jean-Baptiste-Camille formats with sketches. BY CYNTHIA CLOSE
Corot’s Sibylle BY HELEN OH
BY JERRY N. WEISS 74 INDEPENDENT STUDY
24 LESSON Resources for artists
8 CREATIVE LIFE Put people in perspective. BY HOLLY DAVIS
Some artists thrive BY JOHN ROMAN
in messy studios. 80 LASTING IMPRESSION
BY LARRY HUMBER 30 ART HACKS Vincent van Gogh’s Two
Make your sketchbook Cottages at Saintes-Maries-
14 CROSSROADS a page-turner of ideas. De-Le-Mer
ABOVE RIGHT: KNOWLEDGE (DETAIL: OIL ON PANEL, 16X9) BY LESLIE BALLEWEG

Antonio Alcalá designs BY COURTNEY JORDAN BY JENNIFER TONKOVICH
stamps for the United States
Postal Service.
BY ALLISON MALAFRONTE Correction: The
correct label for the
ON THE COVER
18 THE ASK image on page 17 of the
May/June 2022 issue is
Two Old Trees Near Gorge
(detail; charcoal on paper, 60x72)
For color, what painter do you Lights and Shadows of by Rick Shaefer
find most inspiring? Departure (oil on
EDITED BY ANNE HEVENER canvas, 39x31) by
Andrea Gelsi.
4 FROM THE
EDITOR
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2 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

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“ÉDOUARD VUILLARD'S
BOLD, YET EXPRESSIVE
AND SUBTLE USE OF COLOR
INSPIRES ME TO LOOK
H A R D E R AT W H AT I S E E I N
REALITY AND EXPLORE THE
M A N Y P O S S I B I L I T I E S .”
— @JA N E .C R O S S F E L L A RT I ST
Flowers (detail;
oil on canvas, 21½x18)
by Édouard Vuillard
PUBLIC DOMAIN, COURTESY OF THE
INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART
Prime ANATOMY OF A PAINTING
The influence of Renaissance

portraiture has often been
Sensitive to noted in Sibylle. The pose

paraphrases a portrait by
Raphael, but the execution is
modern. Corot emphasized
the Soul the sinuous movement of the

neck, and the spontaneous
passages are in keeping with
Although best known for his landscapes, the loose brushwork of late
19th-century French painting.
JEAN-BAPTISTE-CAMILLE COROT painted some of
the greatest portraits of the late 19th century.
by Jerry N. Weiss Initially the painting was a musical
allegory, the model posed holding
J
the neck of a cello with her left
ean-Baptiste-Camille Corot hand and a bow in her right. Corot
(French, 1796–1875) excelled Sibylle attempted multiple positions of the
as both a landscape and figure (ca 1870; oil on canvas, 32¼x25½) cello and hands before he painted
painter. Other artists have done this, by Jean-Baptist-Camille Corot
out the instrument and replaced
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW
but what’s fascinating about Corot YORK, N.Y., H.O. HEVEMEYER COLLECTION, it with a red flower. It’s possible
is that he peaked at the two distinct BEQUEST OF MRS. H.O. HAVEMEYER, 1929 that the arms were improvised
genres at very different points in his without the model being present.
life. Between 1825 and 1828, Corot Radiographs show Corot originally
left France to live in Italy, ostensibly painted a seated nude on the
to study the Old Masters. His true “l’Italienne de Montparnasse”—who canvas. Sibylle was done for the
calling, it turned out, was to produce also posed for the larger and more artist’s pleasure; Corot neither
dozens of small plein air paintings in resolved painting by Corot that bears signed nor exhibited the portrait.
Rome and the nearby countryside. The her name and is now part of the col-
modest perfection of Corot’s Italian lection of the National Gallery of Art,
landscapes has never been surpassed. in Washington, D.C.
The artist painted Sibylle 45 years Corot enjoyed working with mod- The figure is lit from the upper left.
later, near the end of his career. In his els as a diversion from the lucrative A skylight leaves the model’s eyes
70s, Corot produced a series of studio business of landscape painting. He in shadow, adding to an already
pieces of female models. Clothed explained, “You have to experience mysterious effect. The mood is
in simple elegance, they posed in your model over time, the range of ani- enhanced by an ambiguous space
cool, natural light—reading, playing mating moods and emotions, in order and unresolved gesture. Turning
a musical instrument or lost in reverie. to penetrate her character. The touch to look at the viewer, the woman
These portraits are among the most must be sensitive to this mobile soul, possesses an enchanting serenity.
beautiful created in the 19th century. not a portrait just of a moment as you
The model for Sibylle is one of get in a photograph, but rather a more
the “indeterminate, contemplative profound portrait.” This sensitivity
women,” as art historian Heather to enduring qualities is a defining Framed by dark hair, the face in
McPherson described them, who characteristic of Corot’s work. Sibylle is comprised of solid forms
inhabit Corot’s late studio pieces. In subtly modeled from light to
this case, we know who the model Jerry N. Weiss is a contributing writer shadow. By contrast, the creamy
was—an Italian woman named to art magazines and teaches at the Art white cloth on the shoulder is
Agostina—sometimes referred to as Students League of New York. painted as a flat, sharp-edged
shape. What unifies these
passages is an overall coolness of
“You have to experience your model over time, tone, consistent with a neutral,
natural light. An understanding of
the range of animating moods and emotions, light as a unifying motif is present
in order to penetrate her character.” in Corot’s early landscapes as
well as his late figurative pieces.
—jean-baptiste-camille corot

Prime CREATIVE LIFE
In a Hot Mess
Does a tidy studio elude you? You’re in great company.
by Larry Humber
This photo of Francis

Bacon’s studio was
taken by Peter Ogden in
1998, after Bacon’s death
and before the studio
was moved to the Hugh
Lane Gallery, in Dublin.
COLLECTION & IMAGE© HUGH
LANE GALLERY, DUBLIN (REG.
NO. 1963.14); © ESTATE OF
FRANCIS BACON, ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED, DACS LONDON, 2021
See for yourself

if you’re in Dublin,
where Bacon’s stu-
dio and contents,
some 7,000 bits and
pieces, have been
re-created at the
Hugh Lane Gallery.
Included in the
display are 1,500
photographs, pages
torn from old mag-
azines, the artist’s
easel, dirty brushes,
slashed canvases
and even vintage
champagne crates
i
(only the best for
had the pleasure of interviewing while appearing somewhat disjointed Bacon). But there was a method to his
Peter Blake—the designer of the initially, is very orderly. madness, to which I can relate. “I feel
legendary Sgt. Pepper album cover— His nearly spotless studio was quite at home here in this chaos,” he said in
in his London studio a decade or so counter to the studios of my favorite a BBC interview. “Also, chaos suggests
ago. Blake was instantly recognizable, trio of artists—Francis Bacon (Irish, images to me.” He even talked of it
nattily attired, as always, though 1909–1973), Pablo Picasso (Spanish, being “a spur to create order.”
somewhat miffed. Seems I was a good 1881–1973) and Alberto Giacometti As for Giacometti’s studio, the
half hour late since I was still finding (Swiss, 1901–1966). I’ve always loved writer Jean Genet described it in less
my way around the city, but he quickly their work and was tickled when than glowing terms, calling it “a milky
warmed to me and had no qualms I learned that all three toiled in less swamp, a seething dump, a genuine
about showing me his spacious work- than pristine surroundings, much ditch.” Annette, the artist’s wife and
space. It was immaculate, everything in as I do. Bacon was, without doubt, favorite model, found it unbearable
its place, which is very much reflected the most unkempt of the three (see and eventually took up residence
in his art. Even the Sgt. Pepper cover, photo, above). elsewhere in Paris. While Giacometti

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This is my studio on a very messy day. Move over Bacon!
couldn’t be bothered to pick up after himself, he was for-

®
ever reworking his sculptures and paintings. Go figure.
Then there was Picasso, who was described by biogra-
pher John Richardson as “notoriously untidy,” his workplace
A "must have" product I always have on hand is "The
never easy to navigate. “You are what you keep,” said the
Masters®" Hand Soap. It effortlessly cleans paint, messy
artist, who hated to toss out anything. Instead, he took to
collecting rubbish to use in his work, telling poet Jean mediums, and clay off my skin, plus the conditioning
Cocteau, “I am the king of the ragpickers.” agents in it keep my hands from drying out. I also
I can relate. I’m a collage artist, having shelved the paints reach for this soap for all my day to
some time ago, although I still like to embellish my pieces day chore clean ups like yard work,
with a splash of this or that color. I typically work around gardening, restocking wood, car
a theme, but almost anything within reach has potential to maintenance, and so much more!
appear in my work. I leave it to the viewer to make connec- ~Kathi Hanson, Artist & Artist Educator
tions. I’m not inclined to keep neatly stacked, shelved and
sorted materials (see the photo of my studio, above). Many
times I’ve picked up a discarded object or a bit of colored
paper and, realizing it would mesh nicely with what I was
working on, I’ve added it to the piece. Sometimes, an entire
work emerges from leftover bits. My assemblage Evora
Scraps (page 10) was literally created from odds and ends
scattered about my studio floor—remnants of other works.
I look at this work every day, and it brings back memories
of my time abroad. Who’d have thought that junk could be Made in
the USA
so inspiring? (OK, Picasso, for one.)
eneralPencil.com
It’s not that I’m encouraging artists to let the chips (clip-
pings, scraps, paint spatters, et cetera) fall as they may,
Prime CREATIVE LIFE
After creating an assemblage from ephemera collected during one of my

trips to Evora, Portugal, I re-collected leftover bits and pieces littered on
my studio floor and created this piece—Evora Scraps (assemblage,
collage, pebbles and acrylic; 10x8).
as I do—and as my trio of art heroes did. Some folks just

can’t work amidst clutter; to them, it’s off-putting, to say the
least. I’ll admit that there are drawbacks to being messy, such
as wasted materials, especially those that require capping.
I have many tubes of acrylic that died—er—dried, before
their time. It can also be hard to find what you need next in
your work. Neatniks don’t have to deal with such problems.
There’s another plus to tidiness. If you’re entertaining
clients, which artists do from time to time, a neat studio is
almost a requirement—who wants to buy from someone
who appears so disorganized? Unless, of course, that some-
one is Bacon, Picasso or Giacometti. Then all is forgiven,
and sales are pretty much assured.
With studio space becoming scarcer and costlier, artists
are increasingly forced to share. As David Liss, former
artistic director and curator of Toronto’s prestigious
Museum of Contemporary Art, told me, “There really is
no opportunity to be messy in that kind of environment.”
Thankfully, I have my own space, as did my heroes, so I’m
free to muck about.
Writer and artist Larry Humber has shown his work with both
Andy Warhol and Peter Doig. “So maybe,” he says, “there is
something to be said for having a messy studio.”

AcrylicWorks 10 The Best of Acrylic
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Home of Art stsMagazine
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Stephen Bauman shares how you
can elevate your portrait painting
skills by doing alla prima studies
on Stonehenge Oil Paper.
Circle One (oil on Stonehenge Oil Paper, 12x12)

by Stephen Bauman
Portrait painting has been a passion of build your skills. Whether the work ends up TOOLKIT
mine for as long as I can remember, and fit for framing or gets tossed into the bin, Surface: Stongehenge Oil
I’ve been consistently working to get you’ll have spent a day seeing and observ- Paper by Legion, which
better at it since my early 20s. I began ing the light and your subject directly from requires no primer or gesso
these efforts as a student in Florence, life. The results of your decisions and color
Paints: I use a limited
Italy, where I studied traditional methods choices will be right there on the surface,
palette of just five pig-
of drawing and painting that had been with no hazy glazes or layers of fiddling
ments: titanium white,
passed down to my teachers from genuine standing in the way. For this reason, an alla
yellow-brown, vermilion
masters of the 19th century, and I continue prima study is one the best exercises for
extra, raw umber and
to hone these skills today as a drawing students of painting who truly want to see
ivory black. Simplifying
and painting instructor. improvement in their work.
your color choices allows
you to focus attention on
Alla Prima Studies Gather Your Supplies seeing the values and get-
Skill-building is a complex endeavor for Among the materials required for alla prima
ting an accurate likeness.
artists. First, we need the right theories, studies, the support is the most important.
and then we need to follow through with You’ll want to work on a surface that’s quite Brushes: Those good old
the right exercises. I’ve found there are two absorbent—one that allows you to lay hog bristles won’t get the
approaches best suited to the practice of down clear brushstrokes that show a pure job done by themselves,
painting: There are longer studies, made and opaque color with the first application. so I recommend using at
over the course of many days or weeks, Stonehenge Oil Paper, by Legion, is far and least a few very soft
sometimes even months, and there’s the away my preference. The paper’s absorbent brushes. You don’t have to
kind of study that I’m demonstrating here, surface allows for the subtle blending of splurge on red sable; a
a study done alla prima, that is, a painting brushstrokes, making it perfectly suited to synthetic hair version will
completed in a single session. Painting alla an alla prima approach. See Toolkit (right) work well.
prima studies is a relatively low-risk way to for a list of other recommended supplies.

SPONSORED CONTENT
Alyssa, whom I work with frequently, is STAGE 2: Here, I’ve laid down a mosaic STAGE 3: As the portrayal becomes
the model for this alla prima portrait of color values, each made using more developed, I give more attention
demo and an upcoming online lesson. separate and distinct brushstrokes. to finding color values that bridge the
I refer to this stage as “color mapping.” gaps between the broken colors of the
STAGE 1: A quick sketch in colored Be sure to keep your values in the previous stage.
pencil lays out the composition and middle of the scale—with no values
structure of the portrait. that are too dark or too light.
THE FINISH: Lastly, I refine the features

and resolve edges. Finishing is the
most challenging stage in a painting.
Here, too, the alla prima approach is
helpful, for you simply have to stop
painting when a session ends. When
your model gets up to leave and you
shut off the lights, the painting is done.
Alyssa (oil on Stonehenge Oil Paper,

12x12) by Stephen Bauman
Stephen Bauman
is a classically
trained artist.
He spent 12 years
as an instructor
at The Florence
Academy of
Art. He also
worked as an instructor of anat-
omy for six years, first in Sweden
and then in the U.S. Bauman now
focuses on his personal artwork and
online teaching. Visit patreon.com/
StephenBaumanArtwork to check out
his course offerings and follow him on
Instagram @stephenbaumanartwork.
Learn more about Stonehenge

Oil Paper at legionpaper.com
Prime CROSSROADS
Signed, Stamped,
& Delivered
Art director and graphic artist Antonio Alcalá displays his impressive design
skills in the United States Postal Service’s Stamp Development Program.
by Allison Malafronte
a nyone who has ever leafed

though an avid stamp col-
lector’s album and seen
page after page of intricate, color-
ful illustrations knows that the
the United States Postal Service
(USPS). Simultaneously, Alcalá runs
Studio A in Alexandria, Va., a small
but in-demand design business that
creates exhibition catalogs, books,
TOP LEFT
Martín Ramírez (2015; design
and art direction: Antonio Alcalá;
art: Martín Ramírez)
TOP RIGHT
appeal of stamps goes well beyond identities and other supporting Janis Joplin (2014; design and
postage. Antonio Alcalá is some- graphics for major museums and art direction: Antonio Alcalá;
photo: David Gahr)
one familiar with the aesthetics institutions across the country. The
JANIS JOPLIN IS A TM OF FANTALITY CORP;
and artistry of stamp design, as he Studio A team of four employees NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF JANIS
JOPLIN USED UNDER LICENSE
is one of four art directors in the often lends a hand to Alcalá with his
Stamp Development Program of USPS stamp assignments.

