18 posts tagged “art”
It's been a while and as an art teacher I don't get enough time in my studio but I have just finished an original graphite drawing of a family of pied curlews. I saw these curlews at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and the tiny, gorgeous chicks were running around near the adults. Available to purchase in shop.
These are some of my favourites -
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FOR most of us, a spring clean will yield nothing more valuable than the handful of loose change that slipped down the back of the sofa.
But in the royal household, things are a little different.
When the Queen decided to dust off an old painting for an exhibition it was to lead to a discovery that would shake the art world. She has unearthed not just one but two Old Masters by the Baroque painter Caravaggio, so rare that Sotheby's was unable to put a price on them.
There are fewer than 50 Caravaggios in existence, all in either national or private collections, and one hasn't come on to the open market in living memory. When pressed, the closest comparison Sotheby's could make was a Rubens sold in 2002 for $120 million, making the Queen's clearout potentially worth $250 million.
"The paintings are simply breathtaking and the significance of their provenance cannot be overstated," said Lucy Whitaker, curator of the Royal Collection, as they went on display at Buckingham Palace yesterday. Both paintings are part of the Royal Collection, which is held by the Queen on behalf of the nation. Despite their enormous value, she is not allowed to sell them.
The works, The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew, and Boy Peeling Fruit, painted between 1592 and 1604, were first owned by Charles I.
The original article can be found here: news.com.au
Read the full article with text here: jason morgan - snow leopard
I liked this article when I read it so thought I'd share ...
I've been teaching portraiture classes for many years, starting out under
the watchful eye of my mother, who's also an artist, in her home studio, and
then from my own home. When I first saw the Archibald Prize exhibition, in
1995, I decided I would enter an artwork of my own some day. Then one sunny
Saturday last spring, I was strolling in my neighbourhood and heard my name
being called out. I turned to find an ex-colleague, whom I hadn't seen for
at least two years. She asked me about my art and then introduced me to her
companion. His face, dark-brown eyes, a few deeply etched creases and a mess
of thick black hair, was unmistakeably that of the Melbourne comedian,
Richard Stubbs. My dad considered him to be Australia's cleverest man. I was
elated when he had agreed to sit for my painting, an entry for the Archibald
Prize.
my first entry for The Archibald Prize, entitled A Rich Existence, of Richard Stubbs.
by Erin Whitty, Editorial Assistant at Notebook Magazine
I came across this article and being an art teacher myself, I couldn't agree
more with her comments .....
Voppie Lifestyle :Articles
Teaching Art To Children - My Son the Genius *Like all healthy
pre-schoolers, my little son was a genius...*
Because education experts warned us parents not to teach our kids to read
before they entered school, I refrained from doing so.
But I used to put rag books in his crib along with the other toys. Nothing
could stop him from associating the pictures of animals with the names
printed beside them and then recognising the same words when he saw them
elsewhere. Sound familiar?
While he cuddled on my lap as we listened to my record collection of
classical music, he would tell me about the pictures and stories that came
into his mind. When we took the dog for a walk, they'd both stop to inspect
every interesting creature we met on the way.
But the child tested my knowledge of natural history to its limits, and soon
progressed from a magnifying glass to his first microscope. Any child does
the same, if encouraged.
And, of course, he drew.
His father had painted a piece of wallboard - 4 feet high by 8 feet long -
with green blackboard paint and attached it to the little boy's bedroom
wall. Along its bottom edge we nailed a length of curved frame moulding, to
hold a supply of multi-coloured chalks and catch their fall-out. (This was
one child who, despite his other little-boy devilries, never scribbled on
the walls!)
Part of that board was devoted to an on-going and ever-changing panorama of
some imagined War, usually complete with sound effects. And there were
animals of every kind, natural or fantasy critters. You could almost see the
movement of his fishes' fins. His cats stretched elongated necks and waved
eloquent tails. I never tried to "correct" these vivid drawings, nor did I
give him those dreaded books of pictures to be coloured in, always keeping
"within the lines."
Then he started school. One day he came home and showed me how the teacher
had instructed the class on the proper way to draw a cat. You know what it
was, don't you? A capital letter Q for the body and tail, combined with the
letter M for ears. I had to go away in private and weep. And sure enough,
the wonderful cats were never seen again on his blackboard.
By now you'll have gathered that I'm saying I think the best line to take on
teaching art to children is: Don't! Very young kids can be given big sheets
of cheap butcher's paper and pots of washable poster paint, big soft brushes
and a place where they can spread out and make a mess without getting
scolded. It's neither necessary nor helpfulto show them how to draw. Just
leave them alone to have fun. It may help you to know this:
Scientists studying the origins of language have reported that elements of
drawing and painting by very young children, anywhere in the world, are
universally the same. So it seems possible that these early attempts are a
preparation for speech rather than the expression of artistic talent, as we
parents fondly believe.
Interestingly enough, the same scientists have observed a striking
resemblance between children's art and the marks made by certain "gifted"
chimpanzees, tamed elephants and even parrots who were provided with art
materials.
After they start school, most children quickly accept the prevailing belief
that making art is only for those who "have the gift for it" and most give
up the dream of doing it professionally. Television reinforces that idea,
causing kids to think only the professionals should be seen playing sports,
singing or dancing or making art.
