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This is a list of the museums where I have worked. All have different perspectives, art types, and periods of art. All of these experiences are vividly part of my study in art history; they have me reflecting on the past and how far back these experiences have linked me to my love of art. 1. George Walter Vincent Smith Museum of Art This was the museum where I interned as a student in the Department of Art History at the University of Massachusetts (UMASS-Amherst). This art museum holds the eclectic collections of George Walter Vincent Smith (1832-1923) and his wife, Belle Townsley Smith (1845-1928), in an Italian palazzo-style building established in 1896. It's a museum that could speak to us if it could...and maybe it does Haunted Springfield. One of my fellow graduate colleagues, Janet Gelman, was the Education Curator. We immediately bonded as we shared our affinity for children's art education: she was in the museum setting, and I had an elementary art teacher background. We had long talks over coffee or sandwiches. Inevitably, the children's theme slipped into what Professors had thrown at us. Graduate school is a world unto itself. Long papers, research, sleepless nights, critiques that didn't go so well. Both of us were old enough to take things in stride and move on. The younger students admired our "c'est la vie" attitude regarding our studies. The George Walter Vincent Smith Museum is a gem among museums. It is part of "The Quadrangle" in Springfield, Massachusetts. Among the varied themes of the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum are: Vast holdings include one of the largest collections of Chinese cloisonné outside of Asia. Japanese Arms and Armor Tiffany Stained Glass windows 19th-century Middle Eastern carpets Hasbro Games Art Discovery Center for children's classes American Paintings Salon What a blessing to have had this experience at a museum near where I was born. This building is a museum's museum: the eighteenth-century ambiance, the long halls and grand paintings upon paintings, and the eyes of antiquity all around = my definition of heaven. 2. The Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum I worked at this museum while I was a graduate student at UMASS-Amherst. My role was curator and docent, and I loved this job. I lived just down the road in Hadley, Massachusetts, and the director, Susan Lisk, became a close friend when I worked there. What a history this house has. For a detailed background, consider Forty-Acres: The Story of the Bishop Huntington House This unique museum has a magnificent history. As a docent, I often toured a small party through the house, and the "one-hour tour" became two. This well-preserved 18th-century house was continuously occupied by a single family in 1752 until the death of Dr. James Lincoln Huntington, the museum's founder. The house contains many interesting items belonging to the family and preserved for over 300 years. The Porter-Phelps-Huntington papers are now preserved at Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. My memories of this museum are distinct since so many families occupied the house. There are also references to supernatural events dating back to the Huntington years. You can check some of the tales here: "Ghost" Stories. I had my encounter. I was doing some curator tasks in the Director's home. Back in the day of electric typewriters, when errors needed to be changed in the text, I found myself putting back a pencil that rolled off the desk. And then, again. And then, again. I started to freak out because I sensed that "someone" was in the room. It was eerie. Suffice it to say this is a beautiful museum, and if you are ever in the Hadley, MA, area, it's worth planning a tour. TripAdvisor 3. Yale Center for British Art How could I have been so lucky to land a position at this beautiful museum? Well, luck and a heads-up from a fellow student in the Art History department. She graduated a semester before I did and had been in the Photograph Cataloguer role at the BAC (British Art Center) but was leaving for another museum. I applied for this position and interviewed with the head of the Yale Photograph Archive department, author Anne-Marie Logan. Soon I was headed to New Haven, CT to work at this prestigious museum. The internationally acclaimed American architect Louis I. Kahn (1901–1974) designed it to house Paul Mellon's (Yale College, Class of 1929; 1907–1999) extraordinary gift to Yale University. It was the first museum in the United States to incorporate retail shops in its design. The geometrical four-floor interior is designed around two interior courtyards and comprises a restrained palette of natural materials, including travertine marble, white oak, concrete, and Belgian linen. Kahn succeeded in creating intimate galleries where one can view objects in diffused natural light. He wanted to allow in as much daylight as possible, with artificial illumination used only on dark days or in the evening. The building’s design, materials, and skylit rooms combine to provide an environment for the works of art that is simple and dignified. 4. The Pardee-Morris House Again, one thing leads to another in my life. After I got the job at Yale, I needed a place to live. It turns out that Susan Lisk of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House (see above) had a sister, Linda, who lived in New Haven, Connecticut, and she spent a whole day with me checking the rentals in the city. I found a lovely place with daily public transportation to downtown. Linda also suggested that I might want to docent at this house museum for a little extra income. Who would have thought it? Two sisters who have been part of my museum adventures. One of New Haven’s oldest structures, this historic property descended in one family through seven generations. This beautiful house, dating to 1680, is a rare example of a stone ender. The ell was added around 1767. On July 5, 1779, during the Revolutionary War, the British raided New Haven and burned the house. Using the surviving stone and timbers, Captain Amos Morris rebuilt the home the following year. In 1915, William Pardee bought and restored the house, In 1918, William S. Pardee, a descendant of the Morris family, bequeathed the property to the New Haven Colony Historical Society, which is today known as the New Haven Museum. The oldest portions of the house are believed to date to the late 17th century, probably during the lifetime of Thomas Morris, the first colonial grantee of land in this area, or one of his sons. It was partially burned by the British in 1779. It remained with the Morris family until 1915, when it was sold to William Pardee. He briefly occupied the house and willed it to the historical society upon his death a few years later, along with an endowment for its care. My time here was primarily on weekends. I was the only docent and had to open and close the property during the tourist season. This, too, was a property with a lot of history and a fun building to present to curious visitors. During this period (the late 1980s), the future of this museum was risky and uncertain. How happy I am to see that the New Haven Museum bought the structure and now has summer concerts on the lawn. This has brought new life to the museum and joy to the visitors. 