2018-06-01 The Artists Magazine

Art sts
ARTISTSNETWORK.COM
Magazine
10 Best Cities to
Lead an Artful Life
PAINT THE
STREETS
From Outsize Murals to
River Town Sketches
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Contents
Volume 35 | Issue 05
JUNE 2018 94
58
70
Compositions
58 76 86
ART CITY, USA STREET ART JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME
Artists Network followers select Outdoor murals spif up cities and homas Cole drew attention to the
the 10 best cities for artists. bring communities together. glory of America’s wilderness.
70 82 94
MARFA, TEXAS SURREAL SUBURBIA LESS IS MORE
A small desert city is an unlikely Peter Drake creates a visual Anne Packard merges image and
magnet for artists and art lovers. narrative of a suburban dream that imagination in her seascapes.
never existed.
2 Artists Magazine June 2018

15
104
36
Prime Build Outfit
10 BIO 36 TUTORIAL 104 DO NOW
Jane Jacobs Painting With Greens
106 INDEPENDENT
12 COLOR STORY 38 ART HACKS STUDY
Ultraviolet The Big Drink
107 COMPETITION
15 SPACE 40 WORKSHOP SPOTLIGHT
We’re All Pink Inside There’s No Place
Like Home 108 SHORT STORIES
18 VOYAGE
Santa Barbara, California 46 BUSINESS OF ART 112 LASTING
Who Are You? IMPRESSION
22 CROSSROADS
Drawn to the City 48 WORKSHOP
Architecture in ON THE COVER
27 ALCHEMY Painting
Plein Air Eden Anthony Arias’ mural Art City
54 PROMPTS PHOTO: CHIP AUCHINCLOSS
32 THE ASK Where Are You?

4 EDITOR’S NOTE
5 CONTRIBUTORS
6 BEHIND THE COVER
Artists Magazine (ISSN 0741-3351) is published 10 times per year (January, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November and December) by F+W Media Inc., 10151 Carver Road, Suite 300, Cincinnati OH 45242; tel: 386/246-3370.
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ArtistsNetwork.com 3
From The Editor Art sts Magazine
CONTENT STRATEGIST + EDITOR IN CHIEF
Michael Gormley
MANAGING EDITOR Austin R. Williams
ART DIRECTOR Amy Petriello
SENIOR EDITOR Holly Davis
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Michael Woodson
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mike Allen
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the risk of stating the obvious, where an artist VP, GENERAL COUNSEL Robert Sporn
makes art has a significant impact on what that VP, HUMAN RESOURCES Gigi Healy
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Catskill Mountains (Sunny
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MICHAEL GORMLEY by Thomas Cole
1827; oil on panel, 18⅝x25⅜ ArtistsNetwork
Content Strategist + Editor in Chief

Contributors
Contributors to this issue of Artists Magazine include …
STEPHEN HARBY JAG NAGRA SAMANTHA

VOYAGE: “SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA” “ART CITY, USA” SANDERS
Stephen Harby, Jag Nagra is an “MARFA TEXAS”
architect, illustrator from Samantha
educator and Vancouver, Sanders is the
watercolorist, Canada with over event content
holds a master 12 years of developer for
of architecture experience as a Artists Magazine.
degree from Yale. graphic designer. She programs live
In architectural She began events, including
practice with teaching herself the upcoming
Charles W. Moore, he directed a series how to draw in 2012 with her first Meditations on Drawing Retreat,
of civic and campus projects. Since 365-day project, which launched her Retreat to Tuscany and the brand-new
2002 he has taught a drawing course illustration career. Since then, she has SketchKon (in collaboration with
in Rome for the Yale School of worked with high-profile clients on Sketchbook Skool)—an interactive
Architecture. He also leads cultural and developing brand illustration art event scheduled in Pasadena
artistic tours for select groups to exotic guidelines and creating assets for this fall. She’s also co-host of
destinations across the globe. His animated videos. She’s a big believer Artists Network’s Art Opening(s)
awards include the Gabriel Prize, a in self-initiated passion projects. podcast, and her writing has
MacDowell Colony fellowship and the You can find Jag online at appeared online at Catapult, The
Rome Prize in Architecture at the www.turntopage84.com or follow her Awl, and Audiences Everywhere. She
American Academy. @jagnagra on Instagram. lives in New York City.
It’s back! Cobalt Teal

Heavy Body Color.
In 2012 GOLDEN genuine Cobalt Teal was removed from all

acrylic color lines when the pigment became unavailable. Many
artists embraced our Teal replacement, but for others there was
simply no replacing it. But now it’s back! A little deeper than
the original, but with the opacity and mixing qualities that
made it one of our most popular colors. Check out the
new Cobalt Teal and nine other new colors at your local
art supply store or goldenpaints.com.
©2018 Golden Artist Colors, Inc., 188 Bell Rd., New Berlin, NY 13411 ʄ #goldenpaints
Behind the Cover
A street artist creates a mural to celebrate America’s most artful cities.
NEAR LEFT
Arias primed four
separate pieces of
plywood with gray
paint.
BELOW LEFT
Plastic sheeting
provided a contained
area for spray painting.
BELOW
Arias worked on two
of the four sections at
a time.
LEFT
Arias blocked in
a s part of this issue’s exploration of place, we

surveyed our magazine’s readership to
identify the 10 top cities in the United
States for living “an artful life.” To arrive at a
shortlist, the survey scored cities on five key
the masses with
spray paint, then
outlined shapes
with black marker.
TOP LEFT
At b[x], Arias
attributes: affordable housing, artists’ enclaves, added hand-
museums and galleries, bookstores and cafes, and drawn lettering.
inspiring environment. Wanting to incorporate
BELOW
the survey results in a magazine cover, the Murals at b[x]
editorial team first landed on the idea of creating
an illustrated map. That idea morphed into
creating a mural—adding the association of street
art to a sense of place.
We contracted former graphic designer turned
hip street artist Anthony Arias, who also operates
the custom mural company Masterpiece NYC, to
design and paint our Art City mural project.
Working in tandem with Artists Magazine art
director Amy Petriello, he arrived at a visual
concept that stuck to the map idea but highlighted
the survey’s “artful living” ranking attributes.
The Art City mural will remain until August on

SNAP A SELFIE IN FRONT OF THE
ART CITY MURAL AT 203 HARRISON
PLACE IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
THEN TAG US ON INSTAGRAM
@ARTISTSNETWORK WITH
#ARTCITYSELFIES.
the façade of b[x]—a Brooklyn-based community

incubator that provides high quality and
affordable creative workspaces to artists, makers
and technologists for their long-term growth,
development and success. For more information
on b[x], go to thebrushx.com or email
pia@thebrushx.com. —MICHAEL GORMLEY
TO SEE MORE FROM MASTERPIECE NYC,

VISIT MASTERPIECENYC.COM OR FOLLOW
@MASTERPIECE_NYC ON INSTAGRAM.
New for 2018:
Benzimidazolone Yellow
...and eight other colors with names that are easier to pronounce:
Benzimidazolone Yellow Light Benzimidazolone Yellow Medium Cobalt Teal Light Bismuth Yellow Light Orange
Light Phthalo Green Titan Green Pale Titan Mars Pale Titan Violet Pale Light Phthalo Blue
Benzimidazolone Yellow Light and Medium have been added

to our palette, but these very lightfast colors aren’t alone as
we welcome Cobalt Teal back to the GOLDEN Heavy Body
palette, restoring many artists’ favorite color, and seven new
light value colors for convenience and consistency. Chances
are, the next time you see a GOLDEN display it will contain
more colors than ever before – 20% more. Like everything that
comes from GOLDEN, we put more into our paints so artists
like you can get more out of it.
If there is any way we can improve your painting experience, or
if you just want help pronouncing a color name, send an email
to help@goldenpaints.com.
©2018 Golden Artist Colors, Inc., New Berlin, NY ƒ800-959-6543ƒgoldenpaints.com

S A N TA B A R B A R A T O D AY
IS ONE OF THE MOST
A R C H I T E C T U R A L LY C O N S I S T E N T
AND HARMONIOUS SET TINGS
IN THE WORLD.
Casa del Herrero

by Stephen Harby
graphite and watercolor on paper, 18x25 (detail)
Prime BIO
JANE JACOBS
Prescient Urbanist
Standing up to political and corporate
“big boys,” Jane Jacobs championed city
dwellers and their communities.
t he post-World War II American Dream—trumpeted

everywhere from glossy magazine spreads to bank boardrooms
and legislative chambers—associated “making it” with a
suburban split-level ranch, a white picket fence and a two-car garage.
That said, beating a hasty retreat to the suburbs was not entirely a
matter of choice or preference. In many respects, powerful business
lobbies linked with anti-urban government policies fueled the flight.
One woman, however, dared to oppose those forces—Jane Jacobs.
Journalist, activist and author of the influential book The Death
and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs (1916–2006) fought
throughout the 1950s and 1960s to preserve city neighborhoods
threatened by urban-renewal projects. Funded as “slum clearance,”
these plans sought to raze city blocks and replace existing homes
and small businesses with upscale high-rises.
Jacobs’ opponents included Robert Moses, a particularly power-
ful policy maker who held numerous planning posts in New York
state from the 1930s through the 1960s. Intent on dismantling
extant urban neighborhoods (especially low-income ones) and
favoring the automobile over mass transit, Moses was instrumen-
tal in creating the infrastructure that funneled the city populace to
the newly built bedroom communities sprawling over Long Island
and Westchester County.
FRANK LENNON/TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGES
One of Moses’ proposed projects was the destruction of Lower

Manhattan’s Washington Square Park. His plan was to extend Fifth
Avenue, creating a link to another of his proposed projects, the
Lower Manhattan Expressway. Among Jacobs’ achievements was
blocking this development, not only saving the park but also defeat-
ing the expressway project. In doing so, she prevented the
displacement of numerous downtown residents and businesses.
As a prescient critic of demolition and urban renewal projects,
Jacobs will forever be remembered for inspiring the New Urbanist
movement and its focus on community, sustainable growth and
environmental preservation. —MICHAEL GORMLEY

Prime COLOR STORY
Ultra
Violet
These Violet Delights

Look back and plan ahead with ultraviolet.
Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year, ultraviolet, is a vivid, deeply saturated purple. According to
Pantone, “PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary
thinking that points us toward the future.” But how can one go into the future without honoring
the past? Seen below is Canigou in Snow by James Dickson Innes. In this snowy landscape, the art-
ist incorporates various shades of purple, each breathing life and otherworldliness into a setting
that could’ve otherwise been very bleak.
Innes wasn’t alone in his use of violet. Artists such as Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe and
Andy Warhol all incorporated this purple hue into their work—showing us that it’s as versatile as Canigou In Snow
by James
the artists themselves. Dickson Innes
With the old comes the new, and ultraviolet—as well as purple’s many shades—will be inspiring 1908-1914;
us for years to come. —MICHAEL WOODSON oil on panel, 9x12
PHOTO: NATIONAL MUSEUM & GALLERIES OF WALES ENTERPRISES LIMITED/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
FOLLOW @ARTISTSNETWORK ON INSTAGRAM AND SHOW US YOUR ULTRAVIOLET!

#ARTISTSNETWORK_COLORSTORY

STARRY NIGHT
The cosmic beauty
of ultraviolet
"From exploring new technologies

and the greater galaxy, to artistic
expression and spiritual reflection,
intuitive Ultra Violet lights the
way to what is yet to come.”
L E AT R I C E E I S E M A N ,
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R O F T H E
PA N TO N E C O LO R I N ST I T U T E
AMETHYST: GARY OMBLER/GETTY IMAGES; STARRY NIGHT, VEGETABLES: GETTY IMAGES; LAVENDER: MAXIMILIAN STOCK LTD./GETTY IMAGES; HAIR: KAREYA SALEH/UNSPLASH
La Marchesa Luisa Casati

by Giovanni Boldini
1908; oil on canvas
INSIDE AND OUT

(Above) All-over dye jobs will never go out of
style, so why not mix it up with a purple do?
(Right) Lavender helps relieve anxiety and
inconsistent sleep. Take a whiff or get some
lavender essential oils to sleep more soundly.
THE PROOF IS IN THE PIGMENT

The more colorful your plate, the healthier it is—
and research claims naturally purple foods have
many health benefits.
GREY MATTERS
perfect for plein air or in the studio
create a neutral grey space between the eye and artwork
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SPACE Prime
LEFT (CLOCKWISE)
We're All Pink Inside
by Stuart Sheldon
inkjet print, acrylic and
latex paint and graphite
on canvas; 70x206
Remnants of a Deeper
Purity (Mirror Version)
by JohnBob Carlos
acrylic metallic print,
44x275
One is too many and a

hundred ain't enough
by Janine Eggert and
Philipp Ricklefs
aluminum cast, driftwood
and epoxy resin,
50x22x22
We're All
Pink Inside
f rom November through April, Miami is hopping—
a tropical paradise replete with coral beaches,
boutique hotels and de rigueur bars. But none of these
attractions compares to the sizzle of Art Basel, Miami
Beach—a best-in-class art fair that draws thousands of
ABOVE
I'd Prefer Not To
by Matthias Droste
oil on canvas, 43⅓x31½
visitors from around the globe.
The fair has grown exponentially since its 2002 launch, LEFT
spawning a half dozen independent breakout fairs spilling Hidden Refuge
into various Miami neighborhoods—most notably North by JohnBob Carlos
acrylic metallic print, 96x104
Beach and Wynwood. The latter, reimagined
from a gritty neighborhood to Miami’s Design
District, has become synonymous with chic gal-
leries, design studios and fashion boutiques.
Near Wynwood lies Little River, an “in-between”
neighborhood that attracts emerging artists
looking for inexpensive and accessible work-
spaces while waiting to be discovered. Stuart
Sheldon moved his studio to Little River two
years ago—and christened it Fancy Nasty.
In 2017, undeterred that Fancy Nasty Studios
nestles between a tumbledown warehouse and
dubious car-repair shop on a somewhat paved
road, Sheldon painted the floor, walls and ceil-
ing pink and installed a group show titled
“LUSH” to coincide with Art Basel week. “This ABOVE (LEFT TO RIGHT)
show aimed at utopia,” says Sheldon. "For me, Really Good Food Energy Fields Drifting Away
by Stuart Sheldon by Daren Joy by Nadja Frank
pink represents the vulnerability within each 1950s Betty Crocker acrylic on linen, 90x60 silkscreen on fabric, resin
of us that is so critical to compassion and Cookbook pages, latex paint and light bulbs, installation
civility." and vinyl on wood, 48x38 dimensions variable
Prime SPACE
LEFT (LEFT TO RIGHT)
Paradise Lost by Marte Kiessling
silkscreen print, 16½x23⅔
Earth by Idan Zaresk

latex paint on Styrofoam
o.T. (Light) by Marte Kiessling

aquatint print, 13¾x13¾
BELOW
"Nicht So Scharf "
by Marte Kiessling and Zefrey Throwell
video, 4:24 minutes; edition of 3 with 2 AP
Artist-curated shows and open-studio events are

historically first-generation operations in marginal
creative districts; they draw a special breed of collec-
tors and enthusiasts who like to be on the cutting
edge of things. The 13 artists (including Sheldon) LEFT
featured in “LUSH” have an international prove- Untitled
by Sibylle Jazra
nance—mainly pulling from the United States and
fabric, imitation
Germany. Like the caressing cocoon of the pink- leather and synthetics,
painted room, the works on view were invitational. 87½x60
Rich in forms, textures and media, they call to be
viewed. Sheldon points out, “The works acknowledge BELOW
Crossing Border
beauty and connection and offer a momentary refuge (Cardus Nutans
from the storm of pain in the world.” Taraxacum)
Alas, our shared natures may be a bit more compli- by Christopher Sage
cated than warm-and-fuzzy millennial pink. Nicht So acrylic on canvas with
vinyl tape
Scharf, Zefrey Throwell and Marte Kiessling’s whispering
video, makes no effort to mask its
overtly sexual seduction. Sheldon
and Idan Zareski’s Earth, in the
form of an oversized yet perfectly
proportioned foot sculpture (in
matching pink, of course) beckons
through a doorway. JohnBob
Carlos’ large-format photographs of
tropical wilds lost to suburban
development are sublime—
seductive and scary at the same
time. The works in the show offer
an illuminating view of untamed
nature at odds with civilization’s
overreach. This push-pull of pink
both describes our commonalities
and, by extension, the charged and
polarized political discourse we cur-
rently live in. —MICHAEL GORMLEY

Live an Artful Life
From meditations in the studio to trending colors, urban sketchers and Renaissance
masters, Artists Network connects you with the artists, ideas, inspiration, and skills
that encourage art making and living an artful life.
Artistsnetwork.com
Prime VOYAGE
Santa Barbara, California

text and illustrations by Stephen Harby
Saanta Barbara
Mission
graaphite and
waatercolor on
paaper, 21x13
18 Artistss Magazine June 2018

LOCAL PICKS
What to See and Do in Santa Barbara
s anta Barbara, California, is

named after the patron saint
of architects, builders and
masons. It’s an appropriate name-
sake, as this scenic seaside city offers
architectural marvels that will appeal
to any artist.
Located 90 miles northwest of Los
Angeles, Santa Barbara was a key way
station along the Camino Real, the
route that linked the Spanish mis-
sions in the 18th century. Each
settlement consisted of a religious
complex, the mission, and a military
outpost, the presidio. Referred to as
“Queen of the Missions,” Santa
Barbara’s mission, established in 1786
and rebuilt in its present form in
1820, is one of the grandest exam- Casa del Herrero
ples. Its facade, consisting of engaged SIGHTS graphite and
columns supporting a triangular pedi- Your visit should start with a tour of watercolor on paper,
ment or gable surmounted by two bell 18x25
Mission Santa Barbara, completed in
towers, could have been based on the 1820. From there, stroll toward the
Pantheon in Rome, which at that time center of town, taking in the Fox
also had two bell towers. Arlington Theater, the Santa
Barbara County Courthouse, El
Paseo and the Presidio, before
continuing to the crescent-shaped
beach and the harbor.
Nearby Montecito is home to
most of the large estates, and two
of the best of them are open to
the public. Casa del Herrero, completed
O EMPTY BOWL
in 1925, was designed by George