FAR LEFT
150th Anniversary
of the Emancipation
Proclamation (2013;
design: Gail
Anderson; art
direction: Antonio
Alcalá)
LEFT
Harvey Milk (2014;
design and art
direction: Antonio
Alcalá; photo: Danny
Nicoletta)
HARVEY MILK: HARVEY
MILK® LICENSED BY THE
HARVEY MILK FOUNDATION
BELOW
Day of the Dead
(2021; design: Luis
Fitch; art direction:
Antonio Alcalá)
PATH TO THE stamp design. Mine wasn’t very good, the two-year MFA program, I supple-
but the project did help me under- mented graphic design classes with
POSTAL SERVICE stand that stamps are designed and drawing field trips, projects and elec-
Growing up in San Diego, Alcalá was got me to look more carefully at the tive courses.” After several successful
always interested in fine art and stamps in my collection.” decades in graphic design, in 2010
graphics, but he stepped into the As a teen, Alcalá dabbled in several Alcalá was invited by the USPS to
niche practice of stamp design ser- artistic pursuits, including teaching become a member of the Postmaster
endipitously. His awareness of the himself calligraphy from a kit his General’s Citizen’s Stamp Advisory
subject was first sparked as a child grandparents gave him. In college he Committee (CSAC), and a year later he
when he saw his mother’s childhood focused on academics, majoring in was offered an art director position.
stamp album on the family bookshelf. history at Yale University while also
“With my interest piqued, I began an taking printmaking, drawing and STAGES OF
informal collection of my own, buy- graphic design courses, as well as
ing inexpensive bags of loose, used off-campus calligraphy classes. “This
STAMP DESIGN
stamps from the local variety store,” provided me with enough work to Art directing stamp campaigns isn’t
the artist remembers. “Many years apply and get accepted to the graduate all that different from art direct-
later, in my first graphic design class, program in graphic design at the Yale ing in other creative fields, such as
we had an assignment for a postage School of Art,” Alcalá says. “During print magazines or advertising. The
Prime CROSSROADS
“THE TWO MAJOR

DIFFERENCES IN
S TA M P D E S I G N A R E
T H E E X T R E M E LY
SMALL SCALE
AND THE
E X T R E M E LY L O N G
P R O D U C T I O N T I M E .”
TOP two major differences in stamp design are the extremely of different ideas and approaches on
Forever Love Hearts small scale and the extremely long production time. The pages of photocopy paper and develop
(2015; design:
first step of the creative process happens after the CSAC the direction from there.” Alcalá meets
Antonio Alcalá and
Jessica Hische; determines a subject or cultural figure they’d like to see once a month with his fellow art
lettering: Jessica commemorated with a stamp—such as groundbreaking directors and colleagues on the Stamp
Hische; art direction: athlete Jackie Robinson or iconic musician Janis Joplin Development team to present his own
Antonio Alcalá) (page 14)—and, in consultation with the USPS, the year it sketches or the work of an illustrator,
ABOVE LEFT should be released. Often the recommended subject coin- photographer or designer he’d like to
Raven Story (2021; cides with an anniversary or historic milestone, such as collaborate with to create the stamp.
design: Rico Worl; the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation “The process from assignment to
art direction: Antonio (page 15) or the anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. completion usually takes about two
Alcalá)
After a specific subject has been assigned to Alcalá as art years,” Alcalá says. “This includes
ABOVE RIGHT director, he determines the best design approach. “I can many layers of legal review that aren’t
50th Anniversary design it myself or hire an illustrator, photographer, letter- directly part of the creative process but
of Woodstock (2019; ing artist or another designer to develop a solution with that may affect the directions or solu-
design and art my input,” he says. “If I take the assignment myself, after tions I can propose. The USPS team
direction: Antonio
Alcalá) I review the background information provided by the USPS gives me a lot of freedom to develop
research group, I usually start making very simple sketches each assignment. I’m fortunate that

they trust me and the other art directors to come up with creativity he has brought to the field. ABOVE LEFT
designs that are appropriate while building variety into the “For some assignments, we stretched Hip Hop (2020;
design and art
program.” Any artistic restrictions are mostly formal (a tiny traditional boundaries of stamp design,
direction: Antonio
“canvas” of a prescribed size) and legal (each particular sub- using an unusual printing technol- Alcalá; photography:
ject may come with a set of legal restrictions that shape what ogy, format or imagery,” he says. “For Cade Martin)
can and cannot be done), but Alcalá and those he works with others, we presented a less familiar
find ways to creatively work within those parameters. aspect of our culture in a way that is ABOVE RIGHT
Message Monsters
both appropriate and appealing to the (2021; design and art
American public.”
STRATEGIC SKILL SET direction: Antonio
Alcalá; illustration:
The principles of fine art are important in most creative Allison Malafronte is a fine arts and Elise Gravel)
professions, and stamp design is no exception. Alcalá says design writer and editor based in the
that composition, color theory, scale, proportion, harmony greater New York area.
and balance are just some of the elements that contribute
to creating successful stamps. Although traditional draw-
ing and sketching don’t factor in to the final image, they’re
essential in Alcalá’s conceptual and presentation phases.
“My own drawing ability is important when creating
sketches, exploring possible approaches and showing the
MEET THE ARTIST
intended direction of a project,” the artist says. “All the In addition to his work as art director
other principles of visual art come into play when reviewing for the USPS Stamp Development
work. For example, I might notice that a color has the same Program and as the owner of Studio A,
value as its neighbor and won’t read well at actual stamp Antonio Alcalá is an adjunct faculty
size—or realize the composition doesn’t allow the space member of Maryland Institute College
necessary for the typography to complement the image.” of Art’s MFA graphic design program.
After more than a decade designing stamps for the
USPS, Alcalá can be proud not only of his ability to direct LEARN MORE AT STUDIOA.COM AND
the stamp-design process but also of the innovation and INSTAGRAM.COM/ANTONIOSTUDIOA.
Prime THE ASK
WE ASKED...
“Andrew Wyeth’s
muted tones set the
For color, what famous table for the mood in
artist do you find his work. His restraint
allowed for colorful
most inspiring? flourishes to pack a
powerful punch when
applied for affect.”
“Color is best seen
“Helen Frankenthaler, MARIO ROBINSON
outdoors in nature, for sometimes described as ARTIST
without light, there a Color Field painter,
is no color. Joaquín deserves praise for her use
of color, applied in thin but
Sorolla was a great powerful veils of liquid paint WE ASKE
D. . .
outdoor painter, and his against an unprimed canvas.
colors are full of light— Her organic images are
S W ERED
reminiscent of the forces of YO U A N
rich, deep and luscious. nature and yet remain calm,
He could paint white in lyrical and expansive. Her
“Maxfield Parrish because
100 different ways.” large-scale paintings appear
he mixed gemlike colors
translucent, as color seems
ANTONIO MASI with seamless gradients.”
to spontaneously seep into
ARTIST AND PRESIDENT, —ATA NOYAN KONAC
and bind with the canvas,
AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY whether washed on with
“Matisse captured the soul
oil or acrylic.”
of color and pinned it to
JAYNE YANTZ paper like an entomologist.”
INSTRUCTOR OF ART HISTORY, —@DANIOA47
PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY
OF THE FINE ARTS “Édouard Vuillard’s bold, yet
expressive and subtle use of
color inspires me to look
harder at what I see in
“David Hockney, hands down.
reality and to explore the
Whether it’s his pool paintings, many possibilities.”
his iPad drawings, his large —@JANE.CROSSFELL
watercolor portraits or his set ARTIST
designs, I find that his bright
and energetic palette sets
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
Niña (1904; oil on canvas) by Joaquín Sorolla me on fire.”
MUSEO NACIONAL DE LA HABANA, CUBA @ARTISTSNETWORK TO
ANSWER EACH MONTH’S
DANNY GREGORY QUESTION IN “THE ASK.”
ARTIST, AUTHOR AND CO-FOUNDER RESPONSES MAY BE EDITED
OF SKETCHBOOK SKOOL FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY.

Bu ld
“IF THE HUMAN EYE IS

O B S E R V I N G A W O R K O F A R T,
IT 'S LOGICAL IT WILL SEEK
A H U M A N F I G U R E I N T H AT
I M A G E T O M E A S U R E F O R M .”
—J O H N R O M A N
Follow Me (detail;
oil on canvas, 70⁹⁄₁₀x78¾)
by Lesley Oldaker
Build TUTORIAL
HELEN OH demonstrates the

CONSIDERING COMPOSITION various benefits of different
compositional formats.
I’ll never forget the words of my

high school art teacher: “An artist is
a person with a sketchbook attached.”
In the age of digital imaging, the
convenience of the mobile phone as
a storehouse of personal observations
and memories imperils the art of
sketching and diminishes the artist’s
relationship with this traditional, and
vital, art practice. It need not be a case
of sketching versus photographs, how-
ever; with a little planning, one can
find benefits in both.
Travel, in particular, provides an
opportunity to combine the best of
both media. Whenever I visit a new
location, I’m busy taking photographs
of things too fleeting to sketch: the
glimpse of a fashionable person, a
group in animated conversation, the
view from a moving train and so on.
Because these inspired moments are
brief, the camera can capture much
more in a few seconds than my pencil
can. As I review the day’s photos later
in my hotel room, certain images
remain compelling, but in digital for-
mat I feel they lack the concise and
concentrated emotional quality I recall
of the in-the-moment experience. To
convey those aspects that are so vital,
I sketch the subject from the photo.
Sketching is visual note-taking, an
active response of artist to subject.
I use watercolor to record colors and
compose designs. I find the benefit
of this practice blends my subjective
memory with the objective quality
of the camera’s lens. Together, they
aid in my recollection of places and
events. This strengthens my memory
as I sketch.
Before I travel, I pack watercolor
tubes, white gouache, pencils and
brushes. Instead of carrying a block Rule of Thirds Composition
For a sketch of a hotel room, I cropped
of watercolor paper, I prefer working a photo, painted a vignette and, fol-
on Stonehenge printmaking papers Once home, my sketches are my lowing the “Rule of Thirds,” I divided it
in warm and cool tones, which I cut favorite souvenirs. I think the prac- into thirds horizontally and vertically.
to various sizes. The color of the tice of composing images should be I planned the composition so that the
woman’s head aligns with the upper right
paper facilitates quick sketching, add- developed as a habit for painters. intersection point.
ing atmosphere to vignette, its color It can improve photography skills
filling the negative spaces. and create a stronger connection

Turn the page for a demo.
LEFT
Repeat Composition
During a visit to the
Louvre, in Paris,
I photographed weary
tourists asleep on
a circular sofa. The
gestures of the figures
on the settee create
visual rhythm.
BELOW
Dutch Tilt
Composition
This obliquely angled
composition reminds
me of the sensation of
motion one feels when
getting up from bed.
to image-making, regardless of the

medium being used.
My utmost concern in sketching is
composition, as it organizes the event
to give meaning and context to a pic-
ture. I try to create hierarchy, balance
and movement by using one of the
following compositional formats:
Rule of Thirds: This format
assists in locating a focal point.
Simply divide the surface into nine
rectangles by overlaying a grid of
three equally sized columns and three
equally sized rows. Place the focal
point at one of the four intersections.
Repeat: Repetition of lines or ele-
ments produces a sense of unity and
consistency in an artwork.
Dutch Tilt: Also known as a
“German angle” due to silent-film is framed not by the image dimen- Helen Oh is an artist, conservator
era German movies that popular- sions, but by structural elements that and instructor at the School of the Art
ized shots that deliberately slanted surround it. Foregrounds may con- Institute of Chicago and at Palette
the camera. tain doorways, windows or curtains & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts.
Picture Within Picture: through which observers view the key She’s represented by Gallery Victor
A composition in which the subject elements of the picture. Armendariz, in Chicago.
Build TUTORIAL
DEMONSTRATION: PICTURE WITHIN

A PICTURE COMPOSITION
1 My vantage point—looking
through a round window—
produced an interesting reference
photo for this painting. I drew the
composition in graphite pencil on
Stonehenge paper.
2 I blocked in the copper roof

with a mixture of Hooker’s
green, ultramarine blue and
white. Shadows were indicated
with a mixture of alizarin crimson
and ultramarine blue.
3 I continued filling in the walls and roof on the right with

Naples yellow, gold ochre, lamp black and white. When
painting on toned paper, I add a little bit of white to all color
4 I painted the clay chimneys with cadmium red and white.
The arch of the window was painted with a mixture of
cadmium red and ultramarine blue; the interior with golden
mixtures. The opacity of titanium white makes the colors ochre. Then, using a mixture of pale gray, I painted the
stand out, lending them a bright and luminous quality. window frames and highlights on the roof. I tried to connect
the viewer to the scene by adding a person in the open
window. The figure is also useful for scale.