5. Kenmore Foundation I traveled to Virginia to see my sister during my years at Yale. She quietly planned a gathering at her home and invited a few friends, including an invitation to the bachelor who had built a house across the street. Soon after, this man asked me to marry him, and I said, "Yes." I moved to Virginia in 1989 and have lived there since then. Not wanting to give up on my love of museums, I learned about Kenmore Plantation in Fredericksburg, Virginia. My role began at Kenmore as a docent. I loved it! I have an affinity for welcoming visitors and telling the stories of the objects and people who lived there. The other volunteers, most older than I, were helpful and guided my early start. Not many months later, I began to work with the Education Director, Stacia Gregory Norman, and I helped catalog the photographs and papers. In my second year, W. Vernon Edenfield took notice and offered me the position of Education Assistant. Kenmore is the Fredericksburg home of Revolutionary War patriot Col. Fielding Lewis and his wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Washington, George Washington's only sister. In Kenmore's spacious interior, the plaster designs on the 12-foot-high ceilings combine baroque, neoclassical, and rococo elements. Use arrows to slide: My days at these museums are long gone, but they are not forgotten. I gained knowledge, insight, and history and have met amazing people. I am grateful for the opportunities that these experiences provided. For those with the notion that museums are places for the "haunting," here are some books: HauntedHouses.com https://visitfred.com/event/ghost-tour/ https://www.virginiahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/kenmore-plantation.html https://blueandgraypress.com/2016/10/27/fredericksburg-civil-war-urban-legends-and-ghost-stories/ The Common Uncanny: Ghostlore and the Creation of Virginia History (A scholarly dissertation on the subject. Pin it, please, or comment below this post.

This series will introduce artists associated with certain states. This is Maine. Robert Feke c. 1705 - c. 1752 An artist not born in Maine, but painted many landowners in Maine including the wealthy Waldo family, who made fifteen trips abroad to bring settlers to the Penobscot region. Like others among his peers, Feke lived in Boston, but as with other painters, he was sought out by the wealthy landowners in New England, who would have their portraits done to show their wealth and prosperity for all to see. Born in Oyster Bay, Long Island, these artists honed their skills with the ability to render gold embellishments and silk or fur textures of clothing that gave the viewer a sense of noble stature that was relished and expected. John Singleton Copley Active in both colonial America and England, Copley became well-established as a portrait painter of the wealthy in colonial New England; Copley was the greatest and most influential painter in colonial America, producing about 350 works of art. Mrs. Waldo lived in Maine but would have had to travel to Boston to see her father, the wealthy shipowner and merchant John Erving, and her older sister, Mrs. James Bowdoin II (wife of the 2nd Governor of Massachusetts). Copley was at the height of his career in New England and built a reputation in Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. The next artist is more well-known and a painting that my readers will probably be familiar with. Andrew Wyeth 1917 - 2009 In the stark landscape of coastal Maine, Christina’s World depicts a young woman seen from behind, wearing a pink dress and lying in a grassy field. Although she appears to be in a position of repose, her torso, propped on her arms, is strangely alert; her silhouette is tense, almost frozen, giving the impression that she is fixed on the ground. She stares at a distant farmhouse and a group of outbuildings, ancient and grayed in harmony with the dry grass and overcast sky. Wyeth’s neighbor Anna Christina Olson inspired the composition, one of four paint­ings by Wyeth in which she appears. As a young girl, Olson developed a degenerative muscle condition—possibly polio—that left her unable to walk. She refused to use a wheelchair, preferring to crawl, as depicted here, using her arms to drag her lower body along. “The challenge to me,” Wyeth explained, “was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless.” As an art student, Wyeth was both praised and lambasted and this painting followed that criteria, as in this article For Wyeth, Both Praise and Doubt. My professors coughed when they had to refer to him, mocked him as an "illustrator" like Norman Rockwell, and pilloried Christina's World as a 'dorm room poster.' Wyeth had homes both in Chadds Forth, PA, and Maine. I was very familiar with his Maine subjects as I spent my summers with relatives who lived in the state. Andrew Wyeth was the son of noted illustrator N. C. Wyeth. Andrew was called both a radical and old-fashioned. He worked in an era that brought forth abstractionists like Jackson Pollock. Wyeth's work shown here certainly has a minimalist look, and it evokes a stark and lonely setting that is now recognized as an underlining theme of the younger Wyeth's work. Winslow Homer 1836 - 1910 It sure looks like Maine. Homer was influenced by an 1884 trip to the Grand Banks fishing grounds, "The Fog Warning" is one of a series in which the artist depicted the difficult lives of New England sailors and their families. At fifty, Homer had become a "Yankee Robinson Crusoe, cloistered on his art island" and "a hermit with a brush." These paintings established Homer, as the New York Evening Post wrote, "in a place by himself as the most original and one of the strongest of American painters. Again, I summered in Maine during much of my young adulthood. These artists and others were part of my desire to learn about Maine artists, visit art museums in the area, and go on to study as an art student in Massachusetts and at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. I was an apprentice in weaving crafts and jewelry making for several summers. Since these early days, the school has established partnerships with the likes of MIT whose programs seek to combine artists and scientists to take over the campus and explore the integration of emerging technologies and processes for the crafts. Living Maine Artists Rachael O'Shaughnessy Perhaps