O
Washington Smith. Lotusland, designed

by Reginald Johnson, is known for its
S OF
remarkable gardens created by

S COURTESY
Ganna Walska.
G S; THAI NOODLES COU
EATS
OO
After retiring in Santa Barbara,

the great chef and food writer
IMAGES;
Julia Child declared La Super

Rica Taqueria the “best Mexican
G O G ROSE/GETTY
food in the Americas.” The

OS /G
relatively new Santa Barbara

Public Market, behind the
S O GEORGE
Arlington Theater, has an

ever-changing selection of food
BEACH, EL PASEO
counters and pop-up restaurants,

Santa Barbara Courthouse Portal of which the Empty Bowl,
graphite and monochrome wash on paper, specializing in Thai noodles, is a
15x12 personal favorite.
Prime VOYAGE
This scenic seaside city

offers architectural
marvels that will appeal
to any artist.
Southern Spain. Interestingly enough,

the “look” that was legislated bore lit-
tle resemblance to the style of the
historic missions and was more in
keeping with the architecture of
Southern Spain, which was at the
time spreading across Southern
California, as well as other resorts
such as South Florida.
Thanks to the continued reliance
on careful and thoughtful design
review, Santa Barbara today is one of
the most architecturally consistent
and harmonious settings in the
world.
Stephen Harby is an architect,

watercolorist, faculty member of the
Yale School of Architecture and founder
of Stephen Harby Invitational, which
organizes travel opportunities for
small groups.
ABOVE After the completion of the

Santa Barbara Southern Pacific Railroad linking Los
Courthouse Steps
graphite and watercolor
Angeles and San Francisco in 1901,
on paper, 13x16½ the community became an important
winter resort for the gilded-age titans
of industry, who built lavish estates in
the hills above the town. In 1925, a
major earthquake destroyed much of
the town’s Victorian-style architec-
ture. Disaster became opportunity,
and the rebuilding effort reflected the
craze for Spanish Colonial Revival
and Mediterranean architecture then
gripping California. Civic leaders
made a conscious effort to revert to
the Spanish colonial past, including
creating one of the nation’s first
municipal design ordinances requiring
the use of elements of Spanish colo-
RIGHT
Plaza Rubio Houses nial design, including white stucco
graphite and watercolor on walls, red tile roofs and massing and
paper, 5½x5 fenestration similar to that found in

Meditations NEWBURYPORT, MA
On Drawing MAY 31-JUNE 3, 2018
Draw. Reflect. Renew. INSTRUCTORS

Reconnect with your art and spirit at a beautiful seaside retreat.
Artist-Instructors Suzan Colón and Gigi Chen will mentor you
through mindfulness-based art practice, featuring:
► Morning Yoga (gentle Hatha yoga,
suitable for all levels of experience)
► Sunset Mediation
► Art Journaling
► Zen + Ink
► Awareness Studies
► Color Pencil Markmaking Gigi Chen
► Watercolor in Nature
► Travel Sketching
Beginners embraced!
Space is limited to the first 20 registrants and will sell out.
It’s time to reaffirm your commitment to your work and yourself!
REGISTER TO DAY
ArtistsNetwork.com/Retreat-Newburyport-2018 Suzan Colón
Prime CROSSROADS
Drawn
to the City
Revitalizing existing cities and planning
new ones is Urban Design Associates’
mission, and fine art is a foundational
tool in their process.
by Allison Malafronte
o ne might assume that today an urban-design firm

would use exclusively digital processes for concep-
tual imagery and plans. That’s not the case at Urban
Design Associates (UDA), a firm that still relies on the
tradition of hand-drawn sketches and illustrations, as well
as the most current digital tools, to bring their ideas to life.
A recent interview with David Csont, a principal and the
chief illustrator at UDA, revealed the major role fine art
plays in the studio of these designers and architects.
STYLE SETTER
WATERCOLOR: © 2015 URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES AND MWVA; GRAPHITE: © 2011 URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
This plein air watercolor sketch of
an existing house, in Summerville,
South Carolina, represents the
Lowcountry-style house that was to
be built in a new community.
THE RIGHT LOOK

This graphite sketch
conveys the correct
<
architectural vernacular JOINT EFFORT
and lot composition as part The UDA team at work during
of a plan for a home in an on-site meeting known in
College Park, Maryland. urban design as a charrette

<
PITTSBURGH,
SIXTH
AVENUE
This graphite drawing
is part of a citywide
pattern book that
explained and
documented all of
Pittsburgh’s
neighborboods.
Csont became involved with UDA more than 20 years

ago. One of the first documented urban-design companies
“We’re in the business of
in the country, UDA pioneered many of the techniques communicating ideas, and drawing
that are now standard in the urban design and planning
industry. “We’re in the business of communicating ideas,
has always been our first language.”
and drawing has always been our first language,” Csont — David Csont
says. “We developed a style that allowed us to make com-
plicated design matters easier for the everyday person to
understand, and that tradition continues today. UDA’s
plans are different from other architectural firms in that
we are designing not only buildings but also environments.
Some projects can last 20 to 30 years, and the original
illustration is critical throughout that process.”
PITTSBURGH: © 2012 URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
UDA prides itself on being “portable practitioners” who

mobilize their studio to meet clients wherever they are. The
initial stages of creating and testing ideas on-site require
Csont to rapidly capture the essence of an idea in a believ-
able manner. These quick sketches help the team chart the
progression of a concept as it is formulated. Once the client
gives them feedback, Csont begins to finalize the drawings.
“Many years ago, I would hand draw the sketches and then
add color with watercolor or colored pencils,” the artist says.
“Today, I still hand draw the illustrations, but now I add
color by scanning the drawing into the computer and using
Prime CROSSROADS
<
NORTH SHORE DRIVE WATERCOLOR: © 2017 URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
“In urban design, it’s important

to convey not only what the
environment will look like but
RE AND AFTER
pared the siting for two new stadiums on Pittsburgh's also how it will feel.”
North Shore and the development of the surrounding blocks.
The digital hybrid watercolor characterizes the new buildings — David Csont
on a North Shore Drive intersection.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DAVID CSONT

AND URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES, VISIT
URBANDESIGNASSOCIATES.COM.

<
BEFORE AND AFTER
The watercolor sketch illustratrates the
boathouse site's intended use as a gathering
place as well as a boat-storage area.
brushes in Photoshop. Although this stage now includes
a combination of traditional and digital approaches,
drawing is still at the core of our creative process.”
Knowing that the three dominant words in UDA’s
vocabulary are collaboration, context and community,
I asked Csont to name the defining artistic skill in
their design process. His answer: creating a composi-
tion. “You have to have an innate understanding of
how an urban environment—people, nature, build-
ings, streets, cars—work together in harmony, as
well as an ability to look at a set of two-dimensional
plans and see it in three dimensions,” he says. “This
requires a strong understanding of scale, distance
and proportions, and the ability to use
drawing as a tool to understand and
interpret those concepts.”
In addition to possessing strong com-
positional skills, an urban-design
illustrator must also know how to convey
a sense of place—something fine artists,
especially landscape painters, know well.
As an avid plein air painter, Csont brings
the lessons learned in nature’s classroom
into the design studio. “In urban design,
it’s important to convey not only what
the environment will look like but also
BOATHOUSE WATERCOLOR: © 2017 URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES; MANAHATTAN CORNICE: © 2013 URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES
how it will feel,” he says. “When I’m

creating these drawings, I’m looking for
the distinct characteristics that define a
particular city and community so that it
begins to breathe and come to life. If you
look at artists such as Hopper and
Homer, you see that they knew how to
connect an environment and place to
people. Concepts from plein air painting also apply.
<
When you’re painting outside, the light is changing MANHATTAN
and there is limited time, so it’s all about edited real- CORNICE
ity. What you choose to leave out is almost as This watercolor of a
brownstone cornice is
important as what you choose to put in.” a demonstration
Because Csont and the team at UDA believe painting created for a
strongly in keeping these traditional skills alive at seminar at the
their firm, Csont often teaches workshops on the Institute of Classical
core principles of drawing and composition to the Architecture & Art in
New York City.
younger designers. “We also occasionally go out
urban sketching and plein air painting,” he says. “It’s
amazing how eager the younger generations are to
learn these traditional skills because several of them
didn’t have access to this education as students.
Some of them will go on to work for other firms, and
they want to have that skill that differentiates them.
We create that culture here.”
Allison Malafronte is an arts and design writer, editor and

curator based in the greater New York City area.
An American Original.
Patented spring arm holds
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ALCHEMY Prime
Plein Air Eden LOCATION

I arrive at the Hudson River with
Garin Baker carries the torch my 12x24-inch RayMar panels and
two Open Box M shoulder bags.
of the Hudson River School The bags come with a setup kit
and also hold all my other
supplies, including my tripod.
There’s something about the Hudson River
Valley that has inspired artists for more than
100 years. Since the origins of the Hudson River
School in the mid-1800s, the region has attracted
artists, activists and spiritual seekers. Artist Garin
Baker sees himself as a part of that great tradition. “I
feel that I’m carrying a torch, that I’m continuing a
great artistic theology,” he says.
This concept hinges not only on geographic location and style but also on the
activism inherent in painting nature. According to Baker, “The Hudson River
painters were some of the first environmental stewards of the Hudson River
Valley.” These artists were painting the valley both to exalt the divinity they saw
in nature and to bring attention to the fragility of the ecosystem in the region.
They were responding not just to the beauty of the land but also to the danger it
faced at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.
With his home and art studio minutes away from the Hudson River, Baker is
able to experience views that have hardly changed in the past 100 years. “There’s
very little in my opinion that compares to the engagement and transcendence of
this experience,” says Baker. “Being in one spot for a few hours and capturing the
truth and beauty of a moment is personally and creatively rewarding. If my last
days are spent pursuing this calling, I’ll feel assured my time here was well spent.”
In the following demonstration, Baker offers tips on how best to capture a
moment and talks about the materials and equipment that make it possible.
—MIKE ALLEN
POCHADE
BOX MOUNT
The quick release
connector on my
tripod makes
attaching my Open
Box M pochade box
quick and easy.
PRODUCTS SPONSORED BY
OPEN BOX M AND RAYMAR. LEARN MORE
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I arrange my Michael Harding paints in a
light-to-dark and warm-to-cool arrangement.
I’ve had this particular Open Box M
pochade box for more than 20 years, and
I’ve found there’s nothing better than a
honed-wood surface for mixing. I clip my
paint thinner cups on the Open Box M
extension, where I also set my palette knife
and cotton rags.
ATTACHING THE PANEL

I attach my Raymar 12x24-inch panel
using the spring-loaded extension
arms on the Open Box M.
THE SETUP
My surface is a RayMar C13DP panel. Its double oil-primed
linen surface, as well as RayMar’s new quadruple-primed
linen surface, receives the paint beautifully, letting me
build up layers or grab that perfect alla prima stroke.

ALCHEMY Prime
STEP 1 STEP 2
In this particular situation, I’m after the tonal quality of the The toned surface becomes relatively dry. Since the paint
moment and time of day. Using blues, reds, crimsons and thinner has evaporated, leaving the pigment behind, I use
magentas with a touch of brown and black to avoid a too the same thinned-out colors already on my palette to brush
richly colored underpainting, I begin at the top and wash in the big shapes. I’m careful not to make things too
the colors with paint thinner to create an organic and symmetrical. I also place my focal point.
abstract look. I take my cues from nature and allow gravity With a rag and a dab of thinner, I pull out lighter areas
to wash the colors in from top to bottom. This creates along the horizon line to help stage the composition. I keep
harmony with the atmosphere of the landscape. things simple—not drawing too much and allowing abstract
and graphic qualities to set the stage. The details will come
later. By keeping things loose, I allow the painting to hold a
dialogue with nature. My creative sensibilities begin to
expand and develop.
STEP 3 STEP 4
I start staging my tonal and color variations with a big I block in the blue areas of the sky, leaving previously toned
brush. This enables me to use value (dark to light) and areas open for the clouds. I also mass in the large areas of the
color (warm or cool) to create the illusion of depth and mountains and the water. To create the reflective quality in the
atmosphere. I keep everything similar in relationship to water, I use the same and slightly darker blues as I used in the
color harmony, but I also make sure I capture the clear sky. Notice the slight indication in the water of warm, colored
distinction of what’s in the light and what’s in the shadows, reflections of clouds I have yet to add. On the mountain to the
as seen in the cool, gray shades of the mountains to the right I add a shaft of warm color in the lower section, indicating
right versus the warmer colors of the mountains to the left. the light filtering in from right to left, with the strongest and
I also begin to establish the color and value of the sky in brightest areas to the left. The mountains on the left of the
relationship to the distant mountains. This area of water composition receive much brighter reds, oranges and yellows
reflects the sky and helps establish an illusionary depth. to indicate the strong, setting sunlight they’re facing.
Prime ALCHEMY
STEP 5 STEP 6
The sunlight is low in the sky. Warm pinks and The clouds and sky have taken shape, and I add some
light yellows are clearly visible. I add the brightly stronger contrasts and reflections to the water. The
lit areas of the clouds and reflective suggestions sunlit mountains to the left now have that richly
in the water below them. The benefit of painting colored impact I was hoping for, contrasted by some
the same spot many times is that you can added shadows from the mountain in the shade on
anticipate the light and colors to come. the right.
Moon Rise Over

STEP 7 the Hudson
As the light of the day fades to dusk, the rising moon appears. I don’t oil on linen, 12x24
waste the opportunity to add it to the upper-left section of my
composition. Back in my studio I make some minor tweaks. If I overwork
this painting, I might stray from my initial intentions and lose the light I
was trying to capture. I strive to keep the freshness and immediacy.

Prime THE ASK
WE ASKED... “The Pyramids

in Giza.”
If money were MARIO ROBINSON
ARTIST
no obstacle,
what museum or “I’ve heard amazing
accounts from artists of
destination should their visits to the Benesse

Art Site, on the island of
every artist visit? Naoshima, in Japan. As

I’ve never been there
myself, however, I’d have
to say that a trip to the
Louisiana Museum of
Modern Art, just north of
Copenhagen, Denmark, is
“I think everyone should pretty hard to top. Their
collection of modern art
visit the Museo Sorolla,
in Madrid, and the
“The Chinati is very good, but the
Hispanic Society of Foundation, in seamless integration of
the collections with the
America, in New York
City, where they have
Marfa, Texas.” architecture, the gardens
and the surrounding
Sorolla’s huge, epic XAVIER F. SALOMON landscape, all
paintings.” PETER JAY SHARP CHIEF overlooking the Baltic
CURATOR AT THE FRICK
Sea, is spectacular. This
SUSAN LYON COLLECTION
alone is easily worth the
ARTIST
trip, in my opinion.”
KJELL M.
WANGENSTEEN
“Two sites in Greece—Delphi and the Lion Gate ASSISTANT CURATOR
at Mycenae. But also the Louvre, the Metropolitan OF EUROPEAN ART,
Museum of Art and the Morgan Library!” INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF
ART AT NEWFIELDS
WENDY SHALEN
ARTIST
“The Louvre,
“ THE LOUVRE AND THE of course.”
H E R M I TA G E M U S E U M .”
CHERYL K. SNAY
ELIZABETH OSBORNE CURATOR OF EUROPEAN ART,
ARTIST SNITE MUSEUM OF ART,
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

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SPANNOCCHIA | SEPTEMBER 16-22, 2018
INSTRUCTORS
Immersive. Transportive.
Restorative.
Join Artists Network for Retreat to Tuscany, a
weeklong art pilgrimage to the Italian countryside.
Two celebrated painter-instructors, Melanie Vote
and Thomas Schaller will mentor you toward the
creation of your best work during intimate oil and
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Thomas Schaller
Space is limited to the first 20 registrants.

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Bu ld
“ THEY ’LL SELL YOU THOUSANDS

OF GREENS. VERONESE GREEN AND
EMERALD GREEN AND CADMIUM GREEN
AND ANY SORT OF GREEN YOU LIKE; BUT
T H AT PA R T I C U L A R G R E E N , N E V E R .”
PAINTING: HELEN OH
PA B LO P I C A S S O
Build TUTORIAL
PAINTING
WITH GREENS
DIY fields of greens
with HELEN OH
“They’ll sell you thousands of greens. Veronese

green and emerald green and cadmium green and
any sort of green you like; but that particular green,
never.”—Pablo Picasso
You can make a wide range of greens with just a few pigments. In fact, the
fewer colors mixed, the better, since the more colors that are mixed
together, the muddier the result. Here we’ll look at a few different color
combinations that will get you that perfect green.
YELLOW + BLUE YELLOW + BLACK NEUTRALIZING

GREENS
1 1
1
2 2
Mixing complementary hues
neutralizes a color. For subtler greens,
3 3 try the following:
1. Permanent green and alizarin
1. Cadmium yellow light and Mars crimson: This green loses intensity
4 black: Iron oxide black has a high as alizarin crimson is added,
tinting strength and dries quickly. It producing a dark gray.
Green, a secondary hue, is a mixture of produces a neutral, opaque green.
yellow and blue. The choice of blue 2. Cadmium yellow light and ivory
affects the resulting green hue. These
charts show gradients of greens
black: Ivory, a brownish black,
produces a dull yellowish green.
TRANSPARENT
produced by mixing the same yellow
with a small amount of different blues.
3. Cadmium yellow light and GREEN
peach black: In The Craftsman’s
1. Cadmium yellow light and Handbook, Cennino Cennini wrote,
cobalt blue: The resulting green 1
“Burnt peach stone is a perfect
resembles permanent green. black.” Paul Cézanne was known to
2. Cadmium yellow light and favor peach black. This transparent
ultramarine blue: Ultramarine 2
black produces a bluish green.
blue’s reddish bias produces a Clear and vibrant Indian yellow is
brownish green. excellent for glazing. Originally derived
3. Cadmium yellow light and from the urine of cows fed mango
Prussian blue: This deep, inky blue leaves in India, it is now synthetically
produces a bluish green. produced. J.M.W. Turner and Winslow
4. Cadmium yellow light and Homer used this exotic color.
cerulean blue: This bright blue 1. Indian yellow and cobalt blue:
produces a light yellowish green, They produce a soft green.
a substitute for emerald green or 2. Indian yellow and Prussian blue:
Winsor green. The mixture is dark, yet luminous.