Artist’s Toolkit
WATERCOLORS: Naples yellow, Winsor lemon, gold ochre, cadmium red, alizarin crimson,
Hooker’s green, ultramarine blue, lamp black, cadmium red; titanium white and blue gouache
BRUSHES: flats and rounds in a range of sizes (For travel, I pack inexpensive nylon brushes.)
GRAPHITE: HB pencil (For travel, I always pack a mechanical pencil as a backup.)
SURFACE: Stonehenge printmaking paper in various tones, cut to various sizes
OTHER: kneaded eraser, titanium white gouache
5 At this point, I considered my

options for the sky color. I cut
paper into the shapes of the sky, then
6 To finish Roof Tops (watercolor and gouache on paper, 10½x8½) I mixed
ultramarine blue and white and painted the sky reflections on the windows.
painted them with blue gouache and

placed them over the sky areas.
Build LESSON
PERSPECTIVE
The Measure of
All Things
Artists’ strategies for putting people in perspective have evolved
over time, but human perception is always at the root.
by John Roman
While scientists and astronomers have his-

torically looked to the stars to determine our
place in the cosmos, artists since antiquity
have long believed the human eye observ-
ing the world is at the center of it all. In
every painting or drawing since the dawn
of representational art, the human point
of view has held center stage. Regardless of
what a painting depicts, all viewers are sub-
consciously aware their own “eye” holds an
image together; not only their eye looking
at the work, but their eye within the world
portrayed in the painted scene.
THE EYE AS BEHOLDER

Around 2400 B.C., Egyptian artists moved
away from hieroglyphics, their traditional art
form that relied strictly on symbolism. Those
ancient artists discovered they could simu-
late the viewpoint of one person in their
carvings by aligning the heads of figures
along a common eye-level line. From that
time forward, from the age of the Greeks to
that of the Romans to the Renaissance and
beyond, the human eye became the lens
LEFT TOP
This hieroglyph (ca 2465 B.C.) from
the Chapel of Sekhemankhptah, in
Egypt’s Nile Valley, is the earliest
example of human figures shown
along a horizontal eye line.
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON. EMILY ESTHER
SEARS FUND, 1904.
LEFT BOTTOM
In Masaccio’s, The Tribute Money (ca
1425; detail of fresco, 8x19½feet) all the
heads align to form a horizontal line.

through which all representational art
would come to be observed.
THE BODY AS SCALE

Four thousand years after the hiero-
glyphic era, Renaissance artists were
still positioning heads on a line but
taking that process even further. This
period saw the invention of a new
technique for rendering buildings and
interiors in “perspective,” a method
that not only used the eye as its cen-
ter of vision but the entire human
body as its system of measurement.
Many artists of that time were con-
fused by perspective’s mathematical
construction, so they invented a con-
venient short cut for the process.
They found they could build an entire
scene based solely on the size of one
human figure—and that initial figure
In The Flagellation (1455; oil and tempera on panel, 42x91), Piero della Francesca creates
could be scaled to find the sizes of a low-angle view by imagining a line through the upper thighs of his figures.
other people and objects in the com-
position. (See People in Perspective,
page 26.)
FROM THE 15TH

CENTURY …
Influences of the Egyptian-eye-line
method can be identified in works of
art from all time periods. Renaissance
artist Masaccio, for instance, used
classic head-alignments in many of
the works he produced. In The Tribute
Money (opposite bottom), he placed
all the heads along an imaginary
horizontal line that ran through his
painting. Piero della Francesca’s The
Flagellation (above), provides another
variation on the concept. This time,
to produce a view from a low vantage
point, Piero visualized a line through
the upper-thigh area of his figures. It’s
also easy to spot how pre-Renaissance
artist Giotto envisioned two separate
eye-level lines for the human figures
in The Lamentation (right): one eye-
line for standing figures and another
for kneeling characters. These historic
examples illustrate how, during its
early years of application, the strate-
gies for drawing people in perspective
were adjusted and manipulated to suit It’s easy to picture how Giotto used one eye-level for standing figures and another for those who
are kneeling or crouching, as seen in The Lamentation (1305; fresco, 16½x15½ feet).
each artists’ individual needs.
In Raphael’s Disputation of the Holy
Sacrament (page 27), the eye-line
Build LESSON

theory is taken to new heights. His
fresco depicts an altar at ground level,
flanked by theologians. Those figures
are placed on the same line, though
some are elevated on a platform so
their heads are bit higher. Floating
above the theologians, several seated
biblical icons, such as Moses and
Adam, share a new, slightly curved
line. Above them, Christ sits sur-
rounded by the Virgin Mary and John
the Baptist, and they too are placed
on another eye-level. Then, above
everyone, we see God himself who,
(you guessed it), has his own eye-level
line—one that’s slightly higher than a
separate eye-line for the angels float-
ing to his sides.
These examples clearly show how
Renaissance artists created their mas-
terpieces simply by lining up the heads
of their subjects on any number of eye-
level lines, an approach we too can use
in our own paintings and drawings. Raphael’s Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (1509; Fresco, 41½ft.x64ft.) introduces multiple
eye-levels for figures on different planes.
It’s important to mention that,
according to perspective histo-
rian Samuel Edgerton, during the
Renaissance and pre-Renaissance,
these eye-level lines didn’t necessarily
represent the earth’s “horizon line” as
we know it today. While on occasion
an eye line might coincide with that
horizon, the concept of a horizon line
wasn’t fully understood in this period
of art history. During this time, an
eye-level line in art was simply a
device artists used to unify a painting.
In no way was it understood as the
juncture of the distant earth and sky.
On a similar note, the term “vanish-
ing point” didn’t exist either. That
label was not conceived until later,
Edgerton tells us.
… TO THE 19TH CENTURY

Let’s look at a few 19th-century works
of art to analyze how these earlier
methods for finding people in per-
spective were adopted by subsequent Winslow Homer integrated the actual horizon as the level-line for his subjects in Long Branch,
generations. By the 1800s, the hori- New Jersey (1869; oil on canvas, 40x55).
zon line was an established fixture in
an artist’s glossary. In Winslow
Homer’s landscape Long Beach, New
Jersey (right), Homer integrates the
earth’s horizon with the level-line of
characters portrayed. By dissecting
foreground people through the waist
Build LESSON
in alignment with the horizon, and

the background figures through the
eyes, Homer used that line to subtly
give us a feel for the uneven terrain of
the hilltop.
Edgar Degas applied the same tac-
tic of linear head arrangements in his
painting The Dance Class (left), with
some dancers placed higher and some
lower on that common line. By this
time in history, artists clearly under-
stood that the earth’s horizon beyond
the walls of the dance studio was one
and the same with the eye-level line in
Degas’ painting.
In A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of
La Grande Jatte (below), Georges
Seurat expanded on this formula to
depict a bustling environment. The two
standing figures in shadow on the right
side of the painting establish the basic
scale. Other figures also share that
same eye-level: the lady with the
umbrella, the man flying the kite, the
two lovers near the tree and several
people in the distance. All these figures
share their eye-level with the fore-
ground figures, and together they
establish the basic ground plane for the
scene. From the sizes of these ground-
plane characters, everything else in
the painting was measured to fit into
and around the composition. The pro-
In The Dance Class (1875; oil on canvas, 85x75) by Edgar Degas, the horizon lines up at eye level portions of seated figures in the grass,
with the dancers.
those at a lower level by the water’s
edge and even the people sitting in
boats have all been sized and projected
from the initial “scale” characters.
THE MODERN-DAY
If a human eye is observing a work
of art, it’s logical that it will seek
a human figure in that image from
which to measure scale. Strictly
by instinct, the mind’s eye hunts
for a unifying link in any painting.
It needs something in an image
to identify with and relate to, and
against which to measure proportion.
Analyze any modern-day works
of realism that include human fig-
ures, and you’ll be certain to find
this basic rule at work. British artist
Lesley Oldaker’s Follow Me (opposite
top), for example, uses a crowd of
Georges Seurat skillfully scales people into the bustling environment of the scene in A Sunday nondescript people in perspective
Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1885; oil on canvas,17¼x25½ feet). for a haunting comment on the

21st century and the need to follow
trends. Caribbean artist Nathalie
Ramirez playfully stylizes the age-
old head-alignment system in a
contemporary urban sketch of her
neighborhood cafe in the Dominican
Republic (see Cafe del Conde, below).
Although science and astronomy
continue to look to the heavens for
answers, the visionary artists of our
distant past seem to have had the
right idea all along when they consid-
ered human perception as the center
of existence. Today’s representational
artists not only carry on a long tradi-
tion of presenting new ways of seeing
the world around us, they also open
our eyes to a deeper understanding of
our place within the world.
John Roman (johnromanillustration.com)

is the author of The Art of Illustrated
Maps: A Complete Guide to Creative
Mapmaking’s History, Process and
Inspiration (HOW Books, 2015). He’s
also an award-winning illustrator. In
addition to writing for art magazines, he
has taught illustration and perspective
Lesley Oldaker (lesleyoldakerfineart.com) uses nondescript people in perspective to comment on
21st-century culture’s need to follow trends, as depicted in Follow Me (oil on canvas, 70⅞x78¾). drawing at Boston’s Massachusetts
College of Art and Design since 1993.
In Café del Conde (2012; ink on paper, 15x30) by Nathalie Ramirez (Instagram: @nathaliepresents), the age-old head-alignment technique is stylized
in a playful urban sketch done at the artist’s favorite neighorhood café in the Dominican Republic.
Build ART HACKS
Every Trick
in the Book
Make your sketchbook a jam-packed
page-turner of ideas.
—COURTNEY JORDAN
3. Take moments throughout the day to

Handiwork Food Fun
fill a section with a sketch—labeled
If you’ve got a free hand, then you’ve with the time. What about a series of sketches
got a ready-made model available to 4. Note weather signals, such as tree devoted to epicurean delights?
pose. Keep these tips in mind: • Arrange some canned foods and
SKETCHBOOK: PETER ARILDSSON/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES; HANDS: ROBINOLIMB/GETTY IMAGES; CLOTHES: MERETHE SVARSTAD EEG/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES; SOUP: CREACART/GETTY IMAGES
limbs bending in the wind and rain
puddles. What are the cloud shapes? channel your inner Warhol.
5. Observe the way light and colors • Try your hand at food styling. A well-
change over time. In the evening and composed setup of a bowl of soup on
at night, you’ll see less contrast in a tabletop is definitely worth a sketch.
shadow areas. Colors in the evening
are cool and blue; warm colors tend
to appear closest to the foreground.
Wardrobe Change
Got a closet full of clothes? Sketch
them—on a hanger or a model.
• “Fudge” the details. So what if you can’t

ice a cupcake like a head baker. Beautify
your drawing in any way you please.
• Set your focus! Gesture is usually • Cartons and other containers help
conveyed through the overall line identify foods. A tan mound in a bowl
of the fingers, as opposed to the comes across as Cheerios when sitting
individual digits. beside the iconic yellow box.
• The shape of the palm tends to be • Distinguish the surface texture of
a rough square with rounded sides. fabrics with different marks, but
Seven-Way Split
• Finger bones extend from one point nothing too distracting. Select a subject in your home to draw—
at the center of the wrist and project • Shadows created when materials are maybe a pet, a plant or a phone—and
diagonally through the palm—with folded differ, depending on the depth draw it seven different ways. Make one
the pinky and index finger bones of the creases and the volume of the sketch a day for a weeklong project. Try
hitting the palm’s corners. folds. Shadows in the folds of a suit obscuring the object in one sketch and
• The base of the thumb looks like a ball jacket tend to be deeper and darker making it the star in another.
or oval that overlaps the spot where than those in soft materials, such as
the finger bones start at the base of
the wrist. Suggest this with one or two
a sweatshirt. READER HACK
• Fitted clothing typically shows For a chance to win a free one-
curved lines on the palm. the form of the body with lines. month membership to Artists
Roomier clothes tend to have loose, Network (artistsnetwork.com),
Around the Clock voluminous folds that droop and email your favorite art hack to
1. Divide a two-page sketchbook spread obscure the form. info@goldenpeakmedia.com with
into a grid of four to six sections. • Experiment with capturing clothing this subject line: “Art Hacks.”
2. Choose a window in your home where patterns, such as flowers, plaids, polka Submissions chosen for publication
you can sketch comfortably while dots or pinstripes. Remember, a little may be edited for length and clarity.
enjoying the view. indication of pattern goes a long way.

“ I T ’ S P U R E LY A B O U T
THE COLORS, THE
LINES, THE
SHAPES, THE
BALANCE AND
THE HARMONY
B E T W E E N T H E M .” Star Vase With Oranges
(detail; oil on canvas,
—J I L L B A RT H O R P E 24x36) by Jill Banthorpe
ABOVE
Shaefer standing
beside Van Breems
Oak (charcoal on
vellum, five panels
measuring 5x17 feet
overall), gives an
idea of the scale of
Lines of
the artist’s work.
OPPOSITE
American Bison
(charcoal on vellum
mounted on
aluminum, triptych
measuring 8x12⅓
Conviction
feet overall)
The supersized drawings of Rick Shaefer

present a nostalgic air of days gone by with a
call to attention toward contemporary issues.
by John A. Parks
A
n air of history hangs around the drawings snap and energy of the work seems
of Rick Shaefer, as though they might have very much of this moment. Most of
been made at some indeterminate point in all, the enormous, even spectacu-
centuries past. Bucolic landscapes with ful- lar, scale of the drawings—some as
some trees and distant vistas might be part large as 19 feet across—places them
of the same idyllic and somewhat fantasized squarely in the modern age. These
world beloved of Flemish masters like Pieter drawings, then, are works that borrow
Breughel the Elder (ca 1525–63) or Joos de heavily from historical techniques
Momper the Younger (1564–1635). On the and imagery, which then are refit
other hand, some of the subject matter feels and modified for contemporary use.
quite contemporary, with images of endan- Their tonality, with its rich darks
gered species and compositions with pointed and pristine lights, initially suggests
political references. Furthermore, the general that engravings might be the main

River Valley (oil pencil
and graphite on Canson
paper, 4x7 feet)
that people can get up close to my work and just see a mass
of scribbles and then back off and see the image coalesce
into an almost photographic clarity.” (See Great Oaks From
Lithesome Lines Grow, page 36)
Line of Development
Shaefer came to his present body of work after a long
artistic journey. “I always drew growing up and discovered
photography in my early 20s,” he recalls. “I went to school
and pursued a career as a photographer in New York City,
doing editorial and fashion work for about a dozen years.”
He missed drawing and painting, however, and eventually
returned to them. “I still have a longing for the tonality of
black-and-white photography,” says Shaefer, “and while not
wishing to pursue a photorealist approach, I do strive to
get those grays and blacks in my drawings, which I always
found alluring in the prints.”
Certainly, Shaefer’s experience as a photographer and
his taste for rich, velvety darks impacted his technique,
but his quest for the right kind of expression took quite
a while. “I had been painting and drawing for some time,
working on increasingly complex and intricate landscape
pieces,” he recalls. “Each piece seemed to get denser than
the previous one. At some point, I took a break, painting
figures for a brief period, and then my wife suggested that
I go back to drawing, which I’ve always loved.” This sug-
gestion turned out to be seminal. “I studied the etchings
of Rembrandt and other artists for months in an almost
maniacally intense manner,” says Shaefer. “I fell back in
love with line and the vitality of mark-making.”
Examining Rembrandt’s etchings under a magnifying
glass, Shaefer was moved and amazed by the energy and
intelligence packed into dense tonal passages. He was
inspired to try something similar, but first he needed to
rethink the technique and its effect. “It seemed that the
best way to showcase that line work, with the myriad little
decisions and spontaneous scribbles that are especially
evident in etching, would be to enlarge the scale and give it
room to breathe,” he says. He then set to work on figuring
out how to scale up this kind of drawing. “It took a while to
come to a style of mark-making that felt fluid, gestural and
natural,” he recalls. “I kept at it for another month or more
until it felt descriptive enough—but still loose enough to
be fun in the process.”
influence, but closer examination reveals none of the
mechanical hatching that engravers employ. Rather, in
Shaefer’s drawings, the tone is built with active, loose and Breakthrough Drawing
energetic line. It’s a line that not only sets tonal values but Armed with his new idea for drawing, Shaefer found
also describes form and creates powerful graphic outlines. subject matter near his home in Connecticut. “My first
“I love engraving’s disciplined line work, but I only drawing on a large scale was of an oak that had fallen in
mimic it occasionally for fun,” says the artist. “It’s more the a neighbor’s field after a storm,” he recalls. “I depicted it
scribbles and flourishes of etching that have influenced life-size on five panels, together measuring about 5x19
my drawing style. I like to be more gestural and sponta- feet.” (See Van Breems Oak, pages 32–33)
neous, laying down marks quickly and keeping the pace His choice of medium was charcoal. “I’d always shied
moving.” Further explaining how his work differs from away from charcoal because of its inherent messiness,” he
engravings, he says, “Engraving, though fabulous, is way says, “but I found that if I kept it to the line itself, it didn’t
too principled and disciplined for my personal style. I love matter. I now love charcoal.”
GREAT OAKS FROM LITHESOME LINES GROW
The detail (above) of Sugar Maple (opposite) shows the energy and spontaneity of Shaefer’s linework.
The medium, however, isn’t the central component to urgency while, at the same time, appear fairly still and pos-
Shaefer’s approach. “It doesn’t matter what you draw with; sibly even somewhat bucolic on the surface,” says the artist.
line is line in any medium,” he says. “It was the purity “I feel we’re heading down a rathole, an almost inevitable
of line, especially in those Rembrandt etchings, used for spiral of misdeeds and mismanagement of our own lot and
shading and shadows, that really excited and hooked me. that of the planet we call home. My animal pieces are cries
Working at a larger scale just frees all that up and makes for kinder and more enlightened stewardship—a plea for us
the process so much more lively and fun for me.” to share the planet, not just subjugate and exploit it.”
This outlook also inspired the many large landscape draw-
ings that the artist has created. In River Valley (pages 34–35),
Calls for Caretaking for instance, two ancient oak trees frame a view of an idyllic
While the image of a fallen tree was a perfect technical valley where a river flows through meadows and woods to
vehicle for the kind of drawing that Shaefer wanted to the distant horizon. The piece feels somewhat paradisiacal,
do, that subject also fell in with the artist’s desire to say expressing a yearning for a long-lost, more perfect world.
something about his feelings for the natural world and our
stewardship of it. His outlook led him to go on to make
a number of large drawings featuring members of endan- Big Picture Challenges
gered species, such as the American bison (see American The view in River Valley is convincing, yet curiously unreal.
Bison, page 32). “I try to make my work embody a sense of One senses that there’s no actual landscape matching the