As they grow, some children begin to show an aptitude for painting and their
parents wonder if they should have private lessons. It seems so natural and
right to give your kids every opportunity you can afford. Yet, the
experience of a lifetime as an artist has made me doubtfulof the benefits.
Here's why:
The majority of kids soon lose interest when they discover that real art
instruction involves a lot of tedious study and practice they were not
prepared for. A child may persevere for some time in an effort to please the
parents. Eventually the loss of so much of the "social life" other kids are
enjoying will cause the typical child to resent, and then give up, the
lessons.
If you, as a parent, can accept this without nagging the child to continue,
or making him/her feel guilty about the money you've "wasted," then no harm
is done. After all, many people take up art as a hobby in later life and
probably do get some benefit from the tuition they had as children; and a
lot of joy from their hobby.
But if a child is to be an artist, no power on earth can stop him.
He'll know it at an early age (I was seven) and you'll know it because,
while his brothers and sisters hop from astronaut to fireman, model to
doctor etc, his ambition will remain the same. He'll draw all the time, not
just when he's being noticed and encouraged.
He'll pore over any art books you give him and he'll fill up his sketchbooks
with exercises he's set for himself. He'll hang around anyone who can show
him how to improve his art. (As a ten-year-old, I haunted the tobacconist's
next to my parents' shop because the owner was an amateur watercolourist who
showed me how to paint clouds.)
If you have a child like this, don't make the natural mistake of trying to
make it easy for him. He doesn't need it; and you may well give him the
wrong impression. The truth is, life as an artist is not easy.
Nor is it so glamourous as the media pretends. (When did you ever see a TV
interview with an artist that showed him/her scraping down the palette or
cleaning brushes?) Neither are we led to think about the long years of
trying to achieve acceptance by galleries, to build a personal style and
reputation, or to reach that point when price tags and volume of sales can
put an end to the "day job."
In Australia, much Government - that is to say, taxpayer-funded -
encouragement has recently been focused on artists' groups. This has
coincided with the unprecedented rise in unemployment and could be seen as a
way of mitigating or even disguising those figures. But it has a very
damaging effect, perhaps unforeseen by the well-intentioned people who put
these programmes in place.
It causes amateurs, who have never tested themselves on the open market, to
believe they are professional artists. And because their art must conform
with standards and fashions currently approved by their Government
employers, what they all end up producing is Government art. Even worse,
that large portion of the public which does not like the art produced this
way, and resents being told they are just too ignorant to recognise what is
"good for them," becomes disillusioned with artists and art in general.
Yet, even being aware of all the difficulties that lie ahead, there is
always one youngster who, among all his fellows, does become an artist. No
one really understands why this is so. My own theory is a suspicion that we
are the people who never properly "grow up." (No matter how many sunrises I
see, I get just as excited each time and marvel at their infinite variety.)
A compulsion not to be denied takes over: to "be the eyes for others" so
they too can see the wonders inherent in everyday things, the way they did
as children.
To depict these things in a memorable way requires training in craftsmanship
and the artist-in-bud will never stop until s/he acquires this. So while
s/he lives under your roof, don't allow yourself to feel pressured to
provide anything beyond interest and encouragement. You see, being an artist
is not something a person chooses. It chooses the person. And it may well be
better that you don't try to make things easy, but let your child follow
his/her own path. In the meantime, let Art be fun.
*Author Credits* :: Dorothy Gauvin - Dorothy Gauvin is an internationally
acclaimed Australian painter in oils who specialises in an epic theme of
Australia's pioneers.See images of her "Life-Story" portraits of fascinating
and successful people, plus tips and advice for artists, beginners and
collectors on her website at: Dorothy Gauvin's Website
JOAN SHARROCK paints animals and birds using the traditional medium of oil paint on linen canvas. Many thin layers of paint and fine brush strokes create the depth and detail that characterizes her paintings. Equal precision and attention is given to her smaller works on paper, which are created with watercolour-pencil.
The subjects for her artwork are varied and numerous. She has a preference for the larger members of the cat family such as leopards and cheetahs and especially tigers which are her favourite animals to paint. In addition Joan also paints a wide variety of African wildlife including zebras and elephants and has recently turned to painting colourful tropical birds such as toucans, parrots and cranes. As if this was not enough variety she also has ongoing series of watercolour-pencil drawings; shells, cats, and butterflies, each series framed in her own unique way.
In DAVID HOCKNEY'S 2001 book "Secret Knowledge:Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters", the author proposes a strange theory. He claims that the Old Masters didn't really know how to draw and paint realistic images by direct observation, memory, or imagination. Instead Hockney claims they used the same method Hockney uses when he wants to create realistic images: using a projector and tracing the image. If the intellectual state of the art world were healthy, this kind of nonsense wouldn't be more than a curiosity. Unfortunately the hucksterism, taste for fashion, and lack of skill in the academic art community have conspired to create a strange gullibility that makes ideas more attractive and "popular" the more obviously absurd they are. In order to dispel this kind of gullibility I have decided to outline the reasons why any thinking person should reject Hockney's theory in this article........
Why David Hockney should not be taken seriously by Brian K Yoder
Robert Bateman
I have just discovered this Canadian wildife artist and his work is stunning.
He has an excellent website as well and I have included a link.
Robert Bateman on painting
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