best known for witnessing thousands of consecutive sunrises over the ocean and the resulting atmospheric drawings and paintings, Rachael O’Shaughnessy is passionate about ocean storms as they meet art. Rachael's recent luminist works echo the sublime works by J.M. W. Turner in her passion for color and light as they meet the Maine and New England coastline. C. R. Bryant For over 65 years, C.R. (Bob) Bryant has followed a lifelong journey to perfect his portrait painter and maritime artist ability. Known for his ability to paint water, Bryant also has a working knowledge of sailing ships, and today, he is recognized as a leading international marine artist. He is a core artist at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport and a co-founder and senior fellow at the Pacific Rim Institute of Marine Artists. Lastly, I give the nod to one of my professors in the Art Department at my alma mater, Westfield State Unversity: Frederick Lynch 1935 - 2016 Having lost touch with Fred Lynch I was sad to see that he had passed in 2016. In my "freshman" year, it was Art History I, which he taught. I couldn't get enough of reading and analyzing the art from Caveman to Pollock. Professor Lynch played a role in my decision to go into teaching. He strongly impacted my future in later years when I chose to continue my education. I enrolled in the Art History program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, completing my Master's in that major. He was one of the few professors who balanced his teaching responsibilities with being a "working" artist. He frequently had exhibitions on campus and encouraged his students to do the same. The art department was active on campus, and I am proud to have the foundation for my teaching career and my background in museum study and curatorship. Here are a few samples of the works by Fred Lynch: Books: Robert Feke John Singleton Copley Andrew Wyeth Winslow Homer Pin it, Please. Comments below.

Meet the Artist. The place where I introduce YOU to an artist through a "virtual" interview via a set of questions. Let's begin. Anne Corr Nottingham, England Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Who are you, and what is your background? Hi there! My name is Anne Corr - I live in Nottingham, England which is about as far from the sea as you can get in the U.K.! Unfortunately, as I love the sea. I have a husband and grown-up children, and an adorable rescue dog - if a bit needy. I enjoy living at home because for fifteen years we lived a two-county existence which demanded a lot of travel. What is your favorite medium? That is tricky - I move in and out but currently, I enjoy working from the pc and designing surface pattern design. I use Photoshop a lot and work with both photographs and images from past masters. I have a strange condition called aphantasia which means I have no means of visualizing -- so my memory is non-visual too. I cannot recall people's faces (even my son's!) or places that I have been. I rely on what I see around me to create. (It can be difficult for others to get used to. I live very much in the present as I don't recall a great deal). I used to paint much more than I do now. I may get back to that, but when I worked away from home I became interested in using images digitally for ease of workflow, as much as anything. Has your practice changed over time? I change constantly. I have a great love of literature and words, so those infiltrate what I do (see my blog to believe me!), I create handmade books that reflect my curiosity in literature, the arts, and nature. I love the physicality of making my handmade books, playing with creating new covers, new end pages, new wraps -- my handmade work is not particularly lucrative as is very time-consuming -- but the rewards are fantastic --it grounds me and creates reflective, thinking-time. What do you most enjoy painting? I love the natural world, particularly botanical illustration. I love going back to art history and reworking it for more contemporary decoration. I also enjoy painting from my own photography. This is a direction that I am attracted to at the moment. I created some digital paintings from a holiday in Cornwall that I enjoyed, and I spend a lot of time in Scotland because of the landscape there. [see fineartamerica.com ] What jobs have you done other than being an artist? I started my working life very early, at 14 (spare time) in a sweet shop! I spent time in retail jewellery, then a management training course at M&S -- it wasn't for me. I worked in a printed packaging company for about 13 years before I had children. It connected me to a love of graphics. What food, drink, or song inspires you? Wine, wine, and more wine!! I will interrupt it with a cheese break now and again - whilst listening to the Waterboys or Van Morrison! The Waterboys are my go-to when I am working at the p.c. What has been your favorite response to your work? Being told I am a 'Renaissance woman'!!! I am often really moved when I read messages from my customers, particularly from [modestly] Etsy . My books get wonderful responses, and it makes my world very much more connected when someone tells me that my work has had particular meaning for them. It is the fuel to my creating more. Professionally, what is your goal? To improve. I constantly want to create better, both in my hand-crafted books and in my surface pattern designs. I look to new outlets, and wonderfully have started to sell limited edition prints locally, as well as moving into fabric design at Spoonflower - Designs by anipani What's your best piece of advice for someone who wants to get started as an artist? Play...try anything that sparks an interest in you, and practice a lot! There will be frustration involved in making anything, but the process itself brings rewards. It is a wonderful way of living a meaningful life. Failure is part of the process - and only helps you learn more. Thank you, Anne. Your artwork is just wonderful. I am sure that you will have many new visitors to your sites. For more of Anne's work here are her links: Etsy: modestly Handmade books, prints, and cards Society6: Designs on prints and products Blog: Books, art, and life Pinterest: Gallery of her pins Displate: collections As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Clicking any link below and purchasing this product will be an Amazon commission for me but will have no cost to you. If interested in "Aphantasia" here are some books/audio that pertains to this condition: Aphantasia: Experiences, Perceptions, and Insights by Alan Kendle, Peter Baker. Audible Audiobook Aphantasia: Life Without A Mind's Eye by Josh Windrow. Paperback Thank you for visiting this "Meet the Artist" blog post. Thank you, Anne Corr, for sharing your background and artwork with my visitors. visit all the MEET THE ARTIST posts Pin it, please. Comments below this post.