MY MATERIALS
SUBSTRATES
• vellum and synthetic vellum
• drafting film
• Tyvec
• a wide assortment of papers
MEDIA
Charcoal: Mostly I use General’s compressed charcoal
in pencil form. Occasionally I use stick or vine charcoal,
and very occasionally I use charcoal powder as toner for
the background. I also use liquid charcoal.
Darkening media: The fixing process often tones down the
charcoal in the deep shadows. To give those areas a boost,
I use one or more of the following media:
• Stabilo Aquarellable black pencil (I now also use this for
general drawing.)
• Conté watercolor pencil
• ink, brushed on or applied with a brush marker
• oil or acrylic paint, brushed into deeper shadow areas
Graphite: I use this occasionally for light passages.
—RICK SHAEFER
concern is to keep the marks visually authentic.” By this he

means that each mark needs to make sense in the overall
picture. “I don’t want to just automatically fill in shading or
shaping haphazardly,” he says. “I want to feel each stroke
as a crucial step in the journey. I’m also concerned about
getting shadows rich and vibrant enough, something that
I’m always working on.”
Sugar Maple (charcoal on vellum mounted
Scaling up from his sketches and references presents
on aluminum, (8x3½ feet)
another challenge for the artist. He has tried using grids
but now avoids them. “The problem with a grid is get-
ting rid of it during the process,” he says. In fact, with
or without a grid, he finds that creating a fairly detailed
preliminary sketch or outline on his drawing surface can
be problematic. “I find those too constrictive, too limiting,
artist’s rendering—but how exactly is such a drawing con- and they seem to get in the way of the spontaneity of the
structed? “Sometimes I’ll make a loose study just to get the final mark-making,” says Shaefer. “I prefer very loose, very
overall composition,” says Shaefer. “More often, I like to have ephemeral and light marks on the surface, just enough to
bits of reference to work from as a framework. Sometimes orient me, so I know where larger elements should sit.”
I’ll do a complete photo montage of assorted scraps pulled Placing these guiding marks might involve simply measur-
together in order to have a more concrete visual before ing with a ruler to establish where one or two salient points
me when I start the actual drawing.” Shaefer explains in the composition fall. These fixed positions mean that
that he finds good references, photographic or otherwise, the drawing won’t get too far out of hand once the process
helpful—especially for certain passages. “That way, I feel begins. “Then I can refer to the preparatory sketch or ref-
‘covered’—safe to dive in,” he says. “Then, once I’m fully erence in a fresh way that allows vagaries of the moment to
underway, I can riff on the references or even ignore them.” happen,” says the artist. “The magic moments and passages
Shaefer’s reference material includes photographs and always seem to come from the gut or spontaneous flour-
reproductions of parts of historical paintings; however, he ishes rather than overly planned and charted procedures.
doesn’t just copy them but rather uses them to re-create You can make a series of marks and have no conscious idea
the spirit of the original in a way that works with his of where they came from, as if they arise out of the ether
overall drawing. “I don’t like to be dependent on visual ref- or the collective, historical zeitgeist of artistic expression.”
erence,” he says. “I want to allow as much freedom in the Shaefer usually draws with paper-wrapped compressed
actual drawing process as possible. Technically, the only charcoal. Because that medium smudges so easily, he takes
great care with the position of his hand while working. “The New Colossus came out of a built-up frustration
Being right-handed, he starts in the top left-hand corner with on-going discussions and media onslaught over the
and gradually works his way across the piece, building each building of a wall along our southern border,” says the art-
section considerably as he travels down toward the bottom ist. “In a partially awake state one morning, I had the whole
right-hand corner. When using media other than charcoal, pageant of the final piece appear to me intact, which hardly
he’ll wander about on the surface more freely. Occasionally ever happens. I conjured a tableau awash in time-discordant
he’ll go back into a piece using black ink, working into the elements.” These included an overly massive military/
darks to create greater richness and contrast. industrial construction scene, elements from 18th-century
Drawing on such a large scale also brings the challenge memorial engravings, Renaissance angels, pulled-back
of presentation. Much of Shaefer’s work is made using syn- curtains, a cluster of officials in the foreground and many
thetic papers (see My Materials, page 37), which he then more historical and art references. “It occurred to me,” says
fixes heavily so that the works can be displayed unframed. Shaefer, “that I was going to explore not just the idea of
He pierces some of the very large pieces with grommets, so a contemporary border barrier but the whole human his-
they can be hung in the manner of a tapestry. Recently he tory of building structures to keep out the ‘other.’ ”
has been doing more work on traditional paper that must History has provided many such examples, from the orig-
be framed behind glass. inal Colossus, a giant statue that stood astride the harbor
entrance of Rhodes, to the Great Wall of China to Hadrian’s
Wall, in what is now Northern England. The “wall” Shaefer
Revisiting Colossus imagined was a massive dam in a vast desert panorama.
While Shaefer’s landscapes present, in a gentle way, a point “The whole piece and the text below is done in the
of view about our stewardship of nature, the artist has also manner of 17th- and 18th-century engravings commem-
undertaken some works that make more pointed political orating important events,” says Shaefer. “It’s meant as an
statements. In The New Colossus (below), for instance, he ironic take on man’s hubris and as a farcical spin on Emma
presents a view of a gigantic structure in the process of con- Lazarus’ sonnet of the same title, installed on the Statue
struction as cranes and helicopters busy themselves around of Liberty.” (See Colossus: Two Viewpoints, opposite.)
it. On the right side of the picture, a group of men in busi-
ness suits confer over a set of plans, while at the top of the
piece a pair of angels draws back curtains to reveal the scene.
The New Colossus (charcoal
on synthetic vellum, five panels
measuring 9½x15 feet overall)

The artists goes on to explain, “My drawing is a kind of
‘Tower of Babel meets the Statue of Liberty.’ Even though
COLOSSUS: it strayed from my usual studio work, I feel it’s one of my
strongest pieces so far both in scale and complexity.”
TWO VIEWPOINTS At 15 feet across, The New Colossus handily reflects its
outsized subject matter. Its scope and conviction reveal the
The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders considerable ambition of the artist to make work that has
of the Ancient World, was a statue representing the a real impact in the world by engaging us both visually and
sun-god Helios. Attributed to Chares of Lindos, it intellectually. “I want the viewer to enjoy the act of draw-
was erected on the Greek island/city of Rhodes in ing and the pleasure and complexity of that process,” says
220 B.C. to commemorate the city’s victory following Shaefer. “Hopefully, once they’re engaged in the process,
a two-year siege. they can then step back and become involved in the some-
In 1883, Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet “The times subtle meaning of the imagery before them.”
New Colossus” to raise money for the pedestal
of the Statue of Liberty. The poem would later be John A. Parks is a painter, a writer and a member of the faculty
inscribed on a bronze plaque inside the pedestal. of the School of Visual Arts, in New York City.
In contrast to the Colossus of Rhodes, which
celebrated keeping invaders out of Rhodes, Lazarus’
poem invites people from other lands into the
United States, offering hope for a new and promising
start in life.
Colossus of
Rhodes (1911;
from The Book of
Knowledge, The
Grolier Society)
WIKIMEDIA
COMMONS; PD-ART
MEET THE ARTIST

Rick Shaefer studied at Duke University, in Durham, N.C., and
the Art Center: College of Design, in Pasadena, Calif. Seeking
richer educational opportunities, he interrupted those studies
to immerse himself in the art worlds of London and New York
The New Colossus City. He received a B.A. from the University of Maryland while
living in Europe. Shaefer built a 12-year fashion-photography
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, career in New York before going back to painting and drawing.
With conquering limbs astride from land to land; He has twice received a Pollack-Krasner Foundation Grant and
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand has exhibited his work widely in the United States at venues
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame that include the Drawing Center, in Manhatten; the Plattsburgh
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name State Art Museum, SUNY Plattsburgh; the Aldrich Contemporary
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Art Museum, in Ridgefield, Conn.; the Bellamine Museum
glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command at Fairfield University Art Museum), Fairfield Conn.; and the
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. Haggarty Museum of Art at Marquette University, in Milwaukee,
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she Wis. His work is also part of many notable collections, including
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies Program,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, Microsoft, American Express, Prudential and Court Square
the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Capital Partners, as well as many private collections. Shaefer’s
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, work is represented by Sears Peyton Gallery, in New York City.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
LEARN MORE ABOUT SHAEFER AT RICKSHAEFER.COM.
—EMMA LAZARUS FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @RICKSHAEFER.
Lining Up
Photographs of her clients’ life-shaping memories provide subject matter

and inspiration for SARAH CREASMAN’s mixed-media painitngs.
by Ruth Rodgers

any artists avoid taking commissions, pre- cherished family event, this artist is ABOVE
M
ferring to sidestep the potential limitations happy to take on the challenge. Oletta (acrylic and
mixed media on
on artistic freedom and the challenges of Creasman has developed a unique
canvas, 36x36)
pleasing clients, but not Dallas artist Sarah process that begins with a photo and
Creasman. “Throughout my career, I’ve been ends with a work of mixed media. OPPOSITE
fortunate to have a steady flow of commissioned painting Her intent is to capture not just Tucky (acrylic and
projects alongside my personal portfolio development, the image but the meaning of the mixed media on
canvas, 24x36)
and I really enjoy doing them,” she says. “I love that people moment in ways that transcend the
want original art hanging in their homes, and I learn photograph. The artist is fascinated
something with every commissioned painting I do. I get with the phenomenon of memory.
to practice my skills while creating heirlooms for people. “Memories shape so much of how
I think that’s really special.” Whether clients are seeking we perceive the present,” she says.
a painting of their home, pet, child, beloved ancestor or “I think we fabricate our memories
to an extent. I’m interested in how a
two-dimensional representation, like
a photo or a painting, can symbolize
a memory—even if that memory isn’t
entirely accurate. My goal is to create
a manufactured image of a memory.”
When clients commission ren-
derings of their homes, Creasman
completes them skillfully, but she
most enjoys the challenge of portrait
commissions. “People are so much
more difficult for me to paint,” she
confides. “There’s a quality in a por-
trait that must be captured for it to be
successful; it’s really hit or miss. I find
I have a lot more room to fix mis-
takes in landscapes and architectural
images.” To ensure success, she first
develops vision boards with potential
clients, exploring the selection of
the photo reference, ideas for back-
grounds, size, materials and overall
concept. As she creates the piece, she
takes photos of the work in progress
and shares them with the client via
email to ensure that they agree on the
direction of the painting.
CONNECTING THE
PAST & PRESENT ABOVE
Creasman typically simplifies or Anna and Sarah
(acrylic and mixed
replaces the backgrounds of origi- media on canvas,
nal vintage photos, often inserting 20x20)
objects or scenes from contempo-
rary life. She does this to amplify LEFT
a “past vs. present” theme. Tucky Baby Coco (acrylic
and mixed media on
(page 40) is one such example of paper, 10x8)
her pastiche approach, in which
she crops and simplifies the orig- OPPOSITE
inal photo, then adds background Mom and Sarah
(acrylic and mixed
elements that complete the design. media on canvas,
She likes to include objects with 24x36)
personal meaning. Up close, a few
wrinkles and cracks across the
figures suggest the patina of aged
photographs, but the painted scene
is timeless. The work for Oletta
(page 41) began with a photo of an
elegantly dressed woman, smiling
pleasantly. The Cubist leanings of
the background art provide a vivid
contrast to the foreground figure,
perhaps a comment on the evolution
of the depiction of the female form.
Creasman’s desire to juxtapose past
and present is clear.