LAYERING GREENS: SUMMER STILL LIFE
This layered summer still life provides a range of chromatic and textural approaches. For best results, each
application must be dry before applying a new layer. This prevents the mixing of paints, increasing luminosity.
1 Block in the shadows with raw

umber. 2 Apply opaque local colors.
The wire basket is omitted at
this stage.
3 Render light passages with
chromatic colors. The wire
basket is painted in white and Mars
black. Finally, add the watermelon
patterns and highlights.
A B C
1. Artichoke
A. cadmium yellow light and Mars black
1
B. cadmium orange and ivory black
C. permanent yellow green and white
2. Lime
A. permanent yellow green and cobalt
2 B. raw umber
C. cadmium yellow light
3. Cut Artichoke
A. cadmium yellow light and white
3 B. cadmium yellow light and raw umber, magenta and white
C. magenta, cadmium yellow light and white
4. Avocado
A. permanent yellow green and white
4 B. cadmium orange and ivory black
C. cadmium orange and white
5. Watermelon
5 A. cadmium yellow light and cobalt blue
B. Indian yellow and Prussian blue
6. Bottle
A. permanent yellow green and cobalt
6
B. Indian yellow and peach black
C. white and Mars black
Build ART HACKS
The Big Drink

Tips for smooth sailing when painting all things seascape.
–COURTNEY JORDAN
● A tightly rolled piece of tin foil or

paper makes a temporary brush.
● Scrape geometric forms with a fork,
knife or spoon—or spork!
● Doctors say Q-tips aren’t for ears.
Artists agree. Paint with them!
● An arm of your sunglasses is a
palette knife in waiting.
● Your fingers are the best brushes
you’ll never leave home without.
Tropics in a Glass
Nothing says “coastal art” like a nice
cold beverage. Artists tote plenty of
gear when trekking out to paint Stay hydrated
crashing waves in person, so keep it
Water Ways
light by putting all the ingredients in a
with a BYO
Painting all the essentials of a
watercolor seascape, from skyline to
ziplock storage bag. Cheers! slushy.
horizon to shore, is as easy as 1-2-3. COMBINE IN BLENDER
1. Heavily load your biggest brush 3 cups of watermelon chunks
with the color mix of your choice. 1 lime, juiced mercilessly
2. Starting at the upper corner of your 2 tablespoons of liquid sweetener—
paper, place a nonstop horizontal agave juice, simple syrup or honey
Painting a stroke with light pressure. Sprinkle of kosher salt
seascape is as 3. Repeat this horizontal stroke,
slightly overlapping your previous
1 (optional) shot of your favorite
grown-up beverage
easy as 1-2-3! stroke. Increase the pressure with
ENJOY
each stroke until you reach the
Puree until smooth. Freeze the drink
shore, which is your heavily colored
contents in a ziplock pouch the night
foreground.
before your painting expedition. Pop
the pouch into your snack sack as you
Get Going leave. By the time you’re ready to sip it
Once you’ve set out for your local up, the drink will be slushy perfection.
watering hole, don’t get stopped in Just don’t forget a straw!
your tracks when you forget the way
Go Gray
WATERCOLOR: NIK MACMILLAN/UNSPLASH; OTHER PHOTOS:
and Wi-Fi is nowhere to be found.

Google Maps has an offline feature—
A gray blanket on your site helps
before you set out, just download the
control sand dust-up and reduces
map for your destination.
discoloration from reflected light.
Forget the Brush

Up a creek without a, err, painting
SEND US YOUR ART HACKS
Spill your studio secrets! Email your favorite art hacks
implement? No SOS needed. Use an
to info@artistsmagazine.com with the subject line “Art
alternative and embrace all the new
Hacks.” Each edition of Art Hacks will feature a winning
marks you make. Here are a few
GETTY IMAGES
reader’s art hack and a prize. Next month, we are giving

inspirations to get you started:
away a collection of books that will make your studio
● Use a bottle top for circular
shelves swoon.
smudges á la Seurat.

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Build WORKSHOP
SKETCHBOOK
There’s No Place
Like Home
JAMES GURNEY explores ordinary subjects
within 15 miles of where he lives.
Traveling and painting in exotic places is stimulating, but

I always love to come back home to the Hudson Valley, Materials
where I ind my strongest inspirations. he ordinary SURFACE
scenes that I see during my regular routine are the ones · 5x8-inch watercolor
that speak to me the most. I’m acquainted with them in journals (several brands,
every season and every phase of light, and they stir in me including Pentalic,
the deepest emotions. Give me the parking lots, the fast- Moleskine, Strathmore)
food restaurants, the supermarkets and the drainage MEDIA
ditches. hey’re not the tourist postcard views. I like it · Caran d’Ache Supracolor II
when someone looks at a painting I did and says, “I never water-soluble colored
would’ve thought to paint that!” pencils
In this workshop I’ll take you through several paintings · Schmincke or Winsor &
in my sketchbook, with step-by-step breakdowns on a few Newton small folding
of them. enameled steel-box
watercolor kit
· M. Graham, Holbein,
Winsor & Newton or
ShinHan Pass tube
JAMES GURNEY is the author of the
gouache
illustrated fantasy novel Dinotopia
· Jack Richeson Shiva Series
and the best-selling instructional
casein
books Color and Light, Imaginative
· Holbein Acryla Gouache
Realism, and The Artist’s Guide to
Sketching. Many of his “in the wild” BRUSHES
painting workshops are available as · Jack Richeson, Winsor &
full-length video tutorials on Newton and Artist Loft
Gumroad, Sellfy and on DVD. Visit him at jamesgurney.com, round and flat synthetic
on YouTube (gurneyjourney) or on Instagram watercolor brushes in
(@jamesgurneyart) for a daily serving of color, light various sizes
and Dinotopia. OTHER
· home-built Gurney Sketch
Easel
· spring clips
· rag
· water cup

Hutton Street
casein on paper, 4x7
The hamlet of Rhinecliff huddles alongside the Hudson River, a few

miles from where I live. The same sun that nourished the Hudson River
School painters still turns the river into a path of golden light. My
medium for Hutton Street is casein, a water-based opaque paint that
was popular before acrylic. I used just a few colors: cobalt blue, golden
ochre, Venetian red, raw umber and titanium white.
“The great lessons from the true mystics, from the Zen
monks, is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that it is
to be found in one’s daily life, in one’s neighbors,
friends, and family, in one’s backyard, and that travel
may be a flight from confronting the sacred. To be
looking everywhere for miracles is a sure sign of
ignorance that everything is miraculous.”
—ABRAHAM MASLOW
Demo 1: Grisaille Over Colored Underpainting
STEP 1 STEP 2
My wife was shopping for groceries, so I had 45 minutes to I had two tubes of gouache, white and black. I laid down the
paint. I walked to the edge of the supermarket parking lot. big tonal masses with a ½-inch flat brush, making no
There was a white van parked behind a car dealership. My attempt at detail. I interpreted the scene in two tonal
sketchbook page was already primed with a bright yellow families: 1) very-dark-plus-black, for what was in shadow,
acrylic gouache underpainting. Over that dry priming, I drew and 2) very-light-plus-white, for what was in direct sun.
some perspective guidelines with a watercolor pencil. I mainly wanted to avoid middle tones.
Behind the VW Dealership (detail)

gouache on paper, 5x8
STEP 3 STEP 4
I liked the way the van was half in the light and half in shadow. Time was running out, so I had to finish. I painted the chain
I moved to smaller brushes for details. A guy came out on his link fence in the foreground and the utility pole in the
break and sat to the left of the van to check his cell phone. distance. I used black water-soluble colored pencil for the
The sun went behind clouds for the rest of the session, so I had distant wires. The gouache surface is matte enough to be
to remember the lighting. I tried to cover all the remaining receptive to the pencil. To add a little more glare to the sky,
areas of yellow acrylic-gouache underpainting. Acrylic gouche I added a bit of white artist’s chalk in the area adjoining the
doesn’t pick up when it’s re-wet. sky, rubbing in the chalk with a soft cotton cloth.

Big Box
Landscape
gouache on
paper, 5x8
I’m fascinated by the blatant blandness of the franchise landscape, with its fast-food
restaurants and big-box stores. Because so few artists paint them, these landscapes feel to me
like unexplored frontiers, full of exciting possibilities. This view looks down on the rooftop of a
burger place from a raised vacant lot, with a strip mall in the distance.
Loading Dock
watercolor on
paper, 4½x7
While I sat behind a supermarket, two people in uniforms approached me. They’d spotted me
from the outdoor break table. One of them identified herself as the store manager. I was
nervous, trying to muster an explanation. She said, “I’m just being nosy. Can I see what you’re
doing?” It turned out she was interested in painting. We remarked on the beauty of the spring
day, and then she and her associate went back inside.
Build WORKSHOP
Demo 2: Multi-Session Nature Study
STEP 1 STEP 2
I selected a random section of a farm pond and At this stage I wanted to focus on one key area and
decided to paint it in gouache over several bring it to a finish. I chose the wild bush roses on the
consecutive days. The underpainting was a rather left side because, in the warm June weather during
bright yellow-green, the color of backlit leaves. I knew which I was working, they were likely to drop their
I’d need to cover up most of that underpainting with petals within the next couple of days. This was how far
opaque paint as I went forward. I got by the end of the first day.
STEP 3
During a subsequent session, I concentrated on the
rippling reflections in the middle distance. A dark
mass of trees was reflected on the right, and a light
sky was reflected on the left. There was also a cast
shadow on the duckweed on the surface of the water.

Wild Roses
gouache over casein
on paper, 5x8
STEP 4
Small as this painting is, it’s a universe of textures and details, and interpreting it in
paint required several consecutive two-hour sessions. Whether I focus on the human
world or the natural world, I never lack for challenges when I’m painting close to
home. The sacred is, indeed, in the ordinary. The only way to lose yourself in it is to
stop and open the sketchbook.
“[Young artists] should go to Nature in all singleness of heart,

and walk with her laboriously and trustingly, having no other
thought but how best to penetrate her meaning; rejecting
nothing, selecting nothing, and scorning nothing.”
—JOHN RUSKIN
I take Ruskin’s advice to mean that I should willfully discard the idea of improving on
nature and translate what I see into paint as faithfully as possible. This is easier said
than done. Painting every detail is impossible, so I find ways to summarize textures in
paint. Exercising this true-to-nature philosophy works best for me close to home,
because I can return to the same location enough times to accomplish the goal.
Build BUSINESS OF ART
Including place-of-birth is standard

because the global art market wants a
context for the visual references that
might appear in a body of work,
although some artists find that focus-
ing on cultural background is more
relevant. Similarly, significant per-
sonal experiences that inform the
subject matter or method of your
work might be necessary.
CHOOSE YOUR
APPROACH
An artist’s statement has no defini-
tive format. Some statements seem to
be manifestos; others are personal
musings; yet others delve into art his-
tory and theory with endless
references. Every artist finds the style
that suits his or her work, but this
takes time and regular writing.
COVER THE BASICS

Whatever your particular format,
voice or style of writing, your state-
ment needs to include certain basics:
It must introduce you, describe the
medium and form of your works and
present the major theme, social issue
or process that informs your work—
all this in fewer than 200 words.
LET IT GO!
Who Are You? When you first sit down to write,
don’t try to craft your final artist’s
statement. When you started making
Follow these tips to write an artist’s statement that art, you didn’t immediately tackle a
gets the word out about you and your work. large block of Carrara marble but
sketched and dabbled, exercising your
by C.J. Kent hand. Here, too, you want to practice
different ideas. You should plan to
write a lot more than 200 words in
a n artist’s statement is an ever-evolving text. Many artists

struggle with it; some hope to avoid it altogether. They may
make grandiose claims that art speaks for itself. Whether
that’s true or not, an artist’s statement is an integral part of a public
order to discover what you want to
say. Here are some exercises to get
you thinking:
1. Write a personal narrative of your-
ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES
presence. It cannot reasonably be avoided. With that in mind, here self as an artist. Write about your
are some basic considerations for developing this vital document. elementary-school art teacher, the
trip to Peru in high school and any-
LIMIT THE BIO thing else that has had a part in your
becoming an artist. Later, you’ll
An artist’s statement is not a life story. Mention only those extract the major moments relevant
biographical elements relevant to understanding your art. to your current body of work.

2. Look at your works and describe
them. Identify the medium in which
you work and the consistent elements “ T H I N K O F T H E A R T I S T ’ S S TAT E M E N T A S
across all your pieces. What are you
making? Include details to help create A N O P P O R T U N I T Y T O R E F L E C T O N W H AT
a vision for your reader.
3. Whether you produce landscapes,
M AT T E R S T O Y O U A N D T O C L A R I F Y T H E
abstract color fields or wood sculp- IMPULSE BEHIND THE ART IN ORDER TO
tures, consider how you gravitated
toward your subject or medium. Have GUIDE YOUR VIEWERS INTO THE FULLEST
you used other methods for other
types of work? What do you like about E X P E R I E N C E P O S S I B L E .”
your current method and practice?
4. Identify themes and issues in your
life. Are they in your works? Describe show, a grant or residency application, viewers appreciate the choices you
how they appear as visual metaphors an article or a website. Think of the made in your body of work. Esoteric
in your color palette, through your artist’s statement as an opportunity to ideas and jargon confound everyone.
medium and so on. Let yourself reflect on what matters to you and to Obtuse language is often indicative of
sound grandiose now because you clarify the impulse behind the art in artistic confusion or, worse, manipu-
can always tone it down later. If those order to guide your viewers into the lation. Aim to be direct and honest, as
issues are not present in your work, fullest experience possible. to a colleague.
discuss why art is a space apart for
you. How does your art distance you CONSIDER YOUR GIVE YOURSELF TIME
from the things that worry you, and
what does that distance offer? How
AUDIENCE An artist’s statement takes time to
might your art do the same for The reason there’s no strict format for develop. Don’t wait until the night
others? statements is because different artists before and hope to dash off some-
seek to reach different audiences. The thing brilliant. What is brilliant to
REFLECT AND CLARIFY form of the statement helps bridge you may be a morass of confused
that connection. For a show, you want declarations that make no sense to
Some artists fear that writing an art- to focus on the specific body of work others. Many find that writing an art-
ist’s statement will destroy the natural represented in the show. For a grant ist’s statement reveals ideas in the
creative impulse of their work. For var- or residency application, you may work that need additional clarifica-
ious reasons, words and ideas may feel wish to reveal relationships between tion and development. Give yourself
like nails pinning down the art, taking your work and the institute’s objec- time to think about how you want to
all life out of it. Trying to describe the tives. For your website, you could express the importance of family,
process while you’re in it is challeng- identify the major themes and materi- environment, politics, time, space,
ing, but often an artist’s statement als in your practice over the last few material, color and anything else
only becomes necessary toward the years. Generally, include personal and pertinent to your work.
end of building a body of work for a practical developments that will help
EDIT
Once you’ve written your statement,
run it by someone you trust to provide
critical feedback. If necessary, hire an
COLLECT YOUR editor. This document is the public face
THOUGHTS of your work, so you want it to ring
true. Your finely crafted artist’s state-
Set an hour aside at the beginning ment will encourage readers to become
or end of each month to write appreciative viewers of your art.
about your studio practice.
Reference these notes later when C.J. Kent is a freelance writer and editor.
you need to produce a formal She’s also the founder of Script and Type
artist’s statement. (scriptandtype.com), which helps people
express themselves efectively in writing
CREDIT
and in person.
Build WORKSHOP
TEXTURES
Architecture
in Painting
ANDREW S. CONKLIN shows a building’s texture and art-deco style
through a painterly step-by-step.
A brush full of oil paint is a much diferent tool than an

architect’s mechanical pencil. he latter suggests Materials
precision—straight lines and clean-edged forms, which OILS:
are necessary when planning a structure on a draftsman’s · Cremnitz white
table. But what does a painter do when attempting to con- · Mars black
vey the solidity and texture of a brick wall, a wooden door · raw umber
or a decorative relief? · transparent earth yellow
For the demonstration in this article, I wanted to honor · Spanish earth
Chicago artist Edgar Miller. He had trained as a painter · burnt sienna
but collaborated with architects, including Andrew · Venetian red
Rebori, on a whimsical art deco-style brick building, the · alizarin crimson
Frank F. Fisher Apartments in Chicago’s Gold Coast · neutral tint
neighborhood. Speciically, I wanted to capture a section SURFACE:
of the curved outer wall, which features a relief igure by · illustration board, 14x14,
Miller, along with one of his hand-carved wooden doors. sized with rabbit-skin glue
To do this efectively, I sometimes hewed closely to the
BRUSHES:
building’s exterior and other times made changes.
· synthetic flat wash and
angle watercolor brushes
from ⅛- to 1-inch
· genuine squirrel watercolor
mop brush
ANDREW S. CONKLIN earned a
B.F.A. from the American Academy of KNIFE:
Art, in Chicago. He attended the · palette knife No. 96
National Academy of Design and the
Art Students League of New York
before earning an M.F.A. from the
Academy of Art University, in San
Francisco. He’s represented by Gallery
Victor Armendariz, in Chicago. For more information, visit
cargocollective.com/andrewsconklin.