Meet the Artist. The place where I introduce YOU to an artist through a "virtual" interview. Our featured artist is Cat Coquillette, an artist extraordinaire. Let's begin. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and you purchase an item from this blog, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own. Cat Coquillette "Digital Nomad" Who are you and what is your background? Hey there! My name is Cat Coquillette and I’m an artist, entrepreneur, educator, and the founder of CatCoq, which is my art and education brand. I started my career in the design agency world and now, I’m working for myself as a commercial artist and educator. After years of building up my side-hustle, I finally made the leap into entrepreneurship in 2016. In the years since then, I’ve grown my company as I travel the world full-time as a “digital nomad”. My office changes daily, but it’s usually in a coffee shop, co-working space, or Airbnb somewhere in the world. My brand is split between art licensing and education. I teach others how to do exactly what I’m doing on a day-to-day basis: earn an income through art licensing, grow their brand using social media marketing, paint with watercolors and acrylics, edit artwork digitally, create patterns for surface design, and more. My classes teach a mix of creative and business skills. My artwork and designs can be found worldwide in stores including Urban Outfitters, Target, Barnes & Noble, Modcloth, Nordstrom, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more. I’m a keynote speaker for entrepreneur and design conferences around the world and my writing, interviews, and design work have been featured by Forbes, CNN, US Weekly, Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, and The New York Post. What is your favorite medium? I tend to rotate my artwork between about five or six different mediums. My two favorites at the moment are painting by hand with watercolors and drawing digital illustrations using the iPad app, Procreate. Has your practice changed over time? When I first began seeing success as an artist, I was painting a lot of botanical watercolors and brush-lettered words of wisdom surrounded by floral wreaths. That style worked very well for me back in my early days– 2014. Since then, my style has adapted along with market trends. I still incorporate typography and florals, but my illustration style has evolved. I like retro-inspired fonts or blocky hand-lettering with bold color palettes and cheeky quotes. I’ve also expanded my motifs. When I was getting started, I preferred to paint non-cuddly creatures: cicadas, beetles, snakes, crabs, moths, and the likes. I steered away from anything with a face because I wasn’t confident enough to attempt facial features. Now, I’ve leaned into my own personal style and embraced painting mammals like pandas, bunnies, squirrels, foxes, otters, and other animals that I love. Bring on the cute eyes and button noses! What do you most enjoy painting? For me, painting is an indulgent activity, like relaxing in a bubble bath or curling up on the couch with a good book. When I get out my watercolors and set out a blank piece of paper, I’m entering self-care mode. What is the strongest memory of your childhood? I remembered the exhilaration I felt when I tore away the wrapping paper of a Christmas present to unveil an art easel, which came with a huge pack of assorted markers. The markers were scented according to their color, so they smelled like blueberry, mint, black licorice, buttercream, etc. After my parents helped me set up the easel with an oversize notepad of blank paper, I got started drawing. Instead of choosing my colors based on accuracy, like the sun is yellow and the grass is green, I picked colors based on what smelled good together. This resulted in color combinations like chocolate and cherry with a dash of banana for a drawing of an elephant, instead of a standard grey that I probably otherwise would have chosen. Ultimately, it was a means for me to break away from preconceived notions of color choices and explore something entirely different. What jobs have you done other than being an artist? My first job was at a paint-on-pottery studio when I was sixteen. I was a pretty terrible employee– I spent most of my time painting on the ceramics products I was supposed to be selling, so after a few months, I was canned. The experience taught me that having a passion for my career is important, but so is being a good businesswoman. I could spend all day, every day painting, but that wouldn’t pay my salary unless I have a solid strategy for monetizing and growing. The reason my business is successful is that I’ve found a way to blend both together. What food, drink, or song inspires you? I went through a phase of painting my favorite foods and sweets. It was a fun project and resulted in a few collections that landed my work in Target, Barnes & Nobel, HomeGoods, and a few more. What has been your favorite response to your work? It’s always a compliment to see my artwork hanging in someone’s home, but teaching is what gives me a deep sense of purpose. My personal fulfillment comes from hearing from my students and reading the reviews they leave on my online classes. When someone reaches out to tell me that I’ve helped them gain confidence in their artwork, or overcome a creative or entrepreneurial challenge, I feel like I’ve actually made a difference in someone’s life. This is the ultimate compliment I could ever receive and it’s what drives me to continue pursuing education. All of my classes are online, which means I don’t have one-on-one time with any of my students while I’m teaching. Instead, I’m talking to a camera, which means I lose out on the intimacy and connection you get when conversing with someone face-to-face. So ultimately, when I hear from my students or read their class reviews. I feel a sense of connection. I enjoy painting and will always be creating artwork, but teaching is my purpose and my future. Professionally, what is your goal? Global art domination. But more realistically, I’d like to be able to regularly purchase first-class tickets for my family to visit me, wherever I am in the world. That’s my next financial milestone for my business. Not only does it mean more comfortable travel for my parents, but it also signifies that my company is doing exceptionally well. More milestones I’d like to reach within the next few years: 1. I’m currently writing my first book and would love to get it published. 2. Teaching is a passion of mine and I’d like to grow my online classes. At this very moment, I’ve just launched my eighteenth Skillshare class and am hoping to hit 20 by the summer. 3. I’d love to design special-edition packaging for a cosmetic or skincare line. Because of my background in branding, I’m a sucker for well-designed packaging. Even though my daily face routine is usually just moisturizer and mascara, I collect cosmetics that I rarely use just because I adore the packaging. 4. I want to get involved with more cause-related partners. More specifically, I’d like to focus on foundations that help animals, children, women, or aspiring entrepreneurs. What is your best piece of advice for someone who wants to get started as an artist? Stop procrastinating and put yourself out there! I’ve met so many creatives who aspire to support themselves through their artwork but are terrified of failure, so they don’t take the first step. Everyone starts somewhere. Also, explore various avenues and find what works best for you. One person’s success won’t be the answer for everyone. Once you find your jam and hit your stride, capitalize on that momentum and hustle hard. Thank you so much, Cat. My readers are grateful that you took time out of your busy schedule to share your art, your talent, and your myriad of amazing adventures from which you find your inspiration. Readers, be sure to check Cat's website: Catcoq.com Check her blog: Cat's blog Society6: Catcoq Redbubble: Cat Coquillette Zazzle: Catcoq Gifts Instagram: Catcoq Visit all the MEET THE ARTIST posts Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive earnings at no extra cost. Pin it, please.

