Helen Frankenthaler Talking about abstract painting, and attitudes towards it in general, countering some things I’ve heard said many times over the years, sometimes about my own work. Modern painting is easy to relate to […]
Category: art
Best books: Working Space
Here’s an old favorite, by the painter Frank Stella, who died this week: Working Space— you can read it online at that link. It’s pretty dense, but there’s a lot to learn about art in it. […]
Very occasional quote of the day: rich and famous
R. Crumb and son Jesse, in the movie Crumb: Jesse: You didn’t go to art school and you’re rich and famous. R.: I’m not talking about rich and famous, I’m talking about learning how to […]
Freehand sketching
A couple of interesting art books available “free” on Scribd, for anyone interested in art, or in getting into art, and trying some non-music related creativity. … which I highly recommend. I gave myself permission […]
Painting is a psychological game
I’m a painter as well as a musician— I work in what’s generally called an abstract expressionist style. I’m not making pictures of things, I’m painting until I have something that looks like a painting. […]
About vibe
Vibe: a scientifically accurate illustration I’ve been thinking about something the saxophonist Donald Harrison said in a clinic some months ago: “Music is about vibe. Music is all about vibe.” It was a useful comment […]
Very occasional quote of the day: mistakes
“The idea of a mistake is beside the point, for once anything happens it authentically is.” – John Cage
Bruce Gilden, a street photographer
A few videos of Bruce Gilden, a New York photographer. He’s known as a street photographer, and a rather invasive one. He gets right up in people’s faces and photographs them with a flash. It […]
Keep your pencil sharp
Drawing by Josef Albers Every student was required to have a pencil sharpener and to keep a sharp point on the pencil when drawing. — Rob Roy Kelly on studying art with Josef Albers Reading […]
Very occasional quote of the day: random factors
“Life is a cut-up; consciousness is a cut-up. Every time you walk down the street or look out the window, your stream of consciousness is cut by random factors.” — William S. Burroughs, The Adding […]
More Robert Henri: on technique
SOMEHOW CONNECTED: The way art and music is taught, most artists and musicians really have nothing to say. There are acres of anonymously competent junk like this in the museums in Rome, as there are millions of hours […]
Very occasional quote of the day: the abilities you have at the moment
Hey, that looks like I can do it. WHY NOT TRY IT? From The Art Spirit, by Robert Henri: An art student must be a master from the beginning; that is, he must be master […]