Red Door, Fisher Apartments
by Andrew S. Conklin
oil on panel, 14x14
Build WORKSHOP
STEP 1 STEP 2
I decided to focus on the contrasting textures of wood, I chose a square surface (illustration board) to connect the
bas-relief and brick. To show the concrete-cast relief figure, design with the Modernist influences in this 1938 building.
which is about 16 inches high, I decided to enlarge it I toned the surface with raw umber and let it dry. Then, with
considerably. I wanted a bit of color, so I swapped the a soft pencil, T-square and draftsman’s triangle, I placed the
iron-gate entrance on the left for Miller’s red wooden door, main contours of the structure and freehanded the curving
on the right. wall. I counted the courses of bricks to ensure accuracy.
STEP 3
With a synthetic watercolor brush dipped in Gamsol,
I mixed a transparent warm color of Venetian red and burnt
sienna for the red door in partial shadow and the doorway
brickwork. I then mixed a slightly cooler transparent
shadow color for the brick courses, this time using raw
umber and transparent yellow oxide.

STEP 4 STEP 5
Next came the painting of the wall. I used I blocked in the lighter part of the wall with Cremnitz
a mix of Cremnitz white, raw umber and white and a little Mars black. The mix wasn’t too thick,
transparent earth yellow. I placed these so some of the warm tone shows through. I planned to
semitransparent colors in the curving add another layer to create stronger value contrasts
doorway and the shadows on the relief between lights and shadows, since the wall consists of
sculpture, at right. only white. I also covered the concrete sidewalk with
white, raw umber and black.
STEP 6
Once the layer described in step five dried,
I used a soft pencil to draw horizontal lines
representing each brick course and the
gaps for mortar.
Build WORKSHOP
STEP 7 STEP 8
I rendered the relief figure a bit further, bringing out the I drew the first cat’s profile on tracing paper, adjusting its
features of the face and body. The relief’s scythe-like form proportions slightly. Then I transferred the contour to the
suggested a cat’s tail and prompted me to include two of my panel by rubbing the reverse with graphite and redrawing
brother Peter’s cats—both to repeat this form and add live the outline. I painted this cat with a mix of Cremnitz
elements to the composition. white, Mars black, raw umber and neutral tint. To
mimic the softness of the fur, I blended the tones with
a small squirrel-hair watercolor brush.
STEP 9
I added another layer of white to the brick courses. For the
shadows of each row, I used white and raw umber to emphasize
the strong horizontal lines of the deco wall. These lines are
echoed in the tabby stripes of the cat, which I began at this
stage. I added thin, dark shading to the door with Venetian red,
alizarin crimson and Spanish earth—then added a red collar to
the cat to match the door. I also blocked in a second cat in the
doorway to break up the large shadow shape.

STEP 10 STEP 11
I used a wide, flat watercolor brush to bring out the brick Now to the door: Using a soft graphite
texture. I piled up the white paint on the edge of the brush, pencil and a triangle, I drew angled lines
turned horizontally, and touched the bristles down in one indicating Edgar Miller’s carvings.
spot—not stroking—to leave a line of thick white paint
where it was applied. I moved from row to row and left to
right in sections. I added a second layer of paint to the left
cat, keeping the brushwork loose to add fur texture.
STEP 12
I painted the door details with a mix of white, Venetian red
and Spanish earth. I added the brick entryway with the
same colors plus raw umber. I also added sidewalk lines in
perspective to finish the painting. After a week, I used the
“oil out” technique to revive the darks that had dried matte.
Build PROMPTS
Where Are You?

Are you “well-grounded”? Do you “know your
turf”? What does it mean to “feel at home”?
All these phrases stress the desire to know
where one is in the universe—physically,
spiritually and mentally. Without a doubt, a
sense of place goes way beyond what GPS can
provide. The following prompts will help you
explore that all-important sense. —HOLLY DAVIS
1 2
Try a different type of
Make an illustrated
map of your home, illustrated “map”—one of
neighborhood or city. a nongeographic space,
such as your dreams or
fears. You could also chart
a nongeographic route, like
your thought process
when planning dinner.
3
If you typically lean The places and structures that your locality is most known for may
toward representational
art, try going abstract to
4 not be those that have most meaning to you. Draw or paint a place
or landmark in your community that conveys your more personal,
everyday experience.
convey what’s significant
to you about a particular
place. For inspiration,
think of scents, sounds,
colors and textures you
associate with that place.
GLOBE: GETTY IMAGES; MAP AND CAROUSEL: UNSPLASH
5
Cities and landscapes change
over time. Create an artwork
that suggests the passage of
time for a specific location.

6
The universe is a big place. How would you depict a planet, the stars or
7
the vastness of outer space? TIP: U.S. government-owned images on the Create a series of works
NASA website (nasa.gov) are copyright-free, so you can copy them at will showing the same
(but check the credit lines to confirm government ownership).
scene done in a variety
of media, techniques or
viewing angles. You can
add to the series
through the year to
include different
seasons.
9
8
Have you been meaning to try
Rudolf Stussi paints representationally, but his cityscapes
seem to sway with the rhythms of life. What techniques can
you use to give a cityscape a sense of vitality?
a plein air outing, but never
seem to carry out the plan? Pick a
date and place, mark your
calendar and start assembling
your supplies and gear. When
the chosen day arrives,
get out there!
SPACE: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SWRI/MSSS/GERALD EICHSTÄDT; EASEL: GETTY IMAGES
10
What mood are you in today?
If that mood were a place, what would it
look like? Draw or paint that place—or
build a model of it.
Centuries
Collide
(Berlin)
by Rudolf
Put us in your place! Stussi
Show your artwork on Instagram. watercolor,
@artistsnetwork 20x15
#artistsnetwork_prompts
The picture of authenticity
ory and romance all come together to create a truly special sense of place.
-a-kind experience for yourself. Discover The City Different at santafe.org
7 W O R L D ’ S B E S T AWA
#2 Top 15 Cities
in the U.S. #11 World’s Top
15 Cities
I N M A R FA , T H I N G S A R E N ’ T A L W AY S
T H E W AY Y O U E X P E C T T H E M T O B E , A N D
T H AT ’ S I N L A R G E P A R T W H AT H A S M A D E
THIS PLACE DEEP IN THE CHIHUAHUAN
H I G H D E S E R T O N E O F T H E M O S T TA L K E D -
A B O U T, I F U N L I K E LY, A R T D E S T I N AT I O N S
IN DECADES.
PHOTO: CAROL M. HIGHSMITH/BUYENLARGE/GETTY IMAGES; ARCHIVE PHOTOS
Untitled (detail)
by Donald Judd
on the grounds of the Chinati
Foundation; concrete,
98½x98½x194 (each cube)
Art
City,
USA
U city illustrations by
Jag Nagra
58
8 Artists Magazine
A a i JJune 2018
0
hen one thinks of Monet, what
Key
comes to mind is his garden in
Giverny. Georgia O’Keeffe conjures
wildflowers of Taos, and Thomas Affordable
Housing
Cole's landscapes apotheosize the sublime Hudson
River Valley. It’s as if the artist and the place are one.
Recognizing the symbiotic relationship of maker
Artists’
with place, we explored with our readers the leading Enclaves
cities conducive to an artful life. Aiming to winnow a
large list of contenders to 10 destinations, we asked
community members to rank locations based on Museums &
affordability, community engagement, cultural Galleries
attractions and inspirational environment—
attributes we feel best support an artist’s lifestyle.
The results offer a welcome diversity in terms of Bookstores
& Cafes
size, location and other attributes, proving there’s a
promised land waiting for all who seek it. Whether
you’re about to embark on an art career or are look-
Inspiring
ing to better support your current practice, we trust Environment
that “Art City, USA” will be your North Star, pointing
you to your true home. —michael gormley
Art
r i sts N etwork
tw k .com
om 59
5
Santa Fe New Mexico
Affordable
Housing
Artists’
Enclaves
Museums &
Galleries
Bookstores
& Cafes
Inspiring
Environment
T H E C I T Y ’S M I X T U R E
O F N AT I V E , S P A N I S H
f our hundred years of practice make perfect. In Santa Fe, art,
history and culture harmonize in ways seldom experienced
anywhere else. A longtime mecca for creatives and dreamers
of all sorts, Santa Fe’s roots run deep. Indigenous peoples have lived
there for thousands of years, and the Spanish arrived in 1610—that’s
10 years before the Mayflower set sail. The city’s mixture of Native,
A N D A N G L O C U LT U R E S Spanish and Anglo cultures makes it a hotbed of cultural and artistic
happenings, and its vibrant gallery scene and packed calendar of
MAKES IT A HOTBED events mean nobody there need be at a loss for something to do. Pair
O F C U LT U R A L that with Santa Fe’s jaw-dropping collection of museums (don’t
miss the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum) in a relatively compact, walkable
AND ARTISTIC and historic downtown, and you quickly see why so many people visit
and decide never to leave. Of course, 300 days of sunshine a year
HAPPENINGS. doesn’t hurt. Yes, Santa Fe is steeped in history, but the future—
particularly for artists, makers and creatives—looks awfully bright.
—SAMANTHA SANDERS

New York New York
n ew York is expensive and crowded, yet artists flock to the metropolis,
lured in part by a gallery system that fuels a robust art market and
offers an array of employment opportunities. Frommer’s travel guide
notes that Manhattan alone has more than 500 private art galleries.
All those flocking artists offer an immediate consolation prize, should the
M A N H AT TA N
ALONE HAS
one-person show be long in coming. Hanging out with artists is fun and inspir-
ing. It can also incite competition—not a bad thing if you need incentive to MORE THAN 500
keep working.
There’s a lot of art to look at in NYC. Gallery viewing is free, and there are
P R I VAT E A R T
hundreds of cultural institutions. Manhattan’s “Museum Mile” boasts some of GALLERIES.
the world’s finest museums, including El Museo del Barrio, the Jewish Museum,
the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim
Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. City residents can enter the Met
for as little as a dollar, and most museums have at least one free or reduced-fee
evening per week. —MICHAEL GORMLEY
Museums &
Galleries
Artists’
Enclaves
Inspiring
Environment
Bookstores
& Cafes
Asheville North Carolina
Affordable
Housing
Artists’
Enclaves
Inspiring
Environment
Bookstores
& Cafes
B O T H D AY S A N D
NIGHTS ARE SPENT
t ake in the mountainous landscape and explore all the vibrant
art and historic architecture that Asheville, North Carolina,
has to offer. Nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains, the city
of Asheville has everything a visiting tourist, artist or wayfarer may
want—not to mention a reasonable cost of living for those looking for
a big life change. For the grand experience, there’s the dome-topped
IN (AFFORDABLE) Basilica of Saint Lawrence, and you can’t go through the city without a
L U X U R Y. trip to the 19th-century Biltmore Estate, which displays artworks by
such masters as Renoir. For an artsy afternoon, there are the 310 ART
gallery, the Asheville Gallery of Art, the Folk Art Center and other gal-
leries. Just outside of the downtown area is the River Arts District,
where more than 100 local artists have chosen to set up shop. With
copious food options in downtown Asheville, both days and nights are
spent in (affordable) luxury. —MICHAEL WOODSON

Portland Oregon
w here does one begin to take in the art scene in Portland?
Without stepping inside a building, you can view at least
2,000 pieces of public art—largely thanks to Forest for the
Trees, which commissions such works and holds a yearly festival.
Galleries aren’t to be overlooked either. Three monthly art walks feature
WITHOUT STEPPING
INSIDE A BUILDING,
venues across the city or in specific art districts. Musicians, street per-
formers, restaurants and food venders add to the vibe. Need studio/living YO U C A N V I E W 2 ,0 0 0
space? Check out the Old Town District, with three buildings converted
to lofts, some with storefront studios. Looking for art education? There’s
PIECES OF PUBLIC
Pacific Northwest College of Art, Ampersand Gallery & Fine Books and A R T— L A R G E LY
the Portland Art Museum—the oldest art museum on the West Coast.
Need a dose of nature? You got it with plentiful city parks, the Portland THANKS TO FOREST
Japanese Garden, Marquam Nature Park’s 200+ acres of undeveloped
land and Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge—not to mention the Cascade FOR THE TREES.
Mountains to the east and the Pacific Coast 50 miles west. —HOLLY DAVIS
Affordable
Housing
Artists’
Enclaves
Inspiring
Environment
Bookstores
& Cafes
Austin Texas
Affordable
Housing
Artists’
Enclaves
Inspiring
Environment
ART ALLIANCE AUSTIN

CONNECTS THE
t o many, the capital city and cultural epicenter of the Lone Star State
are the same—Austin. With the slogan “Keep Austin Weird,” the
city takes pride in the offbeat and eye-catching. Art, no surprise, is
a significant part of that mix. Both East and West Austin boast of yearly
open studios put on by Big Medium, a nonprofit promoting contemporary
art in Texas. Art Alliance Austin connects the city’s community with artists
C I T Y ’S C O M M U N I T Y and makers through festivals, fairs and collaborations. Austin Art Garage is
one of many galleries in the city putting hometown makers first, offering
WITH ARTISTS AND affordable artworks ranging in style from street to folk to Texas-inspired.
MAKERS THROUGH In Austin, you’ll find a 60-ton Cathedral of Junk and a monumental build-
ing designed by Ellsworth Kelly at the Blanton Museum of Art. Keenly
F E S T I VA L S , FA I R S A N D aware of the importance of creatives to its community, in 2017 Austin
launched its Art Space Assistance Program, funding affordable space for
C O L L A B O R AT I O N S . artists to rehearse, create and perform. That, along with warehouse rede-
velopment efforts, helps keep the arts alive in Austin. —COURTNEY JORDAN

Chicago Illinois
c hicago exists at the crossroads of America—both geographically and
culturally. With so many stories converging in one place, it’s not sur-
prising that the Windy City is host to a multitude of well-established
and flourishing art communities. In addition to mainstays like the Art Institute
of Chicago (known for one of the greatest collections of Impressionist paintings
C AT C H A L I V E
R E A D I N G AT
outside of France) and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago is home to a
plethora of other museums that represent the richness of the city’s popula- BOOKSTORES
tion—such as the National Museum of Mexican Art and the Ukrainian Institute
of Modern Art. The nonprofit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art (Intuit) is a
SUCH AS WOMEN
pioneer in promoting outsider and self-taught artists. Gallery crawlers won’t & CHILDREN
want to miss the three-floor Mars Gallery in the West Loop. For a more literary
turn, catch a live reading at bookstores such as the Book Cellar, Quimby’s F I R S T.
Bookstore and Women & Children First. —MIKE ALLEN
Museums &
Galleries
Bookstores
& Cafes
Los Angeles California
Museums &
Galleries
Artists’
Enclaves
"LOS ANGELES
M AY B E T H E M O S T
i t may be most closely associated with the entertainment indus-
try, but Los Angeles, and the sprawling metropolitan area
surrounding it, offer serious rewards for fine artists. It’s not the
most picturesque destination in this list—as the filmmaker and his-
torian Thom Andersen has observed, “Los Angeles may be the most
photographed city in the world, but it’s one of the least photoge-
PHOTOGRAPHED CITY nic”—but the surrounding landscape offers abundant natural
beauty, from the coastal views of the Palos Verdes peninsula to the
IN THE WORLD, BUT San Gabriel Mountains, which rise to the north of the city’s skyline.
I T ’S O N E O F T H E On the museum front, big names include the Getty and the Los
Angeles County Museum of Art. Midsize institutions include the
LEAST PHOTOGENIC." Norton Simon Museum, the Long Beach Museum of Art and the
Japanese American National Museum, to name just a few.
THOM ANDERSEN Complementing these is an extensive network of galleries and alter-
native art spaces serving contemporary artists of all stripes.
—AUSTIN R. WILLIAMS

New Orleans Louisiana
i f you’re bored in New Orleans, you’re not doing it right. There are
plenty of museums to choose from—like the New Orleans Museum
of Art and the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes & Culture. There’s
no shortage of good food or drink, either. The Carousel Bar & Lounge,
located in the Hotel Monteleone, is a merry-go-round bar that’s been
A R T, I N I T S M A N Y
FORMS, CAN BE THE
revolving since 1949. But what you’re really in the Big Easy for is, of
course, the music. Whether you’re walking down Bourbon Street or pop- FINEST MEDICINE
ping into one of the many music clubs, like Preservation Hall, you simply
can’t escape the magic that is New Orleans jazz. And did I mention Mardi
FOR OUR SOULS.
Gras? Two weeks of parades and costumes, with the traditional colors of
purple, green and gold—a tradition more than three centuries old. New
Orleans is a city that knows heartache, with the effects of Hurricane
Katrina still lingering, but it also knows perseverance in the face of trag-
edy and the way that art, in its many forms, can be the finest medicine
for our souls. —MICHAEL WOODSON
Affordable
Housing
Inspiring
Environment
Denver Colorado
Inspiring
Environment
DENVER IS A PLACE
WHERE MOTHER
v isitors to Denver are never hard-pressed to find gasp-worthy
vistas. Take in the vast blue skies of the High Plains to the
east. Stop and stare as the sun gilds the Rocky Mountains to
the west. As the capital of Colorado and also the highest city in the
United States (at an altitude of exactly one mile above sea level),
Denver is a place where Mother Nature puts on her best. The city
N AT U R E P U T S O N delivers more than 4,000 acres of urban and traditional parkland and
another 14,000 acres of skyline mountain parks. Day-trippers can
H E R B E S T. explore hundreds of miles of forest—studded with lakes, waterfalls
and wildlife—at Rocky Mountain National Park, or merge onto the
Mount Evans Scenic Byway—the highest paved road in North
America—which twists and turns as it rises 9,000 feet through five
climate zones to the summit of Mount Evans. For artists who appreci-
ate that inexplicable connection between the outdoors and creativity,
Denver offers one of the most inspiring environments of all.
—COURTNEY JORDAN