I am not an expert on commissions. Not by a long shot. However, I will attempt to lay out some thoughts and situations that will give artists some criteria I have settled on in the last few years. This might prevent buyer's remorse when asking an artist to paint a portrait of a loved one, dog, or cat. The buyer and the artist can have some agreement on what they each expect from each other: Deposit, how long it will take, expectations, framed (or not), work in progress, and any questions. Looking back on my "career" as an art teacher, I don't see an artist. Why? Because I was busy with lesson plans, checking materials, working with a classroom teacher who might want the art lesson to piggyback with her animal life cycle curriculum, and balancing the school district's K-6 art curriculum schedule. The only times that I was called on to be an "artist" was when a classroom teacher "solicited" (as in, begged me) to do her bulletin board. {cough} Now, I am an artist who paints almost every day. I have more than 300 paintings or drawings in my portfolio unless I have sold them or given them as gifts. As I began to think about this post, I realized that I have sold or given more images than I remember. That's a pleasant feeling because I haven't had a bad experience with doing commission work. Not like the time I volunteered to take photographs for a neighbor's wedding. My photography was quite good. However, I didn't have any sort of agreement or contract, took no deposit, and didn't consider the stress level of taking photos of an event that you can't have a "do-over." This is a recipe for a disaster. A verbal walk-through with the bride/groom instead of the parents of the two would have been beneficial. Long story short, the reception hall had fluorescent lighting, which cast a green tone on everything. The parents were horrified at the photos and refused to pay me anything for them. Lesson learned: put things in writing. Let me show you some of my commission works and give you a taste of how I feel about them. My alma mater, Westfield (Massachusetts) State University, invited alumni to join a gallery show in their new administration building. The show's theme was "The Garden". I was due to visit my hometown area, so I submitted this acrylic painting called "Sage". It is a 16 x 20-inch canvas. I love this because I decided to create the illusion of a basket weave on the whole design. I was pleased with how this added visual interest. I knew that we could sell our work at this event. Hmm. What to price this? I had no idea. I priced it at $75. When I arrived at the gallery, my painting was on the wall. It was among the smaller works displayed. And it was among the smallest price tags by a lot! Most were $300 or more. "SAGE" sold, however! Was it the most affordable? Probably. Would it have sold if the price was $175? Probably. More recently, the Facebook page of a local coffee shop was inviting artists to bring in their works ready to hang. They listed how many they would be able to display. This "Queen Bee" watercolor and pen painting, 7 x 5 inches, looked nice in a simple black frame. It was among three others that I displayed, and I priced them all at $50. The coffee shop got a call from someone asking if I would accept $40 for the bee. I told the owner no. The lady returned to the shop and purchased it for $50. This next painting was for my niece. She has two Bichon Frise dogs, both rescues. One is a tripawd, and gets around pretty well. She had a picture of the two dogs on her back porch with a stuffed "friend" between them. I gave her the original for a Christmas gift. She loved it. Priceless! Our church was having a dinner / social event with a silent auction to raise money for a worthy cause. This watercolor Virgin Mary is 5 x 7 inches, matted with a gold frame. The final auction-winning bid was $50, a disappointment in my mind. I have talked about this in an earlier post: Dick and Rick Hoyt This duo is the father/son team that has changed the running events world. Dick and Rick ran their first event in 1977. After they were done, Rick told his dad, "When I'm running, I feel like I'm not handicapped." Rick was a student in one of the schools where I was the art teacher. He was an amazing young 9-year-old. Little did I know how he and his dad would change the world. After I reunited with them in Rick's apartment many years later, my husband took a picture, and I drew father/son in charcoal pencil. It was a gift to them from me and hung on Rick's wall with so MANY other photos and mementos they have as a world-famous running team for athletically challenged bodies. Dick Hoyt died on March 17, 2021. I sell my artwork at Heather Boutique in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia. (see my story on Heather Boutique) The image on the right is an original pen & ink that I brought for this Trunk Show, an event where the artisans Heather has featured in her shop can show their wares. I brought my greeting cards and seven original works, framed and ready for sale. This piece called "Floraison" (french for flowering) was purchased shortly after the shop door opened for the day. Wow. Was I excited? Yes, indeed. The work is 18 x 18 inches framed. I had worked out a rolling scale for the time, materials, and size. Articles about how to price your works are out there to read, but this one helped me take the emotion out of it: Do's and Don'ts of Pricing Your Artwork. I still use this "formula," the shop owner is pleased because it keeps my work consistent throughout the store where it is displayed. "Floraison" sold for $150. I sold four original works at this event. My prices at the shop are reasonable and take into account my time, materials, and skill. The photographs below show my new style change to pen & ink with light color done with crayons or colored pencils. A blog post discusses this change of pace and style. The first thumbnail is a commission by a family member. It is her son's home in northern Virginia that she wanted to give them as a Christmas gift. The size kept increasing as she ordered the purchase. It was one of my larger works (14 x 11-inch image, matted and framed to 20 x 16 inches. The total price, including the frame, was $230.00 The other is a neighbor's home. The couple is a good friend, and they are our age. The husband and wife have purchased other artworks of mine, and they continue to compliment me and ask how my painting is going. The