In some circles like academia and teaching, there is an expectation, even a pressure, to have art imbibed with meaning. It’s not enough to make pretty pictures; there has to be a narrative. Art is made for different reasons and to convey different things; sometimes it’s ideas; other times, it offers up experiences. There is […]
My appreciation for street art
I have never looked much at street art, but some of what I see some I like. I enjoy it because it’s not the art of the establishment, the galleries, ateliers, museums and critics. There is a down to earth grittiness, like grunge fashion. It is rough loose, a realism, even when some have become […]
Why I like traditional art media
Digital art seems to be more accessible than traditional paint and brushes. There’sThere’s no need to buy and store all those supplies, and it’s easier to distribute the art: Digital art has a lot going for it. But for all that, I still prefer traditional media in creating my work. I feel it has something […]
Is Fan Art acceptable?
Fanart in the art community is controversial. While many people create art about films, TV characters they love, there’s an acknowledgement it’s copying other people’s ideas. Questions arise: ‘is this art?’ Is it plagiarism? Should we create fan art or art of our own? I find the controversy a little overplayed; I’ve never done much […]
Finding your art style and Pictorial Vocabulary by Scott McCloud
Like many an artist, I’ve asked myself what sort of art I want to create, what’s my voice, my style? Realistic representation? Abstraction? Emotions? Ideas? Stories? What can be depicted by art is broad, and where we stand on the spectrum is the journey of an artist and their art. Not surprisingly, such confusion has […]
The Philosophy of a Jackson Pollock drip painting
This painting is not a big favourite of mine, but it’s important to me because the work is unconventional and what it symbolises. I like this work because it represents the unconventional. The Abstract Expressionists were reinventing what art could be by using new materials in new ways—here, working on the floor, using house paint or radiator […]