Philadelphia Pennsylvania
p hiladelphia wears its art history on its sleeve; monuments
dating from the nation’s founding coexist with more recent
creative works. Independence National Historical Park, home
of the Liberty Bell and the site of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence, is just a short walk from downtown
M O R E T H A N 2 ,0 0 0
MURALS MAKE THE
Philly. Complementing the 18th-century Georgian architecture and
statuary are more than 2,000 murals, making the city a contender for CITY A CONTENDER
the mural capital of the world. Philadelphia’s museums include the
Barnes Foundation, the Institute of Contemporary Art at the FOR THE MURAL
University of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine C A P I TA L O F T H E
Arts and the Rodin Museum (the largest collection of Auguste Rodin’s
work outside Paris). And don’t miss Philadelphia’s Magic Garden, WORLD.
where you can enjoy live music or just explore the outdoor labyrinth
of folk and mosaic art. —MIKE ALLEN
Museums &
Galleries
MARFA
Untitled
by Donald Judd
on the grounds of the Chinati Foundation; concrete, 98½x98½x194 (each cube)
PHOTO: CAROL M. HIGHSMITH/BUYENLARGE/GETTY IMAGES; ARCHIVE PHOTOS

The small desert city of Marfa, Texas, has become an unlikely magnet
for artists and art lovers. by Samantha Sanders
TEXAS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
A panorama of the desert in Marfa, Texas, with the Davis Mountains in the background; headquarters
of the Chinati Foundation, a contemporary art museum in Marfa; the Judd Foundation building on
Highland Avenue; “Welcome to Marfa” sign
he artist Donald Judd collected more buildings that he transformed into a permanent space to
T
than 13,000 books, many of which showcase art in a nonmuseum setting.
PANORAMA: GETTY IMAGES; CHINATI: CAROL M. HIGHSMITH/BUYENLARGE/GETTY IMAGES;

are now housed in a curated library Most writing about Marfa begins or ends with Judd
in Marfa, Texas, the town Judd made because it now seems so difficult to untangle the man
his home from 1979 until his death from the larger story of the town—but it’s a very real
in 1994. Curiously, Judd organized place that nearly 2,000 people call home. It’s a town, not
his books not alphabetically or by a hashtag. Just as Vegas has public libraries, New York
subject but in order of their authors’ has chain restaurants, and Hollywood has post offices,
JUDD FOUNDATION AND SIGN: SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES
birth. Like much of what Judd everyday life exists alongside the myth in Marfa.
touched, this system seems idiosyncratic but reveals, on In fact, the everyday realities of Marfa were what
closer inspection, a certain logic. The same can be said of appealed to Judd. It was a place that offered both free-
the town. In Marfa, things aren’t always the way you dom and space. In a mission statement for the Chinati
expect them to be, and that’s in large part what has made Foundation, a contemporary art museum in Marfa that
this place deep in the Chihuahuan high desert one of the Judd founded and that still continues his legacy, he
most talked-about, if unlikely, art destinations in wrote, “The art and architecture of the past that we know
decades. is that which remains. The best is that which remains
Marfa’s reputation as an overnight sensation doesn’t where it was painted, placed or built. Most of the art of
give the town its full due; it’s now deep into its fifth the past that could be moved was taken by conquerors.”
decade as a draw for artists. Judd first visited Marfa in To Judd, Marfa was his fortress against would-be
1971, although he didn’t buy property there until 1979, conquerors. Its art would not be moved, and its remote-
after first considering California. He acquired Fort D.A. ness set the stage for the town to essentially become a
Russell, a compound of decommissioned military modern pilgrimage site for artists.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
Marfa Mystery Lights Viewing Center; the Wrong Store and Gallery; A woman and her dog watch the
sunset in Marfa; old train line; The Get Go grocery store
L
egacy alone isn’t enough to make most people pack actually had kind of a hard time living in it for quite a
WRONG STORE AND GET GO: SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES; OTHER PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
up their lives and move, of course, particularly to a while. Once I figured it out, I think I was able to appreci-
place that’s a three-hour drive from the nearest air- ate it. Now it feels like home.”
port. Marfa boasts a Dollar General, a few grocery I pressed Green further about this adjustment process,
stores, an outsize number of restaurants for a town its size, and she described the unique interplay between place and
and the country’s smallest National Public Radio station, culture that makes Marfa so distinct from other towns.
Marfa Public Radio (93.5 on the dial). It also has a long and “Most of us have been to remote places, but maybe [that
varied history prior to Judd’s arrival. Among other things, feeling] is even more distinct in Marfa because it’s a desert
it’s been a railroad water stop, a base for the cavalry to pro- landscape,” she says. “And the sky is so large because the
tect West Texas from Pancho Villa (that would be Fort D.A. horizon line is so low. Then you see the mountains around
Russell) and a filming site for Hollywood movies—from you and anything that sticks up—the town, the people in
Giant, in 1956, to There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old it—is distinct from the landscape. The remoteness stands
Men, both filmed in 2006. out. And it’s very quiet in Marfa. There’s little noise
With a population smaller than many suburban high beyond nature. So that feeling of being so far from the rest
schools, there’s a very real intimacy to daily life there of what you know feels dominant.”
that’s not for everyone. Kate Green, a former curator at
J
Marfa Contemporary, admitted to me in a phone call that udd famously hated the term “minimalism,” but if
moving there was a difficult adjustment. She describes I were to ask you to picture some of Judd’s work—
the landscape as “so different, with its horizontality. the sort of thing you’d see on a postcard from
Having grown up in the Northeast and Northwest, I was Marfa—you might call to mind his concrete boxes
used to the landscape being dominated by these tall trees. in the desert. It’s the austerity of the work that fixes it
I had to figure out what was different, and that’s why I in the mind of its viewer. Although Judd would never
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
Judd Art Studio in Marfa; Judd’s Spring Street studio in New York City; man in a Judd cube;
Judd cubes in Marfa
ART STUDIO: ELIZABETH FELICELLA/ESTO; © JUDD FOUNDATION/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK;
SPRING STREET: CHARLIE RUBIN © JUDD FOUNDATION/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK; MAN:
describe it as minimalist, Marfa has become known for There’s an intangible, romantic quality to Marfa
just this kind of work: large-scale, permanent, fixed and the surrounding desert. Painter Ann Marie
and sometimes inscrutable. But understanding what Nafziger—who has lived in Marfa since 2002 and
MARTIN ROBLES/UNSPLASH; CUBES: CAROL M. HIGHSMITH/BUYENLARGE/GETTY IMAGES

Judd was trying to do unlocks the meaning of the place been the town’s mayor since May 2017—finds inspi-
and much of the art it’s known for. ration in it for her own work. “The great expanse of
Judd came to Marfa not just for the space but in sky, the way that the light affects color and the dis-
search of authenticity. He was dissatisfied with the tance with which one can see are really inspiring,” she
New York art world in which, he felt, tastemakers and says. “It evokes a sense of freedom in whatever I’m
curators divorced art from its power. To Judd, if an working on, whether it’s a painting or a project or
artist worked his piece in the studio or on a chosen even just the intention of something that I’d like to
plot of land, to remove it from that place and put it in do or see happen. There is a broad sense of freedom
a gallery or museum felt false. He hoped in Marfa to that I think people would describe as ‘the West,’ that
give primacy back to his creations. vast and open feeling. People who are drawn to areas
A visit to the New York home and studio that Judd like this to live and work tend to have an entrepre-
left behind—now a museum—reveals a disciplined and neurial spirit—or that kind of freedom is something
ordered mind. Tables were built in proportion to the that’s really important to them.”
scale of the massive windows overlooking SoHo, and a A large part of Nafziger’s job as mayor is making
loft bed for Judd’s children features a ladder built so sure that Marfans themselves aren’t lost in the shuffle.
simply and ingeniously that I wondered why I’d never “There’s so much attention from the outside world on
seen one like it before. Once you accept Judd’s exacting the arts and tourism, but there’s a whole community of
nature, his move to Marfa feels less like pretension and people who live and work here all the time,” she says.
more like a spiritual quest. “So I try to really focus on that part of the community.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
A woman walks her dog past the John Chamberlain Building at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa; diners
wait to order food from the Food Shark food truck on Marfa’s Highland Avenue; Marfa’s desert landscape
I
We’re a really diverse community, and I’m always f you go there, Marfa will welcome you, but it takes a
looking for our shared values. What are the things that person suited to the landscape, isolation and quiet to
bring us together?” make a serious go of it. So if you’re an artist searching
Green says something similar. “It sometimes feels as for your own space, how do you find your Marfa?
WOMA AND TRUCK: SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES; LANDSCAPE: GETTY IMAGES
if there are two groups: the art community and the “The most important thing, I’d say, is to simply make sure
community at large,” she says. “But there are certainly that you’re really being true to yourself and what it is that
plenty of us that exist in both of those realms. You’ll you want,” says Nafziger, when I ask her this question.
see people at a Zumba class and also at an exhibition “Years ago I lived in Portland, Oregon, which isn’t a major
opening.” For Green, the divide isn’t something dis- art center, and I lived and worked there for about 10 years.
tinct about Marfa but, instead, a larger phenomenon of I had a great group of artist friends there and it was a really
which Marfa is often cited as an example. “The 100 or rich time for me, but being in Marfa is similar—the experi-
so people [in the art community] are a very visible ences I have here are very rich. My goal as an artist is to still
element of Marfa, so it creates this kind of stark dis- be painting or making work when I’m 90 years old, so it’s
tinction that you might not otherwise have,” she says. about what’s going to continue to be with me as an artist so
“But we’ve had the same conversations in every place: that I want to keep practicing. And frankly, right now, being
Austin, Brooklyn, Portland. There are always the ques- mayor is a big part of that. You never know where things are
tions of gentrification and what it means when a going to take you. One road leads to another, and the next
creative community comes in and raises house prices. thing you know, you’re mayor of Marfa.”
The really important questions—the topics that are on
people’s minds and that come up in city council meet- Samantha Sanders is the event content director for Artists
ings or conversations with friends—are also questions Network and a writer whose work has appeared in Catapult
that most places are grappling with.” and he Awl. She lives in New York City.
Painting
in the
Streets
Erasing the Street Art Stigma
There was a time, not

long ago, when street art
was believed to be the
work of derelicts, unruly
hooligans with a clear
disrespect for the city in
which they lived. This is an unfair
generalization. The works of these artisans are
not only breathtaking in their own right, but
they often bring communities together and
shine a light on larger issues that stretch
beyond their city’s borders. We spoke with two
organizations about their investment in street
art, the impact they have and the legacy they
will leave.
by Michael Woodson

ArtWorks—
Cincinnati, Ohio
ArtWorks, a nonprofit organization in
Cincinnati, Ohio, invests in creativity.
Founded in 1996, it employs and
trains local artists to create art and
impact the community through three
programming areas: public art, art
therapy and entrepreneurships. It
contributes more than $800,000 in
wages to youth and professional art-
ists annually. “We accomplish this
through murals, sculptural installa-
tions, vinyl applications, photography
and film, light-based art, performa-
tive work, entrepreneurship, and
superhero capes for children experi-
encing emotional and physical
challenges,” says Cori Wolff, the direc-
tor of programs at ArtWorks.
The mural program, established in
2007, is arguably the activity for
which the organization is best known.
ArtWorks employs and trains 120
young artists (“apprentices”) between
the ages of 14 and 21 each summer
to work with professional artists in
creating murals throughout the
Greater Cincinnati area. There is
scarcely a district in that territory
untouched by this initiative. Julie
Ustick, a teaching artist with
77
ArtWorks since 2003, became a project manager on
one of these murals in 2008. “I’m particularly keen
on supporting young and emerging artists as they
gain experience and take on ambitious projects,” she
says. “Working with apprentices is one of the most
incredible facets of these projects. There’s nothing
like completing a large mural and then standing
back to look at your work, knowing that it will be in
your community for decades to come.”
The murals are initiated in a variety of ways, and
a popular one is for the public to submit ideas on
the ArtWorks website. “On average, we receive two
to five submissions per week,” says Wolff.
The ArtWorks team reviews submissions and con-
ducts preliminary conversations about scope,
employment impact, budget, timeline, artistic
vision and location. ArtWorks also invests in strate-
gic initiatives and year-over-year partnerships that
celebrate and reflect Cincinnati’s vibrant communi-
ties. Their aim is to address social issues and
provide innovative opportunities for bold, contem-
porary, artist-driven work.
Once a decision is made based on a submission,
the mural’s style, theme and color palette are deter-
mined through discussions and hands-on sessions
with partners, neighborhood representatives and
artists. “ArtWorks recruits youth apprentices
(including more than 51 percent from low-income
homes) from diverse communities to partake in
enrichment from and implementation of the art
under the guidance and mentorship of professional
teaching artists,” says Wolff. “Once the project is
complete, the general public is invited to a celebra-
tory dedication event.”
Josie Masset has been an apprentice for ArtWorks
for four years. Her experience working with the organi-
zation has given her an even greater artistic purpose
than she’d expected. “I knew I wanted to work in the
arts, but I felt like what I was producing lacked sub-
stance or meaning,” she says. “I never really expressed Cincinnati’s rich history of artisans, makers and entrepreneurs
traditional emotions through my art. Working for often plays into ArtWorks murals. In partnership with the Brewery
District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, ArtWorks
ArtWorks, meeting professional artists both local and
employed artist Jim Effler and a team of apprentices to create the
visiting, I’ve learned that art can be used to convey brewing-inspired art installation, Prost to Cincinnati. Seen above
valuable messages, such as the value of human rights.” is Zinsy Ist Bier.
“ArtWorks murals have helped cultivate civic © 2017 ARTWORKS / BLDG / 1700 VINE ST. / PHOTO BY J. MILES WOLF

“To be an artist means pride; reduce crime, vandalism and littering;
develop an increased sense of safety; attract and
retain talent; connect communities and encourage
choosing a life where you dialogue to build cultural understanding,” says
Wolff. “The economic impact has been profound.
can always be exploring and ArtWorks remains the largest employer of artists in
the region.”
learning and truly living.” Ustick, reflecting on what ArtWorks has done for
her career, says, “ArtWorks has put so much faith in
—Josie Masset, ArtWorks apprentice me, and I have nothing but gratitude, pride and
admiration for the work that we’ve done together in
our community.”
That community outreach is expressed with sin-
cerity by Masset, who speaks fondly about a project
she worked on this past summer. “I worked on the
Faces of Homelessness mural (above) on Vine Street.
We met and spoke with people who had experienced
or are experiencing homelessness in the area. It
really changed my outlook on how I treat people. It
taught me how kindness and openness is valued by
everyone and how important it is to see people for
who they are, not the issues they may be facing. I’ve
never been so proud to work on a project, and noth-
ing has ever been so meaningful to me as both an
artist and a person.”
The Portland Street Art Alliance (PSAA) is a non-
LEARN MORE AT ARTWORKSCINCINNATI.ORG.
According to the
organization,
“PSAA advocates
for artists by
working with the
City and
stakeholders to
develop more
equitable and
inclusive policies
and programs.
Our mission is to
cultivate a more
democratic
culture of artistic
expression, by
activating public
spaces and
broadening
perspectives to
build a more
engaged and
diverse city.”
Portland Street Art Alliance—Portland, Oregon

profit organization that promotes creative murals. This project is visible in the Central
interventions in public spaces. “We engage the pub- Eastside business community, and we are now
lic by creating street art, documenting and working with a larger team to enact an official
promoting the history of street art and providing mural district there.”
educational forums for community-building,” says Like ArtWorks in Cincinnati, PSAA has a deep belief
PSAA’s president Tiffany Conklin. “We do murals, that art not only has the ability to beautify a city, but
art installations, digital art design, guerrilla market- it can also bring the city together. “We’re a network of
ing campaigns, live painting, events and more.” artists, academics and professionals who believe
One of the newer projects is in the field of graffiti vibrant street art is an essential ingredient in building
art. “In 2016 we started a rotating graffiti production a unique, dynamic and playful city,” says Conklin. One
called ‘The Alexis Walls,’” says Conklin. “We were way PSAA engages the city is by offering public and
approached by property owners who were tired of private street art tours, where people can view the
constantly buffing graffiti. They didn’t have a specific street art created by PSAA and also visit active paint-
artist or any mural content in mind and seemed ing sites and have the opportunity to talk with artists.
pretty open. So we proposed a deal with them.”
That deal was for the property owners to make a
flat donation to PSAA in support of their mission and,
in return, the organization would adopt the wall and “Allowing for free expression
curate it—managing it for the next five years or until
the building was sold. With a mural permit given to in public space ensures that
them by the city, they were ready and raring to go.
“It is a pretty unique and dynamic project because
it showcases some of the finest Pacific Northwest
everyone has an equal oppor-
artistic talents from the traditional graffiti world
and the railroad/folk scene,” she says. “It is one of tunity to express themselves.”
the first walls of its kind in the city. It took us about
two weeks to prep the walls (with community —Tiffany Conklin, president of
volunteers), paint the base coat and paint all the Portland Street Art Alliance

Muralist Mado Hues became involved with PSAA
after meeting the founders at an art show and helped
out on their Sunnyside mural project. “The experi-
ence has definitely expanded my style by challenging
me to create images that are out of my comfort zone,”
says the artist. “It’s given me the opportunity to
make my artistic expression a less personal process
by collaborating with not only other artists but all
sorts of people in the Portland community.”
In the last few years, Portland has received wide-
spread acclaim for its artistic atmosphere. Conklin’s
response to its increased popularity is that it’s long
overdue. “Portland is known for its quirky DIY
mentality, progressive urban planning, bicycle-
friendliness and livable neighborhoods,” she says.
“Some of Portland’s best street art can be found in its
major cultural centers like Alberta, Belmont,
Hawthorne, Central Eastside and Mississippi. It could
be argued that some of the allure of these neighbor-
hoods and main streets is all the art! In Portland’s
neighborhoods you can find art by internationally
renowned artists, local legends and anonymous citi-
zens. Portland is finally getting on the world map for
having an amazing mural collection.”
Hues hopes people feel waves of optimism and
joy when seeing the work PSAA delivers. “I hope it
triggers their curiosity to learn about the history
and existing communities in a neighborhood they
may not be familiar with.” He’s quick to express his
thanks to those who help beautify local communi-
ties. “Public art is a way for any community to
express their ideas to the world, and we need to
keep those voices alive.”
Michael Woodson is an associate editor of Artists

Magazine.
LEARN MORE AT PDXSTREETART.ORG.