pandemic has been hard on them as they have been unable to see their son. We have enjoyed eating with them during the year, but that has not happened during 2020. We are going to surprise them with the artwork of their home. It will be fun to see their faces as they are not even aware that I have done this. Price: A joyful surprise. This is "Meatball." My daughter took care of this dog when the owners were away. I painted this watercolor of him shortly before he died. He was a sweet dog, and I loved giving this to his family. I painted this for a friend who lost a dog earlier this year, and recently got this dog, "Lassie". Her Facebook posted pictures of some flowers from her spring garden. I commented that I wanted to paint the flowers. Her friends (who know me) said, Yes, Do it! So, I did. It's a gift, too. If I reread this post, I guess I do "gift" more than not. My reward comes with the smiles and thank-you's, and that's why I paint. The story is that I do love doing commissions. When the client is pleased, so am I. Everyone deserves to have an original piece in their home, commissioned or gifted. I put my heart and soul into the process and years of learning. I want the owner to love it. Pin it, Please.

Meet the Artist. The place where I introduce YOU to an artist through a virtual interview. Our featured artist is Belette Le Pink. *Note The images in this post link to Belette's product shops. Belette Le Pink Madrid, Spain Who are you, and what is your background? Hi, this is Leticia, the person behind Belette Le Pink. Based in Madrid, Spain, I´m 43. I come from a humble family with no relation to the arts or cultural aspirations, but from them, I learned to face life´s adversities through hard work and I don´t give up. I studied Art and Illustration in Art School, but I am mostly a self-taught artist inspired by wildlife and daily life. I started doodling when I was 4, just before I started writing. I used to copy cartoons I watched on TV (Hanna Barbera, Anime, Disney…) because I will always be fascinated by animation. Because I grew up in a small city, my contact with nature was truly wildlife documentaries and the small parks and forests on the edge of town. For some reason, I have always felt connected with animals since my childhood, and I enjoyed illustrating hunting scenes of eagles, wolves, and lions… and reading Jack London´s novels. I wrote some books I illustrated by myself about doggy adventures and this kind. I was a lucky girl living in the wonderful '80s, a really creative and positive era. My dream was to be a wildlife filmmaker and visit faraway places with my camera and sketchbook, or a Disney animator, creating wonderful characters more than a famous “artist”. It is because of this I planned to study Biology until my 14th birthday when a neighbor of mine, who had been a painter in her youth, gave me an oil painting set and I started to paint more seriously. I was inspired by the art of the Dutch artist Rien Poorvliet, famous for his illustrated books on wildlife and the Gnomes. I also liked classics Dutch like Vermeer (I love the wet on wet oil painting) Goya, Renoir, Pre-Raphaelites, Klimt, and avant-garde artists like Franz Marc, Chagall, and whatever artist or illustrator, good or bad has a personal identity. I started my illustration studies preparing to become a cartoonist or animator, and in the 90s, many animation studios were available in Spain. Still, due to personal circumstances, I needed a regular job, and I had to pause my artistic career for many years, leaving the art apart for free time and occasional commissions. Meanwhile, I participated in many Local and National Exhibitions, Shows, interviews, and contests. I have never been a portraits-or-painting artist only because I love to catch the movement, and maybe it is because of this that my sketches are always unfinished, leaving the imagination close to the lines. I identify more with audiovisual media. I have also studied music for many years, and music broadened my understanding of life, feelings, and the arts. In 2010 I resumed my artistic studies learning Graphic Design, Advertising, and audiovisuals (examples). And it was in 2017 when I decided to leave my regular job to try an artist career again, and this is how Belette was born. What is your favorite medium? Although I now use mainly digital painting, my favorite mediums are wet-on-wet oil painting and crayons, collage, and mixed media. I love the fresh watercolor style, ink sketches, and all the techniques with the expontaneous look. I intend to introduce the traditional art concept and effects into my digital art to make it warmer and more organic. Has your practice changed over time? This question is related to what we have talked about previously. I started drawing with what I had available: crayons, markers, gouaches, pens, and colored pencils when I was a child, and with watercolors, inks, and oils as a teenager. In the early 2000s, I discovered the art of Annette Messager and her installations, and I was fascinated by exhibition art and the tridimensional possibilities. I realized that two dimensions were not enough for me. In addition, I discovered digital art possibilities and learned to use motion graphic tools and animation. I don´t believe the different types of art compete; they are complementary, and each medium has a kind of magic, utility, and expression. It's experimenting with them; our creativity does the rest. What do you most enjoy painting? Well, this is obvious (laughs) animals and wildlife. What is the strongest memory of your childhood? I have many childhood memories, but they all seem so far away, as if they weren't mine. Nothing in particular, but maybe one of them was my tonsil operation when I was 3-4 years old. I remember everything went dark, and then I was eating ice cream. What jobs have you done other than being an artist? Like many of us, I have had many jobs not related to art. I have been a shopping assistant in a printer shop, a food store, and a store restocker. I also worked as a manufacturer in factories and warehouses. I was mostly a telephone assistant in a call center in many areas like the help desk or searching for people with debts. I learned so much about people and met many different people from different nationalities there. I made many friends, no matter the kind of job, many of whom have had similar situations in life or worse. No matter what you studied or