In contrast to other artists who may strive to obscure “I’m attracted to
their use of photo references, Creasman emphasizes
the relationship between the subject and the person paintings that rely on
who clicked the shutter, thereby strengthening the con-
nection between subject and viewer. Children playing line as a framework
dress-up pose gleefully for the camera in Anna and Sarah
(opposite top). A toddler proudly models her finery in for the piece.”
front of the lens in Baby Coco (opposite bottom). In Mom — SA R A H C R E AS M A N
and Sarah (below), a mother cradles an infant in a tender
but casual moment—capturing a slice of family life. In
addition to the more obviously posed shots, Creasman
also paints women captured in their unscripted, pri-
vate moments. Rebecca 2 and Teresa 2 (both on page
44), depict quiet, meditative subjects looking inward.
Other works, such as Maternity 1
and Maternity 2 (both opposite)
illustrate the bonds between gener-
ations as women become mothers
and grandmothers.
INTUITIVE DESIGN
Whatever she’s creating, Creasman
utilizes both drawing and paint-
ing. Her process is intuitive; she
makes neither thumbnail sketches
nor color studies before jumping
into the design. She begins every
painting with an all-over wash, in
accordance with her studies as an
art student. “I remember a profes-
sor recommending this to relieve
the anxiety of all that blank white
space,” she says. “I typically opt for
a bright color as an underpainting.
Then, I block in big shapes and
negative spaces while also adding
a sketch as a framework.” When
painting a flower, for example,
Creasman will draw an outline of
the subject with a paint pen before
applying acrylic color. She allows
some of the linework to remain vis-
ible and will sometimes add more
lines throughout the process for
additional emphasis.
Through experimentation,
Creasman has found that work-
ing with mixed media offers her
the flexibility she needs to best
express her vision. “I’m attracted
to paintings that rely on line as
a framework for the piece,” she
says. “I use graphite, colored
pencil, markers, paint pens and
charcoal—in addition to acrylic
paint—throughout the process. It
gives my work a fresh quality, and
I like to see hints of the underlying
process in my finished pieces.”
TOP LEFT
Rebecca 2 (acrylic
and mixed media on
canvas, 24x24)
BOTTOM LEFT
Teresa 2 (acrylic and
mixed media on
canvas, 24x24)

TOP LEFT
Maternity 1
(acrylic and mixed
media on canvas,
24x36)
BOTTOM LEFT
Maternity 2
(acrylic and mixed
media on canvas,
24x36)
“I’ve always houseplants pop against a neutral holds our interest, making this much
loved looking at view. It’s a simple composition—just
three potted plants in a row—but
more than just a depiction of a vase of
flowers on a table.
old photographs the lively linework brings vitality to
the scene, just as real plants enliven
MEMORY MAKER
of my family a drab interior.
In Studio Roses (opposite), the cal- One of Creasman’s creative pleasures
and my ligraphy of line is present in the deep
red blooms. The varied shapes of the
is trawling through photo albums for
inspiration. “I’ve always loved looking
childhood.” leaves add interest to the scene, as does
the scribbled doodle on the thickly
at old photographs of my family and
my childhood,” she says. “As a woman,
— SA R A H C R E AS M A N painted wall in the background. Upon I’m naturally drawn to the images of
close inspection, we can make out a my female relatives. It’s my hope that
house with a heart on its front door, these paintings appear not only as
The artist is also skilled in the use an archway, perhaps a tree trunk and portraits, but also as documentation.
of digital programs. “I went through several pennant flags. Viewers are left I want them to have the familiarity of
a digital drawing phase when I first to wonder what these images might a photo album with a filmlike quality.”
discovered programs like Adobe represent. Like the set of a movie, this The “films” that her paintings conjure
Sketch/Draw/Illustrate. I really enjoy background suggests a deeper narrative are accounts of happy times. In every
the ease of creating digital works, and invites us to parse the embedded image, the women and children are
and the quick decisions in digital memories or feelings. A careful review integrated into their homes and
programs,” she says. Indeed, some of of the image reveals other intriguing their families.
the artist’s more experimental works touches: the baseboard is detailed Creasman’s desire to cherish
combine digital photo collage and on the right but not on the left of these relationships may be, in part,
line drawings. the painting; the colors change from a response to her career as a family
Creasman brings this same line a neutral gray on the left to a more pig- law attorney with a focus on domestic
and color-shape approach to still mented pink and peach on the right. abuse cases. Although she has since
life, creating images that are full of Is time passing, with its shift of light? moved into a different line of work,
verve. In Spruce Street (below), for Is this a memory, with some parts for a nonprofit, the artist has seen her
example, the fresh greens of common crisp but others hazy? Such ambiguity share of challenging family situations.
It’s not surprising, then, that she turns
to art, which she studied in college—
before pivoting to law school—as a way
to immerse herself in happier stories.
Although Creasman doesn’t
identify herself as a full-time artist
at present (“But wouldn’t that be
great?” she says with a laugh), she
does have artistic goals that speak
to her fascination with art as family
memory-keeping. “I’d like to focus on
completing a cohesive body of work.
I have a young daughter, and she has
a little easel next to mine. I want her
to grow up seeing me create paintings
for people and practicing my ‘hobby’
LEFT
Spruce Street
(acrylic and mixed
media on canvas,
11x14)
OPPOSITE
Studio Roses
(acrylic and mixed
media on hardbord,
14x11)

PHOTO BY RYAN ESCOBAR
MEET THE ARTIST
Sarah Creasman
(sarahcreasman.com and
Instagram: @sarahcreasmanart)
has been painting for as long
as she can remember. She
graduated with a BFA from
the University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville, in 2009. Although
she went on to become an
attorney, she still makes art
daily—both in the form of
commissioned work and as
a hobby. The artist’s personal
work focuses on domestic
interiors and domestic
narratives. Her paintings have
recently been featured in The
World of Interiors magazine,
Create! Magazine and The
Scout Guide.
seriously. I paint a lot of pictures of her, and I’d like to keep memories, those emotions, those
documenting her childhood this way.” relationships. In an age when people’s
When asked what advice she would give an artist just lives are instantly and endlessly doc-
starting out, she replies simply: “I would tell beginning umented through digital means, this
artists to find subject matter that interests them and artist’s intense focus on bringing new
create the work they would like to see created.” Creasman life to old images is refreshing.
has obviously followed her own advice. With her vivid
paintings and contemporary approach, she revitalizes the Ruth Rodgers (ruthrodgers.com) paints
aging, yellowing, crumbling photos fading away in dusty in oils and pastels and enjoys writing
old albums. She helps families rescue and rekindle those about art and artists.
48
THE POWER
OF THE
Artists Magazine July/August 2022
PEN
Alphonso Dunn
excels in a variety of
art media, but he
takes particular
pleasure in working
with pen-and-ink.
by Allison Malafronte
t’s not every day that someone trained for the

medical field decides instead to pursue fine art
as a profession, but this was the unexpected
path for Jamaica-born, New Jersey-based artist
Alphonso Dunn. Today the artist is well known
for his dynamic work in pen-and-ink, charcoal,
watercolor and mixed-media, and the days
when science and art competed for his singular
focus are a distant memory. “For as long as
I can remember, I was a kid who loved science
and math—and loved to draw,” Dunn says.
“Juggling all three felt as natural as walking, so
I never thought I’d have to choose.” As he grew
older, however, he realized he’d need to decide
how he wanted to make his living—what to pursue as a
full-time profession—so he entered college with the intent
OPPOSITE to study medicine. “By the end of college, I knew it wasn’t
Stan (ink on mixed-media
for me,” he says, “and I promised myself I’d explore oppor-
paper, 8x6)
tunities to study drawing before pursuing anything else
ABOVE LEFT in science.” It wasn’t long before the artist found his way
Portrait Study II (ink on to the New York Academy of Art (NYAA). “I never looked
mixed-media paper, 7x5) back,” he says.
ABOVE RIGHT Dunn earned an MFA in drawing from NYAA and credits
Profile Study (ink on the academy for giving him the tools he needed to improve
mixed-media paper, 7x5) his craft. He also acknowledges its role in preparing him
“IN MY WORK,
for the life of a professional artist— he exhibited a natural propensity CREATING IN BLACK
with training that has helped him for drawing and was sketching and
develop a definitive body of work and doodling whenever and wherever he
AND WHITE ENABLES
make a success of the business end of could. Even in college, while studying THE BEAUTY AND
art-making. the laws of chemistry, he was also
working on an instructional figure- PRIMAL QUALITY
THE ARTS & SCIENCES drawing book. OF LINE TO TAKE
Rather than leave behind his aptitude For Dunn, line is the most primal
for science altogether, Dunn now finds of all the visual elements and possibly PRECEDENCE.”
his two greatest interests intersecting the most ubiquitous. “The range of —A L P H O N SO D U N N
in his depictions of people, flora and
fauna, and other natural elements.
“Science and art have always been
complementary siblings in my mind,”
he says, “and this made it easier to
appreciate the science of art and the
art of science.” He considers himself
fortunate in that his fondness for
science and math made the study of
anatomy and geometry, proportions
and linear perspective—subjects that
other drawing students often find
daunting—much less intimidating.
“I learned early that the structure of
scientific principles liberates creative
thinking,” Dunn says. “Once they’re
learned and become second nature,
we’re free to manipulate the variables
however we choose.”
The artist observes that, even today,
his approach for developing his craft
and creative processes is linked to
scientific disciplines. “I’ve adapted a
problem-solving approach in my work
that’s much like the scientific method,”
Dunn says. “Generally, I start out by
using questions to explore the issues
or problems I’m confronted with. Next,
I research the subject, study artists,
methods and techniques, and gather
information to help develop my own
ideas and possible responses. From
there it’s a matter of testing, experi-
menting and practicing endlessly.”
The final step involves analysis.
“Reflection is last,” he says. “I take
what’s useful and apply what I’ve
learned or restart the process. It
sounds more systematic than it really
is; in practice, the whole process is
fluid and seamless.”
DRAWING THE LINE

Dunn was drawn to the power of line Portrait Study III
long before he began his formal art (ink on mixed-media
training. As a child and adolescent, paper, 7x5)

Setting Pen
to Paper
When creating his pen-and-ink drawings,
whether studies or finished works,
Dunn has three major stages to his
process: preparation, underdrawing
and inking. “The prep stage generally
involves determining what the subject will
be, as well as the lighting, the position
and so on,” he explains. “I sometimes
complete a series of quick sketches and
thumbnails to get a sense of a subject’s
proportions, structure, value pattern and
general composition. Then, after decidin
on a final reference, I experiment with
rendering techniques using d erent line
properties—such as stroke variations,
weight, spacing and direction.” ABOVE
Next is the pencil underdrawin I made these preparatory sketches and
studies for Skull VI (below) to establish
of the composition, which value patterns, work out details,
provides a guide for the ink experiment with rendering techniques and
application that will follow. clarify the structure of the skull.
Sometimes Dunn jots down
notes, reminders or steps to
follow. He may even create
tiny thumbnail sketchees
next to the actual drawin
to serve as a reference
for shading, structurar l
features, the treatmen nt
of specific det ills and the
design. “The goal is to
provide all the necess ary
information so that the
inking process is as fluid
as possible,” h sayys. He’s
careful to make the drawing with
a medium-grade pencil, so the
lines aren’t too dark or too lightt
and are easily erasable.
Dunn’s final step is the inking
stage, which generally includes
three phases. “ The first is creating
ABOVE
the initial separation of light and Skull IV (ink on
shadow,” he says. “The second is mixed-media
deciphering the subtle gradations as paper, 8x5)
the shadow borders are rendered.
RIGHT
I then deepen the shadows where
Skull VI (ink on
necessary, and the superficial details mixed-media
are added last.” paper, 6x8)
At this point, the artist does a gentle
cleanup of the pencil underdrawing,
and the drawing is complete.
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT
Hand Study III
(ballpoint pen on
mixed-media paper,
7x5)
Hand Study 1
(ink on mixed-media
paper, 7x5)
creative potential within its inher- shape, form and even mass. It’s this
Hand Study IX ent properties, aesthetic qualities multi-dimensional character that
(ink on mixed-media and expressive applications are just makes line so powerful and so instru-
paper, 7x5) inexhaustible,” he says. “With the mental in my creative process and
Hand Study VII exception of color, all the other the overall development of my craft.
(ink on mixed-media elements of art can be conveyed Drawing with line essentially taught
paper, 5x7) through line: texture, value, space, me how to see.”

Foot Study I (ink
on mixed-media
TOOLS FOR
paper, 7x5) PEN-AND-INK
Pen-and-ink doesn’t
require much investment
to get started. “It can be
a relatively simple and
inexpensive medium,”
Dunn says. “You really
only need pen and paper
to get going. Of course,
as with any medium,
there are various options
to expand your arsenal.”
The following list details
the artist’s preferred
supplies:
Pens: Sakura Pigma
microns, Copic multi-
liners, Bic ballpoints
“DRAWING WITH Brush Pens: Tombow
LINE ESSENTIALLY hard and soft brush
pens, Pentel brush pen
TAUGHT ME
Dip Pens: Tachikawa
HOW TO SEE.” pen holder and custom-
—A L P H O N S O D U N N made pen holders
used with the following
nibs: Hunt 102 and 104,
Speedball B6 and Zebra
Comic G model
Ink: Higgins pigmented
ink and Dr. Ph. Martin’s
India ink
Pencils: HB/B medium-
grade (“not too hard, not
too soft”)
Surface: Canson mixed-
media paper, Strathmore
mixed-media paper,
cold-pressed and hot-
pressed watercolor
Although Dunn also creates with allows students to focus on developing paper, Bristol board
watercolor and mixed media (see Red- proficiency with essential elements
Eyed Tree Frog, page 54), he finds a such as value structure and tone, Erasers: kneaded,
striking black-and-white image offers which are fundamental to a drawing’s plastic and retractable
the most visual impact. As a popular composition and design,” Dunn says.
instructor who has taught thousands “In my work, creating in black and
of students through in-person classes white enables the beauty and primal
and workshops, as well as a YouTube quality of line to take precedence.”
channel that has more than 750,000 The absence of color is a deliberate
subscribers, he helps artists grasp the choice that directs the artist’s means
graphic nature of creating the illusion of expression. “Color is beautiful and
of three dimensions before introduc- has its place,” he says, “but line and
ing the complexity of color. “Working tone speak to a need for us to center
in black and white, or gray scale, ourselves and quiet the noise.”
“COLOR IS BEAUTIFUL AND
HAS ITS PLACE, BUT LINE AND
TONE SPEAK TO A NEED WE
HAVE TO CENTER OURSELVES
AND QUIET THE NOISE.”
—A L P H O N SO D U N N
THE MIGHTY PEN

Dunn keeps an array of drawing
materials at his disposal. He thor-
oughly enjoys the versatility and
forgiving nature of graphite and the
beauty and softness of charcoal, but if
he’s forced to pick a favorite, it’s pen-
and-ink, hands down. “You can do
so much with it,” he says, and adds
that, even now, he feels as though
he has only begun to scratch the
TOP TO BOTTOM surface. “I use ink for just about any
Frog Study II (ink on
mixed-media paper,
subject—still life, textures, portraits,
4x4) urban-sketching, even figure studies.
“I often tell my students that,
Red-Eyed Tree ironically, the thing that makes pen-
Frog II (watercolor and-ink intimidating—the fact that
and ink on hot-
pressed paper, it’s indelible—is the very thing that
5x6½) also makes it one of the most liber-
ating forms of expression.” While
Owl Study II (ink it’s true that the marks of a pen are
on mixed-media
paper, 4x3)
permanent, Dunn argues that by
shifting our perspective a bit, we begin
to understand that this is exactly the
quality that can free us from the fear
of making mistakes. “With graphite
or charcoal, you’re always tempted to
erase because you can,” he says. “Using
ink removes that option, so you have
no choice but to move on. Once you’ve
embraced this, you’re set on a new
path of confidence.”