SURREAL
SUBURBIA
Using unexpected bits of cultural imagery,
Peter Drake creates a visual narrative of
a suburban dream that never existed.
by Michael Gormley

Artist, curator and
educator Peter Drake
recently mounted a one-person exhibition titled “Re-picture” at Linda Warren Projects in
Chicago. The show comprises Drake’s acrylic paintings on canvas, completed over the last five
years, as well as more recent black-and-white works on canvas and paper. The work explores a
narrative steeped in Americana with imagery stitched together from popular TV family sitcoms
(Ozzie and Harriet, The Brady Bunch), vintage House Beautiful magazine ads and favorite child-
hood toys—all reassembled to relay a more realistic, nuanced and, at times, vaguely sinister
everyman tale. “All of my work collages bits and pieces of cultural detritus into new narra-
tives,” Drake says. “By cropping, omitting and adding to found imagery, I shed light on small,
strange moments.”
WAKING FROM THE SUBURBAN DREAM

America’s suburbs—emblematic of the good life—loom large in the collective consciousness.
How could they not? Possibly more impactful than the actual lived experience, the utopian trap-
pings of the suburban lifestyle permeate, from high- to lowbrow, nearly every form of cultural
production. Images and narratives of the American suburban life have been burned into our
consciousness, but they exist as temporal constructs—more real than our actual lives. We anx-
iously grab for more than we need (or fear losing what we already have) while grieving the loss
of a suburban paradise that never actually existed.
WHERE THERE IS A DISCONNECT

Works such as People Stroking Their House I (page 84), Light My Pill
(right) and Carol Is Shocked (below) exemplify Drake’s framing of the
suburban dream—a dream reimagined as a disjointed narrative that’s
absurdly and sometimes poignantly at odds with media-driven norms.
Drake’s working method reinforces the real/unreal disconnect.
ABOVE
Light My Pill
acrylic on board,
11¾x11
LEFT
Carol Is Shocked
acrylic on canvas,
40x50
OPPOSITE
Harriet Walks Away
acrylic on canvas,
24x33
Although his work is representational, the artist’s use of
scumbling over high-keyed grounds, numerous glaze layers and
subtractive wipe-out technique imbues his paintings with a
mannered artifice. The resulting distortions and painterly sur-
faces create a tension that distances the work from the
photorealism and academic approaches employed by many figu-
rative artists. “I have been naturally gravitating toward acrylic
because I love to be able to glaze all day,” says Drake. “I almost
never stop painting when I’m working in acrylic. This process
also appeals to my understanding of the visual world. Most
visual experiences (in particular the human form) are built up
from layers and layers of visual information. To accurately
reproduce this experience, you have to have layers and layers of
paint.”
This heightened expressiveness and aesthetic assertion is
refreshing; we think painting first, then concept, then repre-
CLOCKWISE sentation. Similitude, as a defining and ascendant attribute, is suppressed in service to an
FROM TOP idea or intention. The objective here is to signify the half-asleep haze of late-night TV
Not Sanitary
viewing and the blurring of boundaries between the experience of real life and life experi-
acrylic on canvas,
8x8 enced through the filter of media. Drake notes, “I’m always thinking cinematically in my
own work and find myself constantly compelled to think of movies one frame at a time.”
People Stroking With his painted images derived from other media images (in this instance, mass media’s
Their House I representation of suburban life), rather than from a life observed, Drake is offering a
acrylic on canvas,
32x40 commentary on perceptual strategies and the assumed primacy that manufactured imag-
ery exerts over observed reality. We are, ultimately, what we scroll to.
Spool Although the presence of the lens and its impact on the development of visual cul-
acrylic on paper, ture certainly inform Drake’s perceptions of reality, this influence is paradoxically
sanded, on canvas,
tempered by Drake’s insistence on historicizing cinquecento. Inspired pictorial strategies
24x19
such as object outlines, forms flattened into compositional patterns and shallow pictorial
space evince a full-on flight from reality.
Drake’s black-and-white paintings are a further foray into a dreamlike world and offer a
strong counterpoint to his color-rich inventions. Distilled to tone and gesture, one won-
ders whether Drake is challenging himself to arrive at an expression as compelling as his

full-palette works. He does. Direct descendants of Gerhard Richter’s barely-there and fading-fast
portraits in black and white, Harriet Walks Away (page 82), Spool (opposite) and Not Sanitary
(opposite) evoke traces of memory—the half-recalled and half-repressed stories that scratch
incessantly at the door of consciousness. Here, Drake employs his subtractive brushwork to
great effect, conjuring the grainy texture and noir drama of late-night B-movie horror. Tight
cinematic cropping ramps up the anxiety. Reframed formerly innocuous images lose their
implied context, and the viewer—with good, albeit flawed and all-too-human intentions—is
left to fill in the blanks, naturally assuming the worst.
“I believe that all pictures have various levels of meaning,” Drake says. “There’s the
original intention and then everything beyond that intention. The most magical aspect of
pictures is the degree to which they exceed their original intentions.”
A SPACE FOR OPTIMISM

All is not dark and foreboding in Drake’s surreal suburbia; we just sense the discord because
the reality hits hard against the fancy. In Arrival (below), a chipped-paint-covered tin-toy
family—standing in for newly landed immigrants—surveys the spacious skies and fruited
plains lauded in Katherine Lee Bates’ “America the Beautiful.” Do these toys not call to the
innocent hope and longing for good we once had as children? If ever there was a time for God
to shed his grace, it is surely now. Arrival
acrylic on canvas,
Michael Gormley is the content strategist and editor-in-chief of Artists Magazine. 56x76
86
JOURNEY OF
A LIFETIME
Artists Magazine June 2018

Drawing on influences from both sides of the Atlantic, Thomas Cole brought attention to the glory
of pure wilderness and the encroaching order of civilization. by John A. Parks
View of the Round-Top in the Catskill Mountains (Sunny Morning on the Hudson)
by Thomas Cole
1827; oil on panel, 18⅝x25⅜
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON; GIFT OF MARTHA C. KAROLIK FOR THE M. AND M. KAROLIK COLLECTION OF AMERICAN PAINTINGS, 1815–1865 (47.1200); PHOTOGRAPH © MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON
he most distinctive, and perhaps the most impressive,
characteristic of American scenery is its wildness,”
wrote the painter Thomas Cole (1801–48) in an 1836
essay. “It is the most distinctive because in civilized
Europe the primitive features of scenery have long
since been destroyed or modified.”
With his powerful understanding of the primeval
nature of the land itself, Cole can rightly be called the
founding father of American landscape painting, an
artist whose work communicated the vast magnifi-
cence of the New World wilderness with a directness
and vitality that set it apart from European painting.
Yet, as his ambitions grew, Cole’s work formed a pas-
sionate critique of the new American values, with
their embrace of raw commercialism, sprawling indus-
trialization and the destruction of natural settings in
pursuit of gain.
More than a mere preservationist, he took an
encompassing view of the nature of human interac-
tion with the landscape. He saw human history as a
broad arc in which wilderness gives way to the plough
and cities rise from villages to form great civilizations
only to be undermined by their own venality and
corruption to fall into eventual ruin.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York
City, is showing a major exhibition of Cole’s paint-
ings, concentrating on his early work and the
subsequent influence of his first European trip,
giving viewers the opportunity to enjoy his abundant
gifts and to contemplate his sobering outlook.
Formative Years
Cole’s view of how human activity affects landscape apprenticed to an engraver in Chorley, Lancashire, at
must surely have formed at an early age. He was born in the age of 13. The family religion was Calvinism, a dis-
England in Bolton, Lancashire, a hotbed of the senting Protestant sect that prized, among other
Industrial Revolution where factories and grim terraces things, the virtue of hard work. This apparently did not
of workers’ housing lay in a long river valley. The sur- prove sufficient for the success of Cole’s father, who
rounding landscape was more or less open moorland, a undertook a long series of failed business ventures.
juxtaposition that could not have been lost on the boy. After Chorley, the family moved to Liverpool, where
Cole’s family was only modestly middle-class, and he young Thomas worked for an engraver and probably
received a brief and unhappy education before being first saw engravings of the paintings of his day.

In 1818 the family immigrated to the United View From Mount Holyoke, Northampton,
States, and Cole found himself once again working Massachusetts, After a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow
for an engraver, this time in Philadelphia. By now by Thomas Cole
1836; oil on canvas, 51½x76
he had conceived the ambition of becoming a THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK; GIFT OF MRS. RUSSELL
painter and received instruction from an itinerant SAGE, 1908 (08.228); IMAGE © THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
portrait painter, John Stein, who lent Cole a man-
ual on painting, which he later described as
“illustrated with engravings, and treatment of
design, composition and colour. This book was my
companion day and night … my ambition grew, and landscape that would become his inspiration. Staying
in my imagination I pictured the glory of being a in the environs of Catskill, the town where he would
great painter.” eventually settle, he made a number of sketches that
he later developed into a group of paintings that
would set him on a path to success. Exhibited in a
Right Time shop window in New York that fall, they caught the
and Place eye of John Trumbull, the president of the American
Academy of the Fine Arts. He recognized immediately
Cole threw himself into the pursuit of “being a great the presence of a new and original voice and pur-
painter,” adopting the habit of drawing directly from chased one of the pictures.
nature, an approach that allowed him to capture fea-
tures of the American landscape, unencumbered by
European stereotypes. He was also fortunate at this Vast, Wild View
time to receive a commission that took him to the To understand what was so innovative about Cole’s pic-
Caribbean, where he experienced firsthand a tropical tures, consider his early work View of the Round-Top in
environment with all its wealth of exotic vegetation. the Catskill Mountains (Sunny Morning on the Hudson)
In 1825, Cole moved to New York, hoping to estab- (pages 86–87). To the casual viewer, it might appear
lish a career as a painter. From an economic point of very much in line with early 19th-century European
view, he couldn’t have chosen a better moment; New landscape painting, with its warm ground, carefully
York was humming with trade, and the Erie Canal was graded tonal values and deep aerial perspective. What is
about to open, establishing the city as the focal point unusual is a kind of abrupt starkness in the composi-
of trade to the Midwest via the Hudson River. tion, an almost naive directness, as well as a forthright
Moreover, a tourist trade was just starting, fueled by approach to the idea of a panorama.
interest in the wild landscape of the Hudson Valley. The sense of starkness comes from the bold shape
The Catskill Mountain House had opened in 1824, of the mountain on the left, whose dark, shadowy
offering incomparable vistas and civilized accommo- presence dominates the painting. Silhouetted against
dations. So it was in the summer of 1825 that Cole this, in brilliant light, a group of blasted trees and a
took a steamer up the Hudson and discovered the squat, overgrown tree stump dramatically suggest the

The Course of Empire: The Consummation of Empire
by Thomas Cole
1835–36; oil on canvas, 51¼x76
English Influences
NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY; GIFT OF THE NEW YORK GALLERY OF THE FINE ARTS
Cole set sail for England in May 1829, arriving in
(1858.3); DIGITAL IMAGE CREATED BY OPPENHEIMER EDITIONS London in time to catch the end of the annual Royal
Academy Exhibition at Somerset House, where he saw
the work of J.M.W. Turner in person for the first time.
Turner (1775–1851), the foremost painter of the age,
brute forces of nature. Hovering around the valley are impressed Cole with the scope and force of his imagi-
various misty clouds, which draw the viewer’s eye into nation. Cole was less impressed when he actually met
the deep background where the Hudson River snakes the great artist. “He looks like a seafaring man, a mate
its way into the landscape. Just visible on the river’s of a coasting vessel, and his manners were in accor-
surface are a number of ships. dance with his appearance” Cole wrote. “I can scarcely
The viewer is effectively placed in a commanding reconcile my mind to the idea that he painted those
view and left to contemplate the implications of all grand pictures.”
that he or she can see: the eternal solidity of the Cole was more comfortable with John Constable
mountain, the harsh forces of the wind and seasons, (1776–1837), with whom he formed something of a
and the encroachment of human activity in the far friendship and whose conservative views were more in
distance. The presentation of panoramic views was keeping with his own. Perhaps the most important
much in vogue at the time, and a number of artists influence during Cole’s English stay was his viewing of
had exhibited work in purpose-built galleries in both two paintings by Claude Lorrain (1600–82) at the
London and New York, where the viewer stood on a National Gallery, particularly Seaport With the
platform and surveyed a 360-degree view of a city or Embarkation of Saint Ursula. With their resplendent
vista. In such a setup the artist becomes a sort of light effects and exquisite handling, Lorraine’s paint-
intermediary, affecting to place the viewer within the ings incorporated narrative scenes from biblical and
experience rather than providing a substitute for the classical sources in a way that was truly poetic. “… to
experience through art. me, he is the greatest of all landscape painters …”
wrote Cole.
Variations on a Theme
Trumbull’s recognition gained Cole introductions to Italian Influences
the inner circles of American painting as well as its From England, Cole traveled to Florence in May of
supporters and patrons. It was through this connec- 1831 where, in the convivial company of a group of
tion that Cole met Daniel Wadsworth, heir to a great expatriate American painters, he made sketching trips
mercantile fortune, who invited Cole to paint the into the countryside and attended life-drawing classes
financial mogul’s country estate, Monte Video, in at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, filling a hole
Connecticut. Painting another panoramic landscape, in his piecemeal art education. In February 1832, he
Cole pursued the theme of the confrontation of wil- moved on to Rome, where he delighted in drawing the
derness and civilization. Here, the carefully cultivated ruins, particularly the Coliseum, which was then over-
grounds melt into the surrounding wilderness in a grown and provided a powerful image of the demise of
reasonably harmonious relationship. a civilization. He also relished the opportunity to draw
Not so in his next project, a pair of paintings and paint the landscape that Lorrain had worked in,
executed in what he called “a higher style of land- the Roman Campagna. By now, Cole had adopted the
scape than I have yet tried.” They show, respectively, European art of painting oil sketches out in the land-
a view of the Garden of Eden and the expulsion from scape, carrying paints in pig bladders and working
the Garden of Eden. In the first, Cole used his earlier with a small easel and an umbrella. The practice would
experience of tropical vegetation to create a rich ver- greatly enrich his work.
sion of earthly paradise. In the second, he conjured a
melodramatic scenario in which Adam is cast out
into the wild and rocky darkness of a primeval world. The Course
For this he was greatly influenced by a composition
by John Martin (1759–1854), an English visionary of Empire
artist whose work Cole knew through prints. This Returning to New York in late 1832, Cole was taken
time, however, Cole had misjudged his market, and with the idea of a cycle of paintings that would trace the
there were no immediate takers for the works. With entire process of man’s interaction with the landscape.
his early success and now this hiccup, the artist It was to be titled The Course of Empire. He conceived it
began to think that it might be a good idea to go back first in London, writing notes in his sketchbook. The
to Europe for a while to improve his skills and learn scheme was simple but grand; five paintings would be
about European painting firsthand. set in the same location showing the five stages of civi-
The Course of Empire: Destruction
by Thomas Cole
1836; oil on canvas, 39¼x63½
NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY; GIFT OF THE NEW YORK GALLERY OF THE FINE ARTS
(1858.4); DIGITAL IMAGE CREATED BY OPPENHEIMER EDITIONS
lization. The first would show a wilderness inhabited by

primitive people, and the second would show partially
cultivated country with peasants. The third would be
the very height of a civilization, “a gorgeous City with
piles of Magnificent Architecture,” as he described it
(see The Course of the Empire: The Consummation of
Empire, page 90). The fourth would show a battle with
the collapse and destruction of the city (see The Course
of Empire: Destruction, right), and the fifth would show
“a scene of ruins, rent mountains, encroachments of
the sea, dilapidated temples.”
Cole planned the work on a large scale and, seeing
that it would be a colossal undertaking, looked around
for a sponsor. Eventually, Luman Reed, a retired mer-
chant, commissioned the pictures for his new house in
Greenwich Village, and Cole started work in 1834 at
his studio in Catskill.
By the winter of 1835–36, the artist was hard at
work on The Consummation of Empire, the third and
largest painting of the series, a scene incorporating
complex architecture and vast crowds. By this time he
had been so long at his project that he feared the New
York art world would begin to forget him. He gained
permission from his patron to take time out to paint a
landscape to be exhibited at the annual exhibition of
the National Academy of Design. He chose a scene he
had sketched earlier in the year, a view of the
Connecticut River from Mount Holyoke (see View
From Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts,
After a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow, pages 88–89). Once
again the artist painted a panoramic view, this time
placing himself in the center of the composition,
working with a loaded brush while his umbrella stands
nearby. The left side of the view shows the landscape
in a state of wilderness, and on the right we see a cul-
tivated valley, parceled into fields and swaths of
clear-cut forest. The painting suggests that this trans-
formation will be ongoing, and the question mark achievement. On the other hand, The Course of Empire
formed by the meandering river seems suggestive. Are gained enormous public attention when it was shown
we going to allow this to happen here? Cole was work- at the National Academy of Design later in 1836.
ing during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, an
advocate of commercial expansion and unchecked
growth, whose policies were accelerating the changes Transcendent Legacy
in the landscape—a development Cole decried. Cole went on to make many more fine paintings but,
With its sumptuous and energetic rendering, its sadly, died at the age of 47, following a short illness.
deep understanding of the land and its subtly pitched His legacy was considerable, not least through his
polemic, The Oxbow, executed in just five weeks, is pupil, Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900), who
probably Cole’s greatest work. The painting received would go on to become the greatest American painter
little acclaim when it was first exhibited, but subse- of his generation. In a broader sense, Cole gave
quent generations have come to recognize its legitimacy to the idea of a truly American painting,

one that built on the richness of European art but
adopted a new openness and directness of vision.
Speaking at his funeral, the poet William Cullen Bryant SEE THE SHOW
observed that Cole’s paintings “never strike us as
strained or forced in character; they teach but what See “Thomas Cole’s Journey’s: Atlantic
rose spontaneously in the mind of the artist; they were Crossings” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
the sincere communications of his own moral and in New York City, through May 13.
intellectual being.”
John A. Parks is an artist as well as a writer. His latest

book is Universal Principles of Art: 100 Key Concepts
for Understanding, Analyzing and Practicing Art. Visit
his website at johnaparks.com.
LESS IS MORE
Over the course of six decades, Anne Packard has honed her creative voice
into an inspired convergence of image and imagination.
by Robert Carsten
rchitect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886– 1923) was awarded the gold medal. “She wanted to
A 1969), director and teacher at the