what you wanted to be, we all are in the same boat. What has been your favorite response to your work? I am most pleased when someone tells me that they feel motivated to create art, and my art, my animals, or my words inspire them. Professionally, what is your goal? What´s your best advice for someone wanting to start as an artist? I would like my illustration art to somehow impact people's consciousness and spread the love for animals, wildlife, nature, and the environment. Humans are part of nature, too, even when it seems we refuse to accept that we are just one more species on this planet. I am so happy when somebody writes a comment about how they enjoy discovering new animals and being able to contribute in some way to reflect on respect for nature, the environment, and humanity itself through my small actions. Small steps matter; baby steps are the beginning of big changes. I know it's a very hackneyed saying, but it works: I am a small artist now and willing to walk the needed. This is my recommendation for those who want to be an artist or whatever they want: success is never guaranteed, but I believe it is better to accept the frustration of not being a big artist or having too high expectations than to regret not having even tried. Just do it; only time will tell. Thank you so much, Belette! Readers, you can find Belette at lots of shops, and you can check them from this site: https://belettelepink.com/boutique-bookshop/ Be sure to check the Print-on-Demand sites for many products with Belette's wonderful designs: Society6 or Redbubble or Zazzle (select your language). Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belettelepink/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeletteLePink Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belettelepink While you're shopping, why not buy Belette a cup of coffee? Click the icon here: ⬇️ Visit all the MEET THE ARTIST posts Pin it, Please! Comment below this post.

Meet the Artist. The place where I introduce YOU to an artist through a virtual interview. Our featured artist is Shelley Wallace Ylst. Images and Text contain links Shelley Wallace Ylst South Jordon, Utah Who are you and what is your background? My name is Shelley Ylst and I live in South Jordan, Utah. I have a husband, two grown children, and of course the smartest and cutest grandchildren in the world! I started painting with watercolor in high school and studied art in college. I love the spontaneity and transparency of watercolors. My art is always evolving and full of joy. My mom was always my biggest fan (of course), and years ago she was a realtor and commissioned me to make a calendar of vintage houses to give to her clients. Together we would drive through areas in Salt Lake City that had amazing vintage houses to take reference photos, and that is how I came to love painting house portraits. The main part of my art business is now commissioned paintings of people’s homes. My other favorite subjects are flowers and animals and I often combine them together. Growing up I always had cats and dogs and love their sweetness and companionship. Since I live in Utah flowers are seasonal, but I fill my areas with them in the spring and summer and it brings me great joy. What is your favorite medium? I love watercolors and sometimes I add in ink and colored pencils. Over the years I have tried other mediums but always gravitate back to watercolors. I like the transparency and flow of them and how you can build layers and float colors together. What has been your favorite response to your work? I love bright colors and flowers and nothing gives me more joy than when someone tells me my art gives them good feelings and makes them happy. My grandchildren make requests of things they want me to paint for them all the time. When we were all quarantined last year we started an art club where each grandchild would specify what they wanted me to paint, then I would mail it to them with a request of what I wanted them to paint for me, then they would mail their creations to me. It was so much fun and such a great way to navigate through a difficult time. What is the strongest memory of your childhood? I grew up in the 1960s when we all had a very carefree childhood. There were so many kids in our neighborhood and we could roam our streets and play together outside until our mothers called us home. I was the youngest and only daughter and when I look back I lived a charmed and wonderful life and we always had many cats and dogs that I dearly loved. Professionally what is your goal? I don’t really have a certain goal in mind, I recently had a health scare and am semi-retired so I have more time for my art. I am very happy to just keep creating (I have so many ideas in my head!) and hopefully make people smile. I enjoy doing commissioned work and selling through my Print=on-Demand sites. And I always want to improve and explore new techniques. What jobs have you done other than being an artist? When I was in college I worked for a local school district doing illustrations for anything they needed. After I married, my husband and I have been entrepreneurs and owned many businesses in many different areas and I have always done the artwork and graphics for all these businesses. I have owned a lighting store, a hair salon, and a company that sold hair extensions. I was a realtor for a year and didn’t like that job at all. And I have always gravitated back to art! Thank you SO MUCH, Shelley. My readers are grateful that you took time out of your busy schedule to share your art, your talent, and the amazing array of bright, colorful designs and paintings that you create. We can see why your grandkids request more art! Readers, be sure to follow: Shelley's website: Shelley Wallace Ylst Society6: Shelley Ylst Art Redbubble: ShelleyYlstArt Instagram: @shelley_ylst_art Twitter: Shelley Ylst Art Facebook: Shelley Wallace Ylst Visit all the MEET THE ARTIST posts. Pin it, please. Watercolor Workshop: Learn to Paint in 100 Experiments