Go Online for More!
Dunn suggests keeping two sketchbooks going at once. Use one for planned drawings—your
drawings that are more polished and finished, like his Drawing of a Greater Kudu, below,
done in ink in a 7x5½-inch Moleskine sketchbook. “Keep a second sketchbook for everything
else—your doodles, notes and experiments,” he says. “The other sketchbook is not for
‘perfect;’ it’s for progress.” To see all seven of the artist’s tips for encouraging a daily drawing
practice, visit: artistsnetwork.com/go/drawing-routine.
MEET THE ARTIST

Alphonso Dunn, of New
Jersey, was born in
Jamaica and migrated to
the United States at age
17. Although he initially
set out to make a career
in medicine, earning a
degree in Applied Chemistry
from William Paterson
University, an enduring
passion for drawing led him
Dunn notes that pen-and-ink serve multiple purposes: It can capture to the New York Academy
drawing allows for a type of trans- visual characteristics such as shape, of Art, where he earned an
parency that’s distinct from other value and texture, or it can be purely MFA. The award-winning
drawing media. “Through its perma- aesthetic or extremely expressive—or artist is also a popular art
nence and linear nature, every mark all of that at once. “It’s the acknowl- instructor, widely known
is frozen in time, which allows us to edgment of all these potentialities for his lessons on YouTube
gain insight into our own process,” that pulls me back to being more and two instructional books
he says. “I’ve learned so much from thoughtful and engaging more pur- from Three Minds Press: Pen
studying the ink drawings of great posefully with the subject and the & Ink Drawing: A Simple
artists to see how they conceptualized creative process,” Dunn explains. “So, Guide and Pen & Ink Drawing
form, how they conveyed mass and while working on a portrait—if I’m Workbook.
volume, and how they rendered the using strokes to capture the texture of
effects of light. Charcoal and graphite eyebrows—I must also think about its
often hide the hand of the artist, but value and the rhythm of the flow of VISIT THE ARTIST’S WEBSITE AT
ink lays each and every stroke bare for the hair, as well as how it accentuates ALPHONSODUNN.COM AND
WATCH HIS TUTORIALS ONLINE AT
all to see.” the personality or mood of the sub- YOUTUBE.COM/ALPHONSODUNN.
ject. All of this is conveyed with and
MAKING EVERY MARK COUNT through the power of lines.”
With every subject he renders, Dunn
remains mindful of how incredibly Allison Malafronte is a fine arts and
communicative line can be. He knows design writer based in the greater New
from experience that each mark can York City area.
Poetry
IN
Paint
JILL BARTHORPE EXPLORES HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIPS
OF COLOR, LINE AND SHAPE TO CREATE LYRICAL WORKS IN OIL.
by Tim Saunders

Different shapes and colors of fruit and flowers form the THE MAKING
basis of Jill Barthorpe’s still lifes. “I like painting flowers OF A STILL LIFE
because they aren’t passive and they’re not still,” she says. A tabletop full of quinces is the subject
“They move around, and the light changes, making every- of one of Barthorpe’s recent paintings,
thing look different, so you’re forced to really observe Quinces With Bramble, (opposite). “It’s
them and to get to know them.” As an artist with a studio full of wonderful yellows and greens
in her cozy Lincolnshire home, deep in the English coun- on a mirrored tabletop,” she says. “The
tryside, she compares that focused attention to the way quinces are an incredible color. They
an artist gains intimacy or connection with landscapes— reflect so much light.” She goes on to
another subject she enjoys painting. explain her handling of color: “I try to
Although Barthorpe doesn’t work with the buyer in keep things on either a cool or a hot OPPOSITE
mind, her representational work resonates with viewers. scale and to use a very restricted Quinces With
She hopes, however, to take viewers a bit further—into palette. That way it’s much easier to Bramble (oil on
an appreciation of light and form and other aspects achieve harmony, so you don’t get canvas, 20x30)
of composition and design. “I think there’s a lot of confused with too much color.” BELOW
communication in painting,” she says. “It’s not always The artist likes to select objects Blue Road (oil on
a conscious thing.” for her setups that she finds around canvas, 20x28)
her—things that are familiar. “We have a quince tree the same thing with her still life set- Apples With Ivy (oil
that’s very prolific, and we have apple trees,” she says ups, marking the edges (see Mapping on canvas, 14x18)
(See Apples With Ivy, above, and Red With Purple Stripe, the Picture, opposite).
page 60). Brambles also make frequent appearances in her Having established the boundaries,
still lifes. As common as the elements in her setups may the artist creates a compositional
be, however, her compositions are anything but prosaic. brush drawing on the canvas. These
In fact, Barthorpe compares them to poetry. “I constantly marks are her way of taking notes.
pare down the elements until I have something that might
barely hang together but, seen as a whole, will convey
INSPIRING
reality,” she says. “Being selective, I try to include only
elements that create the drama. One piece of color can
describe light, texture and a position in space. The chal-
lenge is to find those elusive elements and stitch them FOREBEARS
together. It’s purely about the colors, the lines, the shapes, Fascinated by the light and power of the oil sketches
the balance and the harmony between them.” of John Constable (English, 1776–1837), Barthorpe
Barthorpe works with the still life setup in front of her, keeps a small book of his outdoor studies in her
making adjustments along the way, as needed. “I might studio. She’s also drawn to the everyday subject
start painting and think things need to be moved a couple matter of Paul Cezanne (French, 1839–1906). “He had
of inches or decide to add or take things away,” she says. the ability to create wonderful drama with apples
“It’s all so changeable, and you don’t have to be stuck with and a jug,” she says. Barthorpe also finds herself
what you’ve got in front of you. You can change the scale if returning to works by Georges Braque (French, 1882–
it isn’t quite right.” 1963) again and again, especially his tabletop still
Each blank canvas is treated in the same manner. “To lifes. “The reality he creates seems to hang together
begin, I square up by making lines from corner to corner,” only by a thread but is intensely powerful,” she says.
says Barthorpe. “I’ll find the center of the surface, the
dynamics of the canvas.” Then, using a plumb line, she’ll do

Mapping
the Picture
Before starting a painting, Barthorpe
marks key points on her canvas, then
does the same with her still life setup
by drawing marks on the tabletop,
backdrop and even the objects
themselves. She may move the objects
as she progresses through the painting
process, but the marks establish
boundaries and provide other guides or
notes. Some of the marks on the canvas
remain visible on the finished work.
The guide marks seen in Barthorpe’s

setup (left) assisted in the development
of her painting Two Pots With Ivy
(below; oil on canvas, 14x18)
“Usually I draw with a mixture of blue-
black and cadmium yellow pale,” she
says. “Most of the lines get lost behind
color, but the bits I need tend to sur-
face. These become points of emphasis,
giving structure and movement.”
A medium-sized painting takes
about three weeks to complete.
Barthorpe finds that if she works on
a painting too long, she may need to
scrape paint off to keep it from becom-
ing too thick, which can exhaust the
canvas. Each completed work tends to
nudge her toward the next one. “I try
to follow the lead of the previous paint-
ing and see what ideas it has sparked,”
she says. “Sometimes it’s just about
color, such as the particular lemon yel-
low that I’m a bit obsessed with at the
moment. If I’ve been painting a lot of
green, I might want to change that and
paint a white still life or a very dark
one. Other times, it can be about the
size or proportions of the canvas.”
ABOVE
Red With Purple
Stripe (oil on
canvas, 12x16)
RIGHT
Red Tulips (oil on
canvas, 14x20)

Celery and Roses
(oil on canvas,
20x16)
MY MATERIALS
SURFACE: I stretch cotton duck canvas over
wood stretcher bars. Once I have the tension
I like, I size the surface with two coats of
rabbitskin glue. Then I apply an oil painting
ground, sometimes adding an oil ground
color—usually Indian red. I prepare several
surfaces at a time, so I always have a stack of
prepared canvases.
When I’m ready to begin a painting, I’ll
decide on the shape and size of the canvas
I want and square it up, using standard
rectangles (2x3, 3x4 or 4x6 feet). Square
canvases are the most difficult because they
don’t have the directional tug of a rectangle to
counter. If an old canvas is in good condition,
I’ll paint over the top of the picture.
PAINT: I’ve used Winsor & Newton Artists’

Oil Colour since I was in college, so I know
exactly what the colors are going to do—their
viscosity and transparency. My basic palette
is titanium white, cadmium yellow pale,
cadmium red, alizarin crimson and French
ultramarine. My secondary palette consists
of cadmium lemon, cadmium yellow deep,
cadmium orange, yellow ochre, burnt sienna,
viridian, cadmium green, cerulean, cobalt
DISCIPLINED ROUTINE blue, Prussian blue and blue-black. I add
Barthorpe finds that a daily schedule keeps her on a pro- other colors depending on the painting. I’ve
ductive track. “I get up early and go for a long walk with discovered geranium lake and have enjoyed
my dog,” she says. “By 9 a.m. I’m working, and I paint until finding a use for it, and I also use Old Holland
lunchtime. I then think about what I’ve done and go on to cadmium orange.
paint into the afternoon as long as it’s light enough. I paint For mixtures, I combine two or three main
as much as I can during the day and only work with natural colors, using a palette knife. To test the result, I
light, so that dictates my working hours.” With longer day- put a dab of color on the canvas with my finger.
light hours in the summer she’ll paint until she’s either too
tired or has run out of ideas. BRUSHES: I use an expensive long-handled
The artist admits that she works faster during the win- Russian black-sable brush for drawing, and
ter. “The shorter, more concentrated hours force me to I go through about three of these within
work a bit harder,” says Barthorpe. “There’s an urgency, a year. For the rest of my work, I use long
which isn’t altogether unwelcome.” hog-hair brushes.
Barthorpe credits her discipline to her years as a student
at the Slade School of Fine Art, at the University College, FRAMING: Before sending a work to a framer,
London. Having maintained a routine for so long, she has I apply a single coat of semi-matte varnish.
developed a rhythm to her day. “I know my best painting For special paintings, I use a framer who
hours,” she says. “I just try to work, and if I’m feeling lazy, does gesso hand-painted frames. For most
I use tricks to keep me standing there. I’ll say to myself, of my paintings, though, I use another framer
‘Okay, do one hour and you can go and have another pot of who lives nearby. I’ll ask him to use either
coffee.’ I just work as hard as I can most of the time.” the “dark-frame recipe” or the “pale-frame
Deadlines are effective motivators for longer-term goals. recipe,” depending on the work.
“They force you to get on with stuff,” says Barthorpe.
“I know what exhibitions are coming up, and I have a few gal- —JILL BARTHORPE
leries that take work all the time. I focus on the painting I’m
creating at the moment and make it the best one I can.”
ABOVE
South From the
Lodge (oil on canvas,
16x32)
RIGHT
Stonygate Lane
West (oil on canvas,
8x12)

MEET THE ARTIST
After graduating with a 2:1 B.A. Honors degree in fine art
from the Slade School of Fine Art, at the University College,
London, English artist Barthorpe won a private scholarship
enabling her to live and paint in rural France for a year. The
award allowed her time to paint alone without financial
worries and has introduced many opportunities since.
She would return to France four months a year for the
next several years. Her paintings are often selected for
Critic’s Choice exhibitions and sold through Christie’s
contemporary art sales. This year, Barthorpe is exhibiting
her work at Principle Gallery, in Charleston, S.C.; and,
in the United Kingdom, at Nadia Waterfield Fine Art,
in Andover; British Art Portfolio, in Northampton;
Gallerytop, in Derbyshire; and Cobbold & Judd Modern
& Contemporary Art, in Colchester.
VISIT THE ARTIST’S WEBSITE AT

JILLBARTHORPE.CO.UK.
STEPPING OUTSIDE I also like the time in the fall when the fields have been
Painting landscapes requires a different sort of discipline harvested. You have that almost white stubble on a bright
from that of painting still lifes—and the creative process is day, and the hedges are very dark because they’re losing all
more varied. “Ideally, I work en plein air, but it depends on their color. It’s a definite change—a landscape of contrast,
what I’m painting,” says Barthorpe. “I make lots of draw- which, in a way, makes it easier to see.”
ings.” She credits oil sketches for helping her get to know
an area incredibly well. “It’s amazing what you absorb LOOKING AHEAD
when you look at the same thing every day as you walk In the coming months Barthorpe wants to explore new
around a landscape,” she says. ideas. “I feel excited. The pandemic lockdown helped me
Photographs can also be helpful, but to a limited degree. focus on the reason I’m painting—what it is about the pro-
“When a scene is too big, I use a camera and put the cess that’s important to me,” she says. “When I feel excited
photographs together or chop them up to use as a visual about what I’ve painted, I feel successful. It doesn’t always
reference. I do very much enjoy the movement and changes work, but sometimes I can just look at a line or a piece of
of things, so I try not to rely on photographs. I find draw- color and think, ‘That absolutely nailed it.’ It’s difficult
ings a much more accurate means of recollection. I make when you’re your own audience and critic, which I think is
notes, including color notes, so when I’m painting land- one of the most challenging aspects of painting.”
scapes, I draw from a huge amount of resources.”
Atmospheric conditions and seasonal weather inspire Tim Saunders is a journalist based in the United Kingdom.
the artist. “Fog is just amazing,” says Barthorpe. “It’s thrill- To listen to his podcast interviews with artists, go to
ing to see the hedges starting to change through the fog. anchor.fm/creative-coverage.
The
WOMAN
WHITE in
The story of Joanna Hiffernan, the muse behind James McNeill Whistler’s
famous painting, has inspired a new book and a major museum exhibition.
by Cynthia Close
he artist-model relation- fruits of their creative partnership is currently the focus of

ship is often profound a major exhibition, The Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan
and always complex. and James McNeill Whistler, organized by the Royal
Exploring these part- Academy of Arts, in London, and the National Gallery
nerships can yield of Art, in Washington, D.C., and is also the subject of an
surprising revelations accompanying book of the same name.
about artists’ personal
lives and creative moti-
vations. In the case of ETCHING OUT A LIVING
American-born artist Whistler, who was born in 1834, in Lowell, Mass., to a
James McNeill Whistler reasonably well-off family, was generally a sickly child and
(1834–1903), there were a lackluster student in every subject except art. When his
two women who played father died, it was his mother who indulged his artistic
dominant roles in his life inclinations. Eventually, in 1855, his talent—combined
and in his oeuvre. with a strong antiauthoritarian mindset—led the young
The first was Anna McNeill Whistler (1804–81), the man to Paris to study art. There, he adopted a bohemian
artist’s mother and his model for the now iconic 1871 lifestyle and never returned to the United States.
work, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, more commonly Whistler struggled with debt and poor health, which
known as Whistler’s Mother (page 66). The other figure was only exacerbated by his excessive smoking and
was the artist’s mistress and business partner, Joanna drinking. The artist’s facility for drawing from life and
Hiffernan (1839–86). The striking, red-haired model—who his superior skills in etching, however, frequently res-
became an enduring and reliable muse—was a subject of cued him from financial ruin. To raise funds, he would
interest among artists and art critics throughout Whistler’s periodically produce a thematic series of prints, which
career, and she continues to inspire investigation. The were affordable for the middle-class buyer and proved