Bauhaus—the 20th century’s most influential
school of modern art—taught, designed and lived by
the adage, “Less is more.” This same phrase appears in
study with him, and they met, fell in love and the rest
was history,” says Packard. Like many of his genera-
tion, Bohm went to Europe to further his artistic
education. In Paris, he attended the prestigious
Robert Browning’s poem “The Faultless Painter,” Académie Julian and lived at the Étaples art colony on
whereby the poet advocates an art that expresses both the coast of Normandy.
the material world and the immaterial nature of the Celebrated in Europe, but virtually unknown in
soul. When one experiences Provincetown, America, the Bohms eventually returned to the states,
Massachusetts, in Anne Packard’s contemporary paint- settling in New York and summering in the art colony
ings, van der Rohe and Browning’s ideal springs to life. of Provincetown. Bohm’s artistic reputation soon
spread; he was elected as a National Academician in
1920 and recognized as one of America’s foremost
A BLUE-BLOODED BACKGROUND romantic visionary and impressionist painters.
As a child, Packard spent summers wandering the Just three years later, his life was ended prematurely by
beaches and sand dunes on the northern tip of Cape a heart attack. “Although I never met my grandfather,
Cod, where her maternal grandmother, artist Zella he’s had an enormous influence on me," says Packard.
Bohm, lived. When Bohm (1870–1957) was a young "I grew up surrounded by his paintings, and they’ve
artist, she traveled to Paris and viewed the Salon of always been a great source of inspiration. That
1898, the year American-born artist Max Bohm (1868– mysteriously deep ‘Bohm Blue’ in his The Blue Painting,
OPPOSITE ABOVE
Serenity (oil on canvas, 72x48) Beach House (oil on canvas, 24x36)
which hangs in my home, enchants the household. After 17 years of mar- OF FENCES AND
me even now.” riage, her husband left, abandoning NEIGHBORS
Packard and the children. “I was living
A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE in Princeton, New Jersey,” she says, Renting a seaside cottage, Packard
“and I had no money and no child sup- began hanging her paintings on a
Because she was interested in art, port. I found odd jobs and began board attached to her fence to attract
Packard’s parents enrolled her in a painting ocean scenes on scraps of the eyes of passersby. “I sold the paint-
figure-painting class when she was wood. I went to street fairs, church ings for a song, but it supported us,”
18 years old. Despite showing prom- sales—anywhere I could—and sold says Packard. She also began studying
ise, the instructor met with her them for $10 or $20 each.” with painter Philip Malicoat (1908–
parents and advised them to dissuade In 1974, Packard tragically lost her 1981), who had been a student of
their daughter from a life in art, citing oldest son, Stephen. Devastated, she Henry Hensche (1899–1992) and
the difficulties in making a living. found solace through her art and her Edwin Dickinson (1891–1978).
Packard would attend Bard College for children. Three years after his death, “I learned a great deal from Phil,” she
a year, followed by secretarial school. she made the decision to move to says, “especially about the
Soon after, she met a writer, they mar- Provincetown, and its landscape importance and use of value. He
ried and had five children. Her life was became the subject of her ethereal encouraged and influenced me
devoted to caring for her family and paintings. tremendously, but he didn’t like that

“ I D O N ’ T W A N T T O PA I N T
E X A C T LY W H AT I S E E . I W A N T
T O PA I N T T H E E S S E N C E O F
W H AT ’ S T H E R E .”
I hung my paintings on a fence and

sold them inexpensively.
“Eventually, he gave me an ultima-
tum: ‘Stop abusing my muse,’ or he
wouldn’t continue teaching me. I
asked him how I could make a living,
and he suggested that I could be a
waitress, revealing that he worked as
a fisherman in support of his art.
I didn’t listen to him. We went our
separate ways.”
One day, a man stopped by and
bought several of her smaller paint-
ings. A short while later, he returned
and bought some more. “I finally
asked someone who this curious gen-
tleman was,” Packard says, “and was OPPOSITE ABOVE
astonished to find out he was the Evening Mist (oil on canvas, 60x72) White Dory (oil on canvas, 40x30)
abstract expressionist Robert artist says. “It started as a craft, change and refinement. I’ll work on
Motherwell. He lived just three doors something fun to do for which I four or five paintings at a time, so I
down, and we became friends. He’d could earn money. Never in my wild- can let some rest as I contemplate
visit often, at times buying more est dreams did I think I’d accomplish what they need.”
paintings, over 20 in all. That really what I have.” In her upstairs studio overlooking
built my confidence. He’d favorably the bay, working by natural light,
compare my paintings with those by THE MIND’S EYE Packard creates her artwork using
great landscape painters. My daugh- innumerable layers of paint. Old
ter, Cynthia, who was in art school at Extremely prolific, Packard Holland oil paint is her brand of
the time, would listen from behind describes her overwhelming urge to choice, because she loves its consis-
the door so afterward she could create. “It’s about the search and tency and vibrancy of color. She
explain to me what and who he was having something to say, discover- uses an array of primary colors,
talking about. Once, he told me that ing your own individual voice,” she along with yellow ochre, orange, sap
he could take me to New York and says. “It comes from deep within. green and titanium white. An addi-
make me ‘very big.’ Here I was, a For me, it’s about the tranquility of tional color Packard admittedly can’t
woman in her mid-40s with all these solitude, not loneliness, but the live without is Winsor & Newton’s
kids, poor, selling paintings dirt contentment that comes from really Payne’s gray.
cheap. Then he added that he didn’t being alone with yourself and your Even when working large, whether
think it would make me happy and thoughts, memories and daydreams. on canvas, linen, Masonite or paper,
that he wouldn’t do it, and that I go for walks in the morning, she relies on a small 10x12-inch pal-
was that.” always with a sketchbook, and then ette. She uses turpentine to thin the
Over the following decades, I’ll return to work in the studio paint mixtures and occasionally pours
Packard’s innate talent and hard from the sketches, but mostly from turp over freshly painted areas, rotat-
work at daily painting proved fruit- my mind’s eye. I alter things con- ing and maneuvering the canvas to
ful. “The more I painted, the more stantly in my paintings. Like nature, achieve gossamer effects. Because her
serious I got about painting,” the they’re in a continual state of paintings often evolve over extended

OPPOSITE ABOVE
Blue Evening (oil on canvas, 36x48) Cape Beach (oil on canvas, 36x24)
periods, she applies retouch varnish color—as John Constable did,” she Like opposing forces, they enact a
toward the end to reinvigorate any says. “It helps to give me that lovely dynamic push/pull effect across the
colors that have dulled. atmosphere. Although you may not entire canvas. It’s a piece that
Her philosophy on brushes is to always see it, there’s always some discloses Packard’s prowess as a
use the largest one possible to do memory of that orange.” The large painter of enigma. At first glance, it’s
the job at hand. In addition, Packard painting Serenity (page 94) reveals the a simple, lovely picture, firmly
has found that her fingers and optical effects she achieves by using grounded in reality. But the more one
palms are invaluable implements for the imprimatura with semitranspar- looks, the more mirage-like that real-
moving paint around and softening ent layers, each applied skillfully by ity becomes. The signature of
edges during the creative process. hand and highly responsive brush- Packard’s imagery takes effect,
work. The painting achieves luminous inducing the viewer’s imagination,
PAINTING THE qualities of atmosphere and a bound- memories and dreams. Subject matter
less sense of depth. in a Packard painting shifts as surely
ESSENCE InWhite Dory (page 97), a low- as sand dunes.
Packard often begins a painting by lying fog obscures the horizon, gener- Fleeting, atmospheric effects are
applying an imprimatura of orange. ating a profound depth that plays captured in Evening Mist (pages
“I love to paint against a warm against the proximity of the boat. 96–97) and Foggy Wharf (below).
ABOVE OPPOSITE
Foggy Wharf (oil on canvas, 30x40) View From Bradford (oil on canvas, 36x24)

demonstrates her Zen-like ability to
express subject and idea quickly, with-
out any hint of overworking. “I don’t
like to use the word ‘finished’ to
describe when a painting is done,” she
says. “That sounds like I’m finishing
furniture or fussing with details. I
think of a painting as ‘complete’ when
it feels right, true and whole. Beach
House was completed quickly, though
it’s purposely not ‘finished,’ not
picked at. I said what I wanted to say,
and I just didn’t want to touch it any-
more.” Similarly, Cape Beach (page 99)
expresses Packard's characteristic
freshness and immediacy.
BETWEEN REALITY
AND THE IMAGINED
To view Packard’s paintings is to
experience natural elements as forces
artfully teased and coerced into equi-
librium. There’s an ever-delicate
balance between reality and the
imagined. Intangible qualities such
as time, memory and dreams float
freely yet are tethered to a specific
place and moment. Her stunning and
mysterious Blue Evening (page 98) is
a befitting nod to her grandfather’s
“ I G O F O R WA L K S I N T H E The Blue Painting. Here, she uses a
figure/ground relationship to
M O R N I N G , A LWAYS W I T H A advance her expressive illumination
further. She says, “I like to paint
SKETCHBOOK, AND THEN I’LL things that are alone, solitary and
peaceful. Boats are like people to
R E T U R N TO W O R K I N T H E S T U D I O me—friends who have their own per-
sonalities—and that blue isn’t just a
wall of blue. I applied layer after
F R O M T H E S K E TC H E S , B U T layer of cobalt, cerulean and yellow
ochre until I achieved that depth.
M O S T LY F R O M M Y M I N D ’S E Y E .” “I always want the viewer to be able
to go into my paint surface as though
it’s the air itself, a patina of time that
sparks memories or transports
“I hold all of these moments and coming to rest on the red-roofed dreams,” the artist says. “I’m always
images in my mind’s eye," says houses, above which the sea recedes trying to express that breadth of
Packard. "I can change things around as the sky advances forward. space between breaths. I’m still on the
at will. I don’t want to paint exactly “I started with the main red-roofed search, and I want to do so much
what I see. I want to paint the house and worked the composition more with so much less.”
essence of what’s there.” out from there," says Packard.
Good composition is a guiding "Composition becomes instinctual, When not teaching workshops
principle in Packard’s process. In View but only when you have a lot of nationally and internationally,
From Bradford (above), we enter the experience. I’ve painted this area Robert K. Carsten spends his time
composition at bottom right. Packard many times.” painting the landscape near his home
then takes our attention left, weaving Packard’s painterly and visually in Vermont. Learn more at
us through labyrinthine space before concise Beach House (page 95) robertcarsten.com.
strokes
of genius 11
FINDING BEAUTY
Shine a spotlight
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Every artist strives to display their masterpiece for the
world to see—here’s your chance to bring this fantasy to
life with Strokes of Genius 11: Finding Beauty.
Winning art will be featured in North Light Books’

hardbound showcase of the best in contemporary drawing.
Infuse your artistic flair into this year’s theme—Finding DEADLINE:

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September 7, 2018
For more information or to enter online:

artistsnetwork.com/strokesofgenius
Questions? Email: art-competition@fwmedia.com
Credits: Gorgeous George (detail) by Colleen Corlett, Calista (detail) by Tanja Gant, an imprint of f+w,
All That Glitters (detail) by Kathy Hildebrandt a content + ecommerce company
TOGETHER BY ERIC DEMAINE AND MARTIN DEMAINE; 2012; WATERCOLOR PAPER
“A B O V E T H E F O L D ”
I S T H E F I R S T T R AV E L I N G
ORIGAMI EXHIBITION TO BRING
I N T E R N AT I O N A L I N S TA L L AT I O N S T O
NORTH AMERICAN AUDIENCES.
Nancy Exhibitions, events and other items of interest
1.
TANKERSLEY 2.
Painting Figures from

Photographs™
1. PROCESSION BY CAROLINE KENT; 2015; ACRYLIC ON UNSTRETCHED CANVAS; COURTESY OF THE ARTIST; PHOTOGRAPH BY RENEÉ YAMADA 2. A YEARLING BY WALTER UFER; 1929; OIL ON CANVAS; COLLECTION OF PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM 3. GREENE RECYCLING/
DO
NEW
NOW 3.
1. Abstraction and
Marginalized
Voices
2. Western Stories
3. Origami
4. Berthe Morisot
California
Michele common American assumptions about
WESTERN STORIES
BYRNE
Palette Knife Painting™
PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM
race from a woman’s point of view. The
exhibition features prints, oil paint-
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA ings, drawings, masks, soft sculptures,
760-322-4800 • PSMUSEUM.ORG tankas (works inspired by Tibetan tex-
! THROUGH JUNE 18 tiles called thangkas) and original
NEW “Western Stories” examines the com- illustrations—as well as Ringgold’s
plex relationship between people and story quilts, which combine textiles and
the landscape in the American West paint to tell the story of black women.
and Mexico, as well as the interplay
between myth and reality. The exhibi- Illinois
tion pulls inspiration from Hollywood
movies (with their Western icons),
spirituality and the experiences of
ABSTRACTION AND
those who populate the landscape, as MARGINALIZED
well as those who cross its borders. The
VOICES
DESTRUCTORS VIII BY ERIK DEMAINE AND MARTIN DEMAINE; 2013; ELEPHANT HIDE PAPER; PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS
works on display are contextualized
historically, through the juxtaposition DEPAUL ART MUSEUM • CHICAGO
John of contemporary and traditional art, 773-325-7506 • MUSEUMS.DEPAUL.EDU
APRIL 26 THROUGH AUGUST 5
with the aim of challenging our roman-
MACDONALD ticized notions of the West. “Out of Easy Reach” examines the use
Creating Dynamic of abstraction by female-identifying
Landscapes™ California artists whose work deals with the
Black and Latina Diasporas. The
FAITH RINGGOLD exhibition aims to counter the conven-
tional views of art history that often
CROCKER ART MUSEUM exclude the voices and contributions of
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
women of color. It explores the rela-
916-808-7000 • CROCKERART.ORG
THROUGH MAY 13 tionships between body, spatial
politics, time and material culture.
“Faith Ringgold: An American Artist”
examines the work of an artist and North Carolina
activist who has documented and con-
tributed to some of America’s greatest
social upheavals. Growing up in
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Harlem, New York, at the tail end of OF MEXICO
the Harlem Renaissance and the begin- THE MINT MUSEUM • CHARLOTTE,
ning of the Great Depression, Ringgold NORTH CAROLINA • 704-337-2000
quickly found a place among the revo- MINTMUSEUM.ORG • THROUGH JUNE 17
lutionary voices of the 1960s with her
1-877-867-0324
first series of political paintings, “Develar y Detonar (Reveal and
LiliArtVideo.com/Artist The American People, which challenged Detonate): Contemporary Mexican

Photography” features the work of Fold: New Expressions in Origami,” THE BARNES FOUNDATION
more than 40 of Mexico’s most influ- the Dayton Art Institute features the PHILADELPHIA • 215-278-7000
ential photographers. Ranging in work of nine international artists BARNESFOUNDATION.ORG
subject matter from the manipulated whose work embodies the power and OCTOBER 21 THROUGH
4. WOMAN AT HER TOILETTE BY BERTHE MORISOT; OIL ON CANVAS; THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO,
JANUARY 14, 2019

or staged to the candid, and in size potential of origami. The exhibition
from a few inches wide to floor-to- features works that “Berthe Morisot:
INV. NO. 1924.127; PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO/ART RESOURCE, NY
ceiling murals, the photographs on transform paper into 4.

