“Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert,” replied Glinda. “If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country.” “But then I should not have had my wonderful brains!” cried the Scarecrow. “I might have passed my whole life… Continue reading
We see things not as they are, but as we are.” — Anaïs Nin Due to the nature of my work, I am often asked, “How do you get your paintings to look so realistic?” I genuinely love when a colleague or aspiring representationalist opens this door in a conversation, as it usually leads to… Continue reading
Electron microscopes have become invaluable tools in the realm of scientific exploration, offering researchers unprecedented insight into the intricate world of the “nanoscale.” Electron microscopy offers a better resolution than traditional (light) microscopes and can reveal the structure of smaller objects not usually seen by the latter. This is because the wavelength of electrons is… Continue reading
The Waichulis Curriculum Insights into the nuts and bolts of a modern-day skill-based visual art training system. The following paper is intended to offer insight into some of the inspirations, development, dynamics, and evolution of The Waichulis Curriculum that serves as the main training program with the ÀNI Art Academies. The content I have provided… Continue reading
Thoughts on evaluating the many art “rules” and traditions that continue to thrive in the studio and classroom. (Updated 7/2026 for publication in Smartermarx Magazine) “Art ‘rules’ are often personal opinions shouted loudly with a big stick.” -Kara Castro McGee. American author Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar is often credited with popularizing a clever story about… Continue reading
Not long ago I was asked to join an online discussion group that was formed around the book Traditional Oil Painting, Advanced Techniques and Concepts from the Renaissance to the Present by artist and author Virgil Elliot. Upon joining, I purchased the book that inspired the group so that my contributions to the forum’s discussions… Continue reading
A 2019 study from Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s School of Design in China examined an often-encountered yet relatively under-examined form of ornamentation: decorative wallpaper (Fu, Zhang, & Lin, 2019). The researchers examined two properties: regularity (the orderly repetition of motifs) and semantic decodability (how readily those motifs convey recognizable meaning). Using the Implicit Association Test,… Continue reading
A few of my students organized a Holiday-themed Alla Prima afternoon this past week. For some of our newer artists that seemed a tad more apprehensive about jumping into the challenge—I offered a short acronym for them to keep in mind when trying to capture a likeness their observed subject. I told them ya gotta… Continue reading
I came across a very good article last night exploring the benefits of working with a limited palette. The article was written by Courtney Jordan and is available on the artist daily blog here: http://www.artistdaily.com/blogs/artist-daily/sharpen-your-ability-to-judge-color-tone-and-value/ Within this article, one very knowledgeable artist shared his strategies for extending his palette’s color gamut as far as possible… Continue reading
While my last paper focused on considerations of proximity in regards to perceived shape, size, curvature, etc., my aim here is to examine the impact of proximity on perceived values and value relationships. I have often heard art teachers tell students to step away from their drawings/paintings during their process so that they may better… Continue reading