“A painting
is an
arrangement
of line, form,
and color.”
—JA M E S M C N E I L L
W H I ST L E R
Symphony in White,
No. 1: The White
Girl (1862; oil on
canvas, 83⅞x42½)
by James McNeill
Whistler
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART,
WASHINGTON., D.C.
HARRIS WHITTEMORE
COLLECTION
to be quite popular. His dynamic 1859 etching, Black a plate that’s prepared with a thin ground and then placed
Lion Wharf (opposite), from A Series of Sixteen Etchings in an acid bath to carve out incised lines—as well as
of Scenes on the Thames and Other Subjects, also known drypoint techniques, which require drawing directly on
as the Thames Set, is one such example. Incidentally, a copper plate. The artist’s confidence as a draftsman—
Whistler would reproduce this etching on the wall behind which was reinforced by his practice of drawing every
his mother in his famous portrait. night before going to bed, often by lamplight—made him
A catalogue raisonné of Whistler’s etchings has been well-suited to these printmaking forms.
assembled by Margaret F. MacDonald, a professor of art
history in the School of Creative Arts, at the University
of Glasgow, and a leading authority on the artist’s work. MODEL AND MUSE
(View the etchings at etchings.arts.gla.ac.uk/exhibition.) The Woman in White exhibition was curated by MacDonald,
Although Whistler was familiar with the relatively new in collaboration with Ann Dumas, curator at the Royal
medium of photography and experimented with the art Academy of Arts, London, and a consultant curator at the
form, he relied on sketches from life as the basis for his Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and Charles Brock, asso-
prints. The artist used etching techniques—working on ciate curator in the department of American and British

ABOVE
Black Lion Wharf
from A Series of
Sixteen Etchings of paintings at the National Gallery of
Scenes on the Art, in Washington.
Thames and Other
Subjects (1859;
In a recent interview, MacDonald
etching, 6x9 plate) recalled the awakening of her interest
by James McNeill in Whistler, which evolved into a life-
Whistler long passion. “I was getting a teaching
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM
OF ART, NEW YORK CITY.
diploma and I hadn’t planned to study
GIFT OF SUSAN DWIGHT the artist,” she says. “It all started
BLISS, 1967
with his letters. Then, when I went
RIGHT to the Frick and saw his paintings
Jo (1861; drypoint and his merging of colors, I found
on laid paper, 9x6) the work so beautiful.” Henry Clay
by James McNeill Frick (1849–1919), the founder of the
Whistler
famed collection in New York City,
WASHINGTON., D.C. acquired more works by Whistler—
ROSENWALD COLLECTION including paintings, etchings and
OPPOSITE
pastels—than any other artist.
Arrangement in MacDonald also uncovered a wealth
Grey and Black of information in the rich repository
No. 1: Portrait of of documents held in the Whistler
the Artist’s Mother archive at the Hunterian, the art
(1871; oil on canvas,
56¾x64) by James museum and gallery at the University
McNeill Whistler of Glasgow. She found the artist’s
MUSÉE D’ORSAY, PARIS letters “most revealing,” and was par-
ticularly intrigued by the connection
between Whistler and Hiffernan.
“While he is raving about her beauty,
LEFT
Portrait of Whistler
With Hat (1858; oil
on canvas, 18¼x15)
by James McNeill
Whistler
FREER GALLERY OF ART,
WASHINGTON., D.C.
GIFT OF CHARLES LANG
FREER
OPPOSITE TOP
Symphony in White,
No. 2: The Little
White Girl (1864; oil
on canvas, 30x20)
by James McNeill
Whistler
TATE BRITAIN
OPPOSITE BOTTOM
Symphony in White,
No. 3 (1865–67;
oil on canvas,
20¹⁄₅x30⅓) by James
McNeill Whistler
BARBER INSTITUTE OF FINE
ARTS, BIRMINGHAM
he is also searching for something in that face,” McDonald color; and two, that black is fundamental to creating tonal
says. It was that searching, perhaps never resolved, that harmony. The Impressionists reversed this concept by
drove Whistler to produce an extensive body of work— putting color front and center, nearly obliterating line and
paintings, etchings and drawings—featuring the model and form for the sake of atmosphere and banning black from
muse, which are being shown together for the first time. their palettes. Whistler, by contrast, believed color to be
An 1861 portrait of Hiffernan, entitled Jo (page 67), “a vice.” He greatly admired Rembrandt, and Whistler’s
done in drypoint, was made early in their relationship. The first self-portrait, Portrait of Whistler With Hat (above),
wild abundance of wavy hair, the strong facial features— painted in 1858, reflects that master’s influence.
particularly the luscious cupid’s bow mouth—project the Whistler also encountered the French painters Gustave
energy and freedom that she inspired. The image has a Courbet (1819–77) and Édouard Manet (1832–83) while
power that far exceeds its diminutive size of 9x6 inches. in Paris, but it was the poet and critic Charles Baudelaire
(1821–67) who seemed to have the greatest impact.
Baudelaire encouraged artists to embrace modernity by
OTHER INFLUENCES confronting the brutality of life and faithfully reproducing
Whistler adhered to two artistic principles throughout his the natural world. With this as inspiration, tonal harmony,
professional career—one, that line is more important than within a very limited palette, became Whistler’s hallmark

SYMPHONY IN WHITE
There was a dark moodiness in Whistler’s personality,
which seems to have been passed down from his mother.
Although this dark ambiance pervaded his early artwork,
the first painting to bring him widespread notoriety
was his 1861 portrait, Symphony in White, No. 1: The
White Girl (page 65). When the piece was rejected by the
London Royal Academy, Whistler exhibited it instead
at a small London gallery using the title, The Woman in
White, evoking the romantic novel by Wilkie Collins,
which was popular at the time. Whistler, however,
denied any connection to the book, saying, “My painting
simply represents a girl dressed in white standing in
front of a white curtain.”
That girl dressed in white, incidentally, was Hiffernan,
whom the artist had just met the year before, and she had
brought a new kind of love and light into Whistler’s life
and painting. Their relationship spanned two decades,
during which time she was both the artist’s mistress and
his primary subject.
THE FACE THAT curtain stands in sharp contrast to
the fierce bearskin rug upon which
LAUNCHED A SERIES the model stands. Much has been
Whistler had a reputation as a demanding taskmaster, written about the possible symbolism
expecting his models to hold difficult poses, often standing of these elements but, due to the fluid
BELOW LEFT
for hours without complaint. While the young Hiffernan nature of culture and history, the Weary (1863;
could comply, Whistler’s aging mother grew tired, which interpretations alter over time. drypoint on
accounts for the comfortably seated pose, with feet resting Symphony in White, No 1: The White Japanese paper,
on a small stool, in her famous portrait. Girl marked a shift in Whistler’s inter- 7¾x5¼) by James
McNeill Whistler
Hiffernan’s dreamy expression in The White Girl appears ests, which led him toward a looser,
almost as enigmatic as that of the Mona Lisa. Sometimes and more abstract painting style WASHINGTON., D.C.
construed as erotic, the expression can also be interpreted with a greater allowance for exper- ROSENWALD COLLECTION
as stoic—a demonstration perhaps of her physical resolve imentation with color, texture and BELOW RIGHT
to stand motionless in service of her partner, patron and form. He’d go on to produce two more Sleeping Woman
lover. When the painting was recently analyzed with X-ray, paintings in the series: Symphony in (ca 1863; chalk and
it revealed that Whistler had initially painted her looking White, No. 2: The Little White Girl, charcoal on cream
wove paper mounted
upward, as though praying. painted in 1864, and Symphony in on paperboard,
Today, The White Girl stands out as a mesmerizing tour White, No. 3 (both on page 69). The 9¹³⁄₁₆x6¹⁵⁄₁₆)
de force of white-on-white painting, but at the time, the latter, painted between 1865 and by James McNeill
work was savaged by the press, rejected by the academy 1867, features Hiffernan reclining on Whistler
and condemned as “bizarre.” The floaty cambric (light- a sofa with another woman seated on WASHINGTON., D.C.
weight cotton or linen) dress against the ethereal white the floor. The unique composition, ROSENWALD COLLECTION

which was admired and copied by
Degas, would be the last painting in
which Hiffernan appears.
DEVOTED &
DEDICATED
All evidence indicates that both
Hiffernan and Whistler’s mother
were devoted to the artist, sup-
porting him through all his mainly
self-inflicted difficulties. In 1870,
Whistler had a brief affair with a
young woman, Louisa Fanny Hanson,
while still living with Hiffernan.
The affair produced a son, Charles
James Whistler Hanson, for whom
Hiffernan would assume the care
and responsibility.
Whistler also had money trou-
bles most of his life, at one point
declaring bankruptcy, in part as the
result of a famous libel suit against
the eminent art critic John Ruskin.
Ruskin had published a particularly
harsh review, and although Whistler
won his case, the controversy soured MORE INTERPRETATIONS
his reputation with the buying public.
The Woman in White exhibition also includes paintings of Joanna Hiffernan by
By the early 1880s, Whistler had
Gustave Courbet (1819–77), including Portrait of Jo: The Beautiful Irish Girl
recovered. To rebuild his reputation,
(1865; oil on canvas, 21¼x25½). Also on view are works by several of Whistler’s
he’d taken on commissioned por-
contemporaries that, like the Symphony series, explore white as a color and theme.
traits, printed a series of etchings,
and prepared exhibitions. Meanwhile,
Hiffernan was living with her sister,
where she nursed Whistler’s son, who
was suffering from a long-term bout
of bronchitis. She herself became See It This
increasingly weak and died on July 3,
1886, at the age of 44.
patient model and faithful friend to
Whistler—and a caring ‘Auntie’ to his Summer
Whistler’s etchings of Hiffernan son.” Beyond that, however, her leg- Following an initial three-
from the 1860s, works such as Weary acy will reside in Whistler’s vision of month run at the Royal
and Sleeping Woman (both opposite), her, and it’s left up to us, the viewers, Academy of Arts, in London,
show her at rest. Viewed now, how- to find her in this work. The Woman in White
ever, the somnolent imagery seems to exhibition travels to the
foreshadow her untimely death. Cynthia Close (cynthiaclose.com) earned National Gallery of Art, in
At the conclusion of her essay in an MFA from Boston University and Washington, D.C., where it
the exhibition catalogue, MacDonald worked in various art-related roles before will be on view from July 3
writes: “What do we really know of becoming a writer and editor. Close would through October 10.
Joanna Hiffernan, the ‘woman in like to thank Margaret F. MacDonald,
white’? Born in Ireland and raised in professor of history of art, at the
poverty, in London, she maintained University of Glasgow, for her assistance
a close relationship with her sisters with this article. To view MacDonald’s
throughout her short life. A red- 2019 Alex Gordon Lecture in the History
haired woman of rare beauty, with of Art, “Whistler’s Art: ‘An Arrangement
a joyous and passionate tempera- in Line, Form & Colour,’ ” visit: frick.org/
ment, she was a capable manager, interact/margaret_macdonald_whistler.
art news Keeping you in the know
BY CYNTHIA CLOSE
The artwork of fast-rising star The Fable,
Raúl de Nieves explores themes which is

composed
of wonder,
of adornment, identity and moves the
more (2021;
transformation. fiberglass,
plastic, cultured
pearls, metal, glass,
glue and resin;
The interdisciplinary multimedia of a toddler, 95x29x65) by
Raúl de Nieves
artist, performer and musician meticulously ACQUIRED THROUGH
Raúl de Nieves (Mexican, 1983–) is constructed THE GENEROSITY OF
AN ANONYMOUS
a bright light in the contemporary with colorful DONOR; © RAÚL
art world. His exultant work refer- plastic beads. DE NIEVES
ences the traditional culture of his Three years
Mexican roots, religious symbols, later he was
folklore and mythology. invited to par-
As an aspiring artist, de Nieves ticipate in the
turned down his acceptance to the 2017 Whitney
California College of the Arts because Biennial, for which he created an
of its high tuition costs. He moved installation enigmatically titled
to New York City in 2007, and in Beginning & the end neither & the oth-
2014 he completed his first life-sized erwise betwixt & between the end is
work, Day(ves) of Wonder, a sculpture the beginning & the end. It consisted
of a series of figurative
sculptures backdropped by
The Mare of Thirty-Threes (2021; fiberglass, epoxy a multipaneled 16¼x38-foot
foam, cement, resin, glue, beads, fabric, metal and stained-glass-style window.
used fabric shoes; 50x42x42) by Raúl de Nieves
Through the transformation
COURTESY THE ARTIST AND COMPANY GALLERY, NEW YORK
of common materials—
wood, paper, plastic, beads,
glue and tape—into vivid, at the Institute of Contemporary Art
lively artworks, de Nieves (ICA), in Boston. There, the artist
explores the concepts of presents a series of visually complex,
personal transformation, labor-intensive works—sculptured
sexual fluidity and the role assemblages of densely encrusted
of adornment in identity. bells, beads, bangles, sequins and
De Nieves’ meteoric rise other everyday materials. These lav-
from the creation of his ish works invite scrutiny while also
first major piece to an invi- transmitting a powerful spiritual
tation from the Whitney essence. The exhibition will continue
Museum of American Art through July 24, 2022.
is, in itself, newsworthy,
but the artist didn’t stop
there. He went on to make LEARN MORE
news in 2020 with “Eternal Watch de Nieves’ ICA/Boston
Return and the Obsidian video, “Joy Is Possible” at
Heart” his first comprehen- bit.ly/ica-denieves.
sive solo exhibition, at the
Museum of Contemporary Learn about the art and artists
Art, North Miami. at the 2017 Whitney Biennial at
De Nieves’ current exhi- whitney.org/exhibitions/2017-
bition, “The Treasure House biennial?section.
of Memory,” is on display

“I BEGAN TO THINK OF THE ELEMENTS
I N T H E PA I N T I N G A S M E TA P H O R S .”
— F R O M U N D E R STA N D I N G C O N C E PT U A L F I G U R AT I V E
PA I N T I N G S A N D H OW TO C R E AT E T H E M
Stories Untold No. 2 ( B A L L E W E G A RT ) BY L E S L I E B A L L E W E G B A R B E R
(detail; oil on panel,
36x36) by Leslie Balleweg
Independent
Study Resources to
inspire + build skills
BY HOLLY DAVIS
WEB FINDS
Art For the

Fun of It
Remember when your
grade-school art lesson
was the highlight of your
week—when creativity
was pure joy and the
UNCOVERED TREASURES Njommelsaska inner critic hadn’t yet
i Lappland (1856;
The Public Domain Review (publicdomainreview.org), chromolithograph, found its voice? That’s
an online journal and not-for-profit project, brings to light 7⁷⁄₁₀x10⁷⁄₁₀) art by
public domain images, writings and recordings from an Carl Svante the feeling artist Terry
Hallbeck,
expansive range of fields and topics. Although not
primarily an art or art history site, many of its offerings
lithography by Julius Runyan taps into with
Hellesen
either explore the work of historical artists or are WIKIMEDIA COMMONS her book Painting
accompanied by striking, past-era illustrations. The
masterfully curated content, focusing on the “surprising, Happiness: Creativity
the strange and the beautiful,” provides a wealth of With Watercolors
information and inspiration.
(Leaping Hare Press).
Those who are new to
POETRY AND ART
Vita Brevis Press
watercolor will find all the
(vitabrevisliterature.com) basics in this book, but
publishes the work of
contemporary poets, ranging more importantly, will find
from emerging to award- encouragement to set their
winning writers. What makes
the website and printed creative spirit free through
anthologies especially
attractive is that the editor
playful explorations in
pairs each poem with a fine-art painting, facilitating a new level of engagement watercolor painting.
with both the words and the art.