Woman
display show the breadth and scope of large-scale installa- Impressionist” is
contemporary Mexican photography. tions, sculpture and the first U.S. exhibi-
“Develar y Detonar” engages viewers conceptual works that tion since 1987
in a dialogue about the power of pho- engage with contem- dedicated to this
tography and its ability to document porary aesthetic, artist (1841–95).
and question aspects of the modern cultural and political Alongside such
world. dialogues. “Above the Parisian avant-
Fold” is the first trav- garde contemp-
Ohio eling origami exhibition to bring oraries as Édouard Manet, Edgar
international installations to North Degas, Claude Monet and Pierre-
ORIGAMI American audiences. Auguste Renoir, Morisot used her
work to explore themes such as the
THE DAYTON ART INSTITUTE importance of fashion, women’s
DAYTON, OHIO • 937-223-4278 Pennsylvania
domestic work and the intimacy of
DAYTONARTINSTITUTE.ORG
THROUGH MAY 13 BERTHE MORISOT: family life. Her works appear delib-
erately unfinished and sketchlike,
The art of origami, once considered a WOMAN qualities that comment on the
children’s craft, is finally getting the fleeting nature of representation
recognition it deserves. In “Above the IMPRESSIONIST itself.
Pale by choice,
not by comparison.
Anyone who has painted for very long knows that you use more white
than any other color. For this reason, GOLDEN introduces seven
new Light Value colors for 2018. They’re mostly white, but with a hint of
color that gives you a quick chromatic highlight or a shorter path to more
subtle blends. All seven are tints of very strong, lightfast colors. See the
new Light Value Colors along with the new Benzimidazolone Yellows and
Cobalt Teal at your nearest art supply store or goldenpaints.com.
©2018 Golden Artist Colors, Inc., 188 Bell Rd., New Berlin, NY 13411 ʄ #goldenpaints
Independent
Study
Travel Guide
Planning a trip? Be sure to consult
Street Art (Lonely Planet) to find
the exact locations of the best urban
art in 42 cities across the globe—
plus a list of 15 awesome street-art
festivals. Plentiful photos will keep
even the armchair traveler happy.
MAP IT!
MAP OF LA PAZ, BOLIVIA: FROM HOW TO MAKE HAND-DRAWN MAPS BY HELEN CANN, PUBLISHED BY CHRONICLE BOOKS 2018; MAP BY TILLY
How to Make Hand-Drawn Maps
(Chronicle Books, 2018) by Helen Cann
covers the expansive territory of illustrated
maps with 30 projects for mapping
MURAL: REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM LONELY PLANET’S STREET ART, © 2017 LONELY PLANET; PHOTO BY C215;
188 Rue Pelleport, everything from neighborhoods and cities
Paris, France to story plot lines to genealogies.
by C215
Additional features include overviews of
cartographic elements, lettering and
folding styles; interviews with notable map
artists; and grid and template pages.
Mountain View
Join watercolorist Stephen Quiller in the Colorado mountains—via
streaming video. In Painting en Plein Air: Bird’s Eye View (Artists
Network), Quiller shares tips and techniques while giving an on-site
painting demonstration featuring a rocky, evergreen-spiked mountain
scene overlooking an abandoned mine.
The Art of Map Illustration (Walter

Foster, 2018) explores the approaches of
four map artists—James Gulliver Hancock,
Hennie Haworth, Stuart Hill and Sarah
King—working in a variety of media, from
traditional to digital. Tips on tools and
materials lay the groundwork. Projects and
artist galleries spark inspiration.

APPLAUSE Outfit
Competition Spotlight
Finalist artwork from Artists Magazine’s 2017 Annual Art Competition
Kathleen
E. Dunn
MILTON, WASHINGTON
t he Explorer is based on an
encounter I had during the
first weeks after moving into
my current house. I was enjoying the
upper deck when I noticed this clus-
ter of juvenile Bewick’s wrens
napping on our fence.
The drawing for this piece actually
sat uncompleted for three years
because I couldn’t resolve the place-
ment of the fifth bird. I finally
realized that putting it in the space
where the missing slat had been cre-
ated a balanced composition. I didn’t
have a reference, so I made a clay
model of the head. I placed a piece of
the fencing in front to figure out the
shadow and posture of the bird.
My advice to other artists

is to try something new
every once in a while. It
will help you get over
your artistic fears. Trust
me, we all have them.
The Explorer
oil on panel, 12½x9
short stories Brief reflections on notable
exhibitions BY HOLLY DAVIS
William Morris:
Triumph of Beauty
and Craft
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART • CLEVELAND
CLEVELANDART.ORG • THROUGH NOVEMBER 11
“Have nothing in your fair labor practices in his

houses that you do not decorative arts company,
know to be useful or believe founded in 1861.
to be beautiful.” This was Homeowners responded
the clarion call of English enthusiastically to his intri-
textile designer William cate, floral-motif patterns
Light of Heaven Morris (1834–1896), whose on wallpapers and all man-
by Xu Longsen work appears in the exhibi- ner of textiles—printed
2018; ink tion “Designing an Earthly and woven fabrics, embroi-
COURTESY OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO Paradise.” Morris stood deries, tapestries and
behind his words with a carpets. Décor by Morris
commitment to fine mate- signified status because
rials and craftsmanship, in only the wealthy could
Xu Longsen: spite of the challenges of afford his meticulously
rising industrialization. designed and crafted prod-
Spiritual Landscapes What’s more, at a time ucts. Significantly,
when factory work typically reproduction of Morris’
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO • CHICAGO • ARTIC.EDU
meant low pay, long hours patterns has never ceased
THROUGH JUNE 24
and unsafe working condi- since their creation, some
tions, Morris insisted on dating back 150 years.
Xu Longsen has established exhibition that features the
an international reputation artist’s installation Light of
for his brush-and-ink land- Heaven, created specifically
scapes that depict not only for the Art Institute of
land and water forms but Chicago. The subject is the
also the inner states evoked mythical mountain
by inspiring natural vistas. Kunlun, home of gods and
This Chinese art form, goddesses. Along with
which originated in the two-dimensional landscape
10th century, is called paintings, the installation
shanshui. The term trans- includes several pillars
lates literally as “mountain painted with views of
(shan) water (shui).” Kunlun. In this way, the
Characteristically, the shan- traditional multiple-view
shui artist combines into shanshui takes on a
one painting multiple views third-dimension, a spiritu-
of the subject as seen from ally provocative space
different vantage points. through which the viewer
Longsen executes his can wander.
work with traditional tools Xu Longsen was born in
but often in monumental Shanghai, China, and grad-
proportions, some works uated from the Shanghai Strawberry Thief
soaring in height to 30 feet. College of Arts and Crafts. design by William Morris
“Xu Longsen: Light of He currently lives in registered 1883; indigo-discharged cotton, plain weave, block printed; 34¾x39
Heaven,” is the name of the Beijing. THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART; GIFT OF MRS. HENRY CHISHOLM

The Wood Beyond the World 1 0 T H A N N U A L I N T E R N AT I O N A L
borders, initial and Chaucer type and text
by William Morris
watermedia
1894; ink on paper
THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART, COLLECTION OF
INGALLS LIBRARY; GIFT OF WILLIAM H. MARLATT AND
JULIA MORGAN MARLATT
showcase
Your painting could win $2,500
and worldwide recognition!
Catapult your best Best of Show: $2,500
painting into the
spotlight. Winners and 2nd Place: $1,250
honorable mentions
will see their painting
3rd Place: $750
in the April 2019 issue 4th Place: $500
of Watercolor Artist. Blick gift card
Early-Bird 5 Honorable Mentions:

$100 Blick gift cards
The exhibition items, largely from
Deadline: Gift cards courtesy
the collection of the Cleveland

Museum of Art, include woven and
July 2, 2018 of Watermedia
Showcase sponsor:
block-printed textiles, representing

the full span of Morris’ career, plus an
embroidered piece by William Morris’
daughter, May, on loan from the
Cranbrook Art Museum. Wallpaper
printed in a reproduction of Fruit, one
of Morris’ earliest designs, adorns the
gallery walls. The Victoria and Albert
Museum, in London, helped create the
gallery floor covering—a full-size
reproduction in vinyl of Bullerswood,
the largest hand-knotted
Hammersmith carpet.
Also on display is a nearly complete
set of books with ornaments and
typefaces designed by Morris. With
the help of friends and family, Morris
founded Kelmscott Press to print
these books, whose exquisite paper,
binding and patterned illustrations
lend them both visual and tactile Playing (detail; watercolor on paper, 22x30), by Yin Jun from WuHan, China
appeal. The exhibition derives its
name from Morris’ epic poem, FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF PRIZES AND ENTRY DETAILS, VISIT:
The Earthly Paradise, printed by artistsnetwork.com/watermediashowcase
Kelmscott the year Morris died. The
poem, based on medieval and classical The competition is open to artists from around the world. All works must be original.
stories, provided readers an escape Mixed-media entries are accepted,but the primary medium must be watermedia on paper.
There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit.
from the increasingly sullied and For additional guidelines and to enter online, visit artistsnetwork.com/watermediashowcase.
industrialized world of Morris’ time.
ARTISTS MARKETPLACE
KALINE CARTER • KALINE.CARTER@FWMEDIA.COM • 505-506-7698 | MARY MCLANE • MARY.MCLANE@FWMEDIA.COM • 970-290-6065
Terri Ford. Judge of Awards: Richard McKinley. DEADLINE: JUNE 28, 2018
Art sts network Anticipate $4,500 in awards. Prospectus/entry
via: OnlineJuriedShows.com
50TH ANNUAL WATERCOLOR WEST
INTERNATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION. Call for
DEADLINE: JUNE 11, 2018 Entries. Online only. Juror: Katherine Chang Liu.
PASTEL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. THE 46TH ANNUAL Approximately $20,000 Cash and Merchandise
Join us for live OPEN JURIED EXHIBITION: Enduring Brilliance! Awards. Entry Fee for 1-2 entries is $50 Members
Paint APôK
at the National Arts Club, New York City, and $60 Non-Members. Only Transparent
September 4-29, 2018. Soft pastels only. Watercolor on Rag Paper. Exhibition from
More than $40,000 in awards. Online digital October 13 - December 16, 2018. City of Brea Art
entries only. Download prospectus after Gallery, Brea, CA. Visit www.watercolorwest.org
events with March 15th at www.pastelsocietyofamerica.org for prospectus and information.
Johannes Vloothuis or send SASE (#10) to Pastel Society of America,
15 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY 10003.
DEADLINE: JULY 1, 2018
NORTHSTAR WATERMEDIA SOCIETY NATIONAL
Info 212/533-6931 or JURIED EXHIBITION September 10 - October 18,
Visit artistsnetwork.com/paint-along psaoffice@pastelsocietyofamerica.org 2018, Twin Cities, MN. $4,000 minimum in
to register for the next live event or DEADLINE: JUNE 13, 2018 cash and prizes ($8,500+ in 2017). Up to three
purchase recordings of past events! LOUISIANA: 49TH ANNUAL RIVER ROAD SHOW. entries/artist, $40 members; $50 non-members.
A national juried exhibition sponsored by Art Watermedia only. Information and prospectus at
Guild of Louisiana (formerly Louisiana Art and northstarwatermedia.com or callforentry.org
Artists’ Guild). Open to all U.S. artists 18+
C a l l Fo r E n t r ie s (except photography or digitally enhanced).
Work must be original and created within the
Wo r k s h o p s
DEADLINE: JUNE 4, 2018 last 2 years. Juror: Iain Stewart. $40 for first ALABAMA
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. The St. Augustine Art 3 entries (maximum 10). $4,000+ in cash and Huntsville Museum of Art
Association presents the 9th Annual Nature & merchandise awards. Exhibit is September 6/1-6/2/18, HUNTSVILLE. Alan Shuptrine,
Wildlife Exhibition July 21 - August 26, 2018. This 4-27 at the Louisiana State Archives Gallery, Realistic Watercolor Landscapes.
juried exhibit features 2D & 3D original works of Baton Rouge, LA. Prospectus on website; 8/16-8/18/18, HUNTSVILLE. Keith Andry,
fine art depicting the beauty and diversity of the artguildlouisiana.org/river-road-show. Strong Design & Bold Strokes in Watercolor.
natural world, incl. landscapes, plants, birds, Contact: Claudia LeJeune, 225/292-2004 or 10/18-10/21/18, HUNTSVILLE. David Shevlino,
wildlife, etc. All media. No giclees. $5,000 in rrs@artguildlouisiana.org Alla Prima Clothed Figure & Portrait Painting.
awards; $2,000 top prize. Entry fee: $45 for 3
images. Contact 904/824-2310. Apply online DEADLINE: JUNE 18, 2018 11/9-11/11/18, HUNTSVILLE. Lian Quan Zhen,
PLACERVILLE ARTS ASSOC. 52ND MOTHER LODE Watercolor Painting: Let the Colors Paint
www.staaa.org Themselves.
NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION: Shakespeare Club,
DEADLINE: JUNE 10, 2018 Placerville, CA. August 5-19, 2018. Juror of 11/15-11/17/18, HUNTSVILLE. Perry Austin,
SIERRA PASTEL SOCIETY’S 12TH BIANNUAL OPEN Entries/Judge of Awards, Frank Ordaz, portrait Painting the Landscape in Oils.
INTERNATIONAL PASTELS ON HIGH EXHIBITION. and landscape painter and illustrator. Anticipate Contact: Laura E. Smith, Director of Education/
Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Carmichael, CA. $4,000 in awards. Entry guidelines available at Museum Academy, 256/535-4350 x222
Show July 23 - August 12, 2018. Juror of Entries: www.placervillearts.com lsmith@hsvmuseum.org or hsvmuseum.org
Lily Pads Sur Ciel Bleu (detail; 11x14) by Terri Ford
Compete to win $5K and experience

career-boosting recognition! 100 EARLY-BIRD DEADLINE: August 6, 2018
selected paintings will be featured
in Pastel Journal magazine.
TOP PRIZES
1ST PRIZE
Pastel Journal Founder’s Award
in memory of Maggie Price:
For complete prize information,
categories, juror biographies, or to $5,000 CASH
enter online, visit: 2ND PRIZE
artistsnetwork.com/ Pastel Journal Award of Excellence:
pastel-journal-competition $2,500 CASH
ARTISTS MARKETPLACE
KALINE CARTER • KALINE.CARTER@FWMEDIA.COM • 505-506-7698 | MARY MCLANE • MARY.MCLANE@FWMEDIA.COM • 970-290-6065
Workshop DVDs
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planesofthehead.com
760.809.3614
Weeklong classes in painting,
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BRASSTOWN NORTH CAROLINA
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Lasting impression
Angel
by Jean Barbet
1475; bronze,
44½ inches high
THE FRICK COLLECTION,
NEW YORK; PURCHASED BY
THE FRICK COLLECTION, 1943
Angel is one of the very few French bronzes that survived

the French Revolution. Elegant and serene, this heavenly creature is
monumental in conception. We don’t know who designed it, but we
know it was cast in 1475 by Jean Barbet, who signed it on one of the
wings. Barbet was also a cannon maker, and I find it fascinating that a
man creating weapons could also produce an object as peaceful as
this masterpiece.
X AV I E R F. S A L O M O N
P e t e r J a y S h a r p C h i e f C u ra t o r,
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Art sts

Dip Into Violet JUNE 2018

"I switched over exclusively to Utrecht Artists' Oil

Shop in stores and online for an unmatched

2 Artists Magazine June 2018

32 THE ASK Where Are You?

4 Artists Magazine June 2018

STEPHEN HARBY JAG NAGRA SAMANTHA

It’s back! Cobalt Teal

In 2012 GOLDEN genuine Cobalt Teal was removed from all

a s part of this issue’s exploration of place, we

6 Artists Magazine June 2018

the façade of b[x]—a Brooklyn-based community

TO SEE MORE FROM MASTERPIECE NYC,

Benzimidazolone Yellow Light and Medium have been added

©2018 Golden Artist Colors, Inc., New Berlin, NY ƒ800-959-6543ƒgoldenpaints.com

Casa del Herrero

t he post-World War II American Dream—trumpeted

One of Moses’ proposed projects was the destruction of Lower

10 Artists Magazine June 2018

These Violet Delights

FOLLOW @ARTISTSNETWORK ON INSTAGRAM AND SHOW US YOUR ULTRAVIOLET!

12 Artists Magazine June 2018

"From exploring new technologies

La Marchesa Luisa Casati

INSIDE AND OUT

THE PROOF IS IN THE PIGMENT

Call to find a Richeson Art Materials dealer near you.

One is too many and a

Earth by Idan Zaresk

o.T. (Light) by Marte Kiessling

Artist-curated shows and open-studio events are

16 Artists Magazine June 2018

Santa Barbara, California

18 Artistss Magazine June 2018

s anta Barbara, California, is

in 1925, was designed by George

Washington Smith. Lotusland, designed

remarkable gardens created by

After retiring in Santa Barbara,

Julia Child declared La Super

food in the Americas.” The

relatively new Santa Barbara

Arlington Theater, has an

counters and pop-up restaurants,

This scenic seaside city

Southern Spain. Interestingly enough,

Stephen Harby is an architect,

ABOVE After the completion of the

20 Artists Magazine June 2018

On Drawing MAY 31-JUNE 3, 2018

Draw. Reflect. Renew. INSTRUCTORS

o ne might assume that today an urban-design firm

THE RIGHT LOOK

22 Artists Magazine June 2018

Csont became involved with UDA more than 20 years

UDA prides itself on being “portable practitioners” who

NORTH SHORE DRIVE WATERCOLOR: © 2017 URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES

“In urban design, it’s important

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DAVID CSONT

24 Artists Magazine June 2018

how it will feel,” he says. “When I’m

Allison Malafronte is an arts and design writer, editor and

Attaches to any sturdy