Wordless Metaphors
Conceptual figurative paint- FROM
ARTISTS
ings present a visual metaphor
through the depiction of one
NETWORK
or more figures in a carefully
designed context. The artist
may wish to convey a specific
idea or may leave the inter-
pretation open to the viewer.
Understanding Conceptual
Figurative Paintings & How
to Create Them (Balleweg
Art), by artist and author Leslie
Balleweg Barber, explains how
to design these intriguing works,
along with tips for working with
models and creating setups
or references for these often
fantastical scenes.
Artists Weekly
Get art inspiration & tips
delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe to the Artists Network
newsletter to enjoy the latest
demos, techniques, event news
and more.
ARTISTSNETWORK.COM/GO/NEWSLETTER
Spark your imagination and fuel

your creative practice.
Join Artists Network for exclusive
online events featuring a top
artist every month. You’ll learn
innovative techniques that will
open new possibilities in your
own work.
Untold Stories No. 10 (oil on panel,
36x36) by Leslie Balleweg ARTISTSNETWORK.COM/GO/ILLUMINATE
Ateliers
WORKSHOPS 2022
Your Comp
Complete
plete Guide to Workshop
Workshops
ps Here and Abroad
Artists never stop learning. Each new painting or drawing can bring another revelation, but when you
want to learn more about a specific technique, medium or style, you can’t do better than to take a workshop.
Start planning now. On the following pages, you’re sure to find one or many workshops just right for you.
Workshops August 29–September 2, 2022, Eric Jacobsen August 29–September 1, 2022, Belfast, Iain
Oils/Acryl Plein Air Painting Expressive Landscapes! Stewart W/C Studio/Plein air Capturing the Sense of
Bob Ross Int/Adv Place! All levels
Make that dream finally come true, take a Bob Ross September 5–9, 2022, Janet Rogers AWS WC September 5–9, 2022, Belfast, Paul George
painting class with a certified instructor, even if Studio Expressive Watercolors - Flowers to Figures! WC Studio/Plein air Loose & Winning Watercolors!
you’ve never painted before. These classes are local, All levels All levels
virtual, or at the Bob Ross Art Workshop in Florida. September 12–16, 2022, Aline Ordman Oils/Past September 12–16, 2022, Belfast, David Lussier
Visit bobross.com and click Take-a-Class or call Studio/Plein air Creating Colorful Dynamic Paintings! Oils Studio/Plein air Making Your Mark! All levels
1-800-262-7677. Year round for your convenience. All levels September 19–23, 2022, Belfast, Dan Graziano
September 19–23, 2022, Larry Moore Gouache/ Oils Plein Air “Painterly” Plein Air! All levels
Coastal Maine Art Oils Acryl Studio/Plein Air Principles of Abstraction!
Classes in Rockland and Belfast, Maine September 26–30, 2022, Belfast, Dan Marshall
Int-Adv WC Studio/Plein Air Watercolor with Intention!
July 12–15, 2022, Frank Eber WC Plein Air Beyond September 26–30, 2022, Bethanne Kinsella-Cople
Technique. Finding Individual Expression! All levels All levels
Oils/Acryl Plein Air Tools and Techniques for Painterly Here’s who we have so far...check our website for
July 18–22, 2022, Susan Abbott Oils WC Studio/Plein Paintings! Int/Adv
air Exploring the Maine Landscape in Color! Int/Adv details! Lyn Donovan, Director, cmartworkshops@
October 3–7, 2022, Colley Whisson Oils Plein Air gmail.com, cmaworkshops.com. 207-594-4813
July 25–29, 2022, Joe Lombardo Oils/Acryl Plein Air Modern Impressionism In Action! All levels
Coastal Maine Plein Air! All levels October 10–14, 2022, Colley Whisson Oils Plein Air Gustavo Ramos
August 8–12, 2022, Ann Larsen Oils/Acryl/Past Beyond Impressionism Master Class Max:11/pre-reqs. The Portrait Video by Gustavo Ramos
Studio/Plein air Capturing the Moment All levels October 18–22, 2022, Ted Nuttall WC Studio In this 3-hour video tutorial, Gustavo Ramos
August 16–19, 2022, Tues-Fri Barbara Nechis WC Portraits from Photos! All levels demonstrates his unique approach to portraiture.
Studio Watercolor from Within! All levels October 24–28, 2022, John Wilson Oils Studio/ Watch over the artist’s shoulder as he makes use
August 22–26, 2022, Keiko Tanabe WC Studio/Plein Plein Air The Plein Air Landscape! Int-Adv of his sensitive color palette and particular brush-
air Keeping Watercolor! Simple & Strong! Int/Adv Classes in Belfast: handling to lay thick impastos and translucent
KALINE CARTER • KCARTER@GOLDENPEAKMEDIA .COM • 505-730-9301 | BURHON NASSIR • BNASSIR@GOLDENPEAKMEDIA .COM • 303-215-5612
shadows. Lively discussions and meticulous breaking provide spectacular opportunities for painting and
down of visual concepts will equip the beginner or photography. We will begin with a “get acquainted”
advanced student with a newfound arsenal to create party at our home on Wednesday evening.
luminous professional portraits in a way that only oil All workshops are open for beginners to advanced,
painting at its highest level can achieve. with one to one instruction in watercolor, oil, acrylic,
Where to stream: www.gustavoramos.art/teaching and pen and ink sketching. Participants may work in
Price: $45.00 any or all media. A materials list will be sent to all
Huntsville Museum of Art participants.
August 11–13, 2022, Guadalupe Lanning Robinson – More information is available on my website
Developing Forms & Surfaces: Handbuilding & Wheel www.williamjameson.com. For questions please
Throwing Techniques contact Bill at 843-729-0593 or email
August 26–27, 2022, Leslie Wood – Art Journaling billj@williamjameson.com.
September 15–18, 2022, Donna Bland – Creating
Beautiful Landscapes in Acrylic or Oil The next Workshop Section will appear in the
Contact: Laura E. Smith, Director of Education/ Artists Magazine September/October 2022 issue.
Space Reservation is by June 21, 2022
Museum Academy, 256-535-6372, Newsstand Date is August 23, 2022
lsmith@hsvmuseum.org or hsvmuseum.org
John C. Campbell Folk School
July 3–8, 2022, John Mac Kah, Oil Painting- Call For Entries
Landscapes Without Fear. $620. DEADLINE: JULY 8, 2022
Info??? Contact us! July 10–16, 2022, Joel Zachry, Art and Nature- KENTUCKY WATERCOLOR SOCIETY AQUEOUS
The Best of Both! $693. USA 2022, 45TH ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION
Workshops in
ROCKLAND & August 7–12, 2022, Pam Beagle-Daresta, August 26–November 6, 2022 Headley Whitney
BELFAST ME Awaken/Reawaken Your Creativity. $620. Museum, Lexington, Kentucky. Juror: Michael
August 14–20, 2022, Bradley Wilson, Playing with Holter. Awards of cash and merchandise.
Paint. $693 For more information and prospectus visit
September 2–4, 2022, Teri Jones, Explorations in Kentuckywatercolorsociety.com
Paint and Paper. $389.
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: JULY 17
Contact: John C. Campbell Folk School at
(SAVE $5/ENTRY)
800-FOLK-SCH or www.folkschool.org
PASTEL 100 COMPETITION
Shenandoah Art Destination More than $15,000 worth of cash and material prizes.
The Shenandoah Art Destination is magnificently Visit artistsnetwork.com/art-competitions/pastel-100
located near the historic town of Lexington, nestled for more information.
WC, Oils, Pastels, Acryl, Gouache in the Shenandoah Valley. The owners, Jan-Willem
DEADLINE: JULY 25, 2022
cmaworkshops.com & Nancy Boer, offer an ideal creative vacation and
NORTH EAST WATERCOLOR SOCIETY 46 TH
Check Our Website For Workshop Details! inspiration for all art lovers of any ability. The fee
for your stay is all-inclusive – accommodations INTERNATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION
207•594•4813 cmartworkshops@gmail.com At Kent Art Assoc. Gallery, Kent, CT: October
(private room and bath), meals (home-cooked),
and art instruction. Pick-up from local airports and 9 – October 30, 2022. $9000 in Awards, E. Jane
train station available for nominal fee. All artists are Stoddard, NWS, TWSA-M, Juror of Awards. For
welcome from the beginner to the professional for prospectus, visit www.northeastws.com or email
painting (all media), drawing and printmaking. Daily info@northeastws.com or write NEWS, 866 Cadosia
course guidance/tutelage by your host, Jan-Willem Road, Hancock, NY 13783, ph 607-637-3412.
Boer, an established artist and illustrator for over DEADLINE: AUGUST 1
25 years in the USA & Europe, earning his degree ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
from the Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, The See your work in Southwest Art magazine!
Netherlands. Each day there is a focus on a different Visit artistsnetwork.com/art-competitions/
skill with much one-on-one instruction. The facility artistic-excellence for more information.
is set up with two great indoor studios and many
wonderful outdoor locations for plein-air painting. It DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 12
is the perfect setting to focus on art and at the same ARTISTS MAGAZINE OVER 60
Weeklong classes in painting, time have a refreshing vacation. Courses run from Celebrating the work of artists aged 60+.
early spring to late autumn; visit the website for cost For more information, visit artistsnetwork.com/
drawing, mixed media and more. art-competitions/over-60
and more information. Non-participating spouse/
JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL partner is also welcome. Visit the reviews of previous EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: OCTOBER 11
participants on Google Reviews. (SAVE $15/ENTRY)
folkschool.org 1-800-FOLK-SCH
BRASSTOWN NORTH CAROLINA
Featured in the Washington Post Travel Magazine SPLASH 24 | THE BEST OF WATERCOLOR
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June 26–29, 2022, 4-Day Visit artistsnetwork.com/art-competitions/splash
July 07–10, 2022, 4-Day for more information.
July 29–31, 2022, Weekend EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 22
August 03–08, 2022, 6-Day (SAVE $10/ENTRY)
August 20–23, 2022, 4-Day BEST IN SHOW | PETS ART COMPETITION
August 31–September 05, 2022, 6-Day
Open to all art media!
September 09–14, 2022, 6-Day Plein-air/Maine
For more information, visit artistsnetwork.com/
Master Artist Workshops September 22–25, 2022, 4-Day
October 13–16, 2022, 4-Day art-competitions/best-in-show.
Huntsville, AL | (256) 535-6372 | hsvmuseum.org
October 20–25, 2022, 6-Day EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 28
October 28–30, 2022, Weekend (SAVE $10/ENTRY)
Email: nancy@shenandoahartdestination.com ARTISTS MAGAZINE COVER COMPETITION
William Website: www.ShenandoahArtDestination.com See your work on the cover of Artists Magazine!
Jameson
Visit artistsnetwork.com/art-competitions/artists-
William Jameson magazine-cover-competition for more information.
October 27–29, 2022, Saluda, North Carolina
“Fall on the Blue Ridge” This workshop consists EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: JANUARY 9, 2023
2022 Painting (SAVE $15/ENTRY)
of 3 painting days exploring the landscape of the
Workshops Southern Blue Ridge. There isn’t a more beautiful ACRYLIC WORKS 10 | THE BEST OF ACRYLICS
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For more information, artistsnetwork.com/
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Art sts Magazine
OVER 60
ART COMPETITION
Call For Entries!
Vernazza Beach Morning

by Camille Przewodek
The Artists Magazine Over 60 Art Competition honors work from outstanding artists
over the age of 60. Whether you’ve been making art for decades or came to it later in life,
don’t miss this opportunity to earn recognition for your creativity and talent! Enter today
for your chance to win cash prizes and publication in a special issue of Artists Magazine.
LEARN MORE AT ArtistsNetwork.com/Art-Competitions/Over-60

Home of Art sts
Magazine
Lasting impression
Two Cottages at Saintes-Maries-De-Le-Mer

ca 1888; reed pen and brown ink over graphite, 12⅜x18⅝
by Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–90)
THAW COLLECTION, THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM, NEW YORK. N.Y.
Inspired by Rembrandt, van Gogh used a reed pen for this

drawing to create an entire vocabulary of marks—from the bold
dots and dashes describing the wild thicket behind the cottage on
the left to the delicate strokes evoking the texture of the thatched
roof on the right. The artist made the drawing while on a visit to the
fishing village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, in the south of France,
during the summer of 1888. There, he explored the possibilities
of line as a vehicle for expression and made a concerted
effort to be more spontaneous in his drawing practice.
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ALL ABOUT INK THE INFINITE POTENTIAL OF PEN-AND-INK

40 “I learned early that the 64

ABOVE RIGHT: KNOWLEDGE (DETAIL: OIL ON PANEL, 16X9) BY LESLIE BALLEWEG

2 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

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ARTISTS, WORKSHOPS & EDUCATION Kaline Carter

MEDIA SALES COORDINATOR Cari Ullom

GOLDEN PEAK MEDIA

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Farrell McManus

VP, STRATEGY Andrew Flowers

THE POWER OF LINE NEWSSTAND SALES Scott T. Hill

find plenty of evidence of the power of line throughout this issue. My

4 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

The influence of Renaissance

Sensitive to noted in Sibylle. The pose

the Soul the sinuous movement of the

6 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

This photo of Francis

See for yourself

8 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

This is my studio on a very messy day. Move over Bacon!

couldn’t be bothered to pick up after himself, he was for-

After creating an assemblage from ephemera collected during one of my

as I do—and as my trio of art heroes did. Some folks just

10 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

Calling all acrylic painters! The Acrylic Works Competition Sponsorship by

LEARN MORE AT ArtistsNetwork.com/Art-Competitions/Acrylic-Works

Circle One (oil on Stonehenge Oil Paper, 12x12)

12 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

THE FINISH: Lastly, I refine the features

Alyssa (oil on Stonehenge Oil Paper,

Learn more about Stonehenge

a nyone who has ever leafed

14 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

“THE TWO MAJOR

16 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

18 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

“IF THE HUMAN EYE IS

HELEN OH demonstrates the

I’ll never forget the words of my

20 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

to image-making, regardless of the

DEMONSTRATION: PICTURE WITHIN

2 I blocked in the copper roof

3 I continued filling in the walls and roof on the right with

22 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

5 At this point, I considered my

painted them with blue gouache and

While scientists and astronomers have his-

THE EYE AS BEHOLDER

24 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

THE BODY AS SCALE

FROM THE 15TH

26 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

… TO THE 19TH CENTURY

in alignment with the horizon, and

28 Artists Magazine July/August 2022

John Roman (johnromanillustration.com)

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