Meet the Artist. The place where I introduce YOU to an artist through a virtual interview. Our featured artist is David Zydd. *Note: The images in this post link to David's product shops. David Zydd Budapest, Hungary Who are you, and what is your background? Hi, my artist's name is David Zydd. I've never wanted to be an artist; the whole thing came by accident. My story began at elementary school. Maybe my drawing skills were a little bit above average. But then we had to paint out our drawings, so my work became below average. In high school, I made a few pretty good drawings when I was sitting in brutally boring Literature or Mathematics classes. (When I hadn't fallen asleep.) I had Literature problems while reading many books and I've also tried writing. I also had problems with Mathematics, where I almost always wrote down the correct results, but I didn't know (and I was not interested in) how to calculate them. Nonetheless, I got into college and graduated as an architect. That's why I hated drawing for the next 10-15 years. I've even boycotted my graduation ceremony: the school was very difficult, however, we didn't learn anything useful about our profession. My story continues one decade later. I've worked for 10 years in the building industry. When my last employer didn't pay my salary for almost one year (This was very common in the building industry in Hungary at that time.), I started to think about building another source of income. I wrote blogs, I tried Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, and numerous micro-revenue sites. I also tried 3D modeling. Then - accidentally - I've met with vector graphics. It was in the fall of 2013. I immediately started to create vector images, and a few months later, I started selling vector images on Shutterstock (right after my honeymoon). I had engineering and programming jobs at that time. I also joined the Mensa organization in Hungary and included it in my CV to get the positions. I've experimented with many styles, some of which looked artsy. So, I finally joined Society6 at the end of 2014. Two months later, I finished my last job as an employee and became an entrepreneur. In the last months of my employment, I spent more time with my business than the company. I have no remorse because the company worked for financial institutions. :) Meanwhile, I played beach volleyball at the semi-pro level. My best results in the Hungarian Championship were 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th places. I played in the championship in 4 different decades. When I was very good, there were 1 or 2 much better players. When the competitors were a little weaker, I was also weaker. :) What is your favorite medium? I only use SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) vector graphics. It's more like programming than drawing. I type in words and numbers, and then nice, colorful graphics appear on the screen. After a few attempts, I added a very unusual twist: I used a PHP programming language to write SVG files. This way, I can add much randomness to my artwork. Any other programming language would be suitable to accomplish this. It must be capable of writing text files. I chose PHP only because it was pretty simple to install in a comfortable environment. So, I write a little (sometimes simple, sometimes complicated) algorithm, then I run it several times. When I like the result, I keep the image. Has your practice changed over time? Currently, I use the 8th generation of the methods to create my vector images. The 1st was to write the SVG file directly. In the 8th generation, I wrote the software (it runs in the browser) for myself. I can easily connect existing algorithms; then, I change a few parameters, and the results are very different. Usually, there is minimal programming in the process. This program is primarily for stock graphics, but my newest artistic works were also created this way. The program copies and moves the files, making the needed conversions (.EPS, AI, JPG) almost automatically. Then I click and type for a few minutes, and the software creates titles, descriptions, and 40-50 keywords for dozens of images. I can create even 500+ brand new images with titles, descriptions, and keywords in one day. However, I make it very occasionally. I spend less than 5% of my work time creating, and more than 95% goes to uploading, marketing, and other boring tasks. Since the birth of my second daughter, I have very little time. The lockdown even halved this... What do you most enjoy painting? I love to do experiments with geometric shapes and colors. My artist logo represents this. Sometimes, I dare to try "normal" artwork when I create images without randomness, but I do this only occasionally. For example, I created minimalist line art for my daughters last year. What jobs have you done other than being an artist? I was an architect, facility management expert, virtual constructor, and GDL (Geometric Description Language) programmer. The latest gave me the idea of the whole vector programming thing. Then, I worked as an engineer and as a SQL database programmer. During college, I was a waiter, callboy, etc... for short times. What food, drink, or song inspires you? I've never thought about drinks or foods as inspirations. :) My favorite drink in the colder half of the year is red wine; in the hotter half, it's beer. (Except Heineken-owned brands, for political reasons...) My favorite food is ribs and fatty meats. My favorite music styles are power metal and folk metal. These are sometimes very inspiring music, but there is no way to connect this inspiration to my artworks. :) What has been your favorite response to your work? When my family members like my artwork, I hope I can differentiate between politeness and real enthusiasm. :) Of course, everyone's mom will love her son's/daughter's work. Professionally, what is your goal? My income is around 80% from stock vector graphics and 20% from artwork. My goal is to reverse this proportion in favor of art. And I'd like to spend more time with creation and experimentation. I can make hundreds of artworks in a few hours. But I have no idea which is the best of them. I'm very bad at choosing the good ones. So, I'm open to collaborations with anybody who would like to browse and sell my artwork with a 50%-50% revenue share. I can provide hundreds of - even unique - images for this collaboration. Thank you so much, David. My readers are grateful that you shared your vector graphics with all of us. Colorful, symmetrical, spiraling visions to dazzle the eye. Readers, be sure to visit all of David Zydd's sites: Behance: David Zydd https://www.behance.net/davidzydd Society6: Mandala Magic by David Zydd https://society6.com/davidzydd Zazzle: ZyddArt https://www.zazzle.com/zyddart CreativeFabrica: davidzydd https://www.creativefabrica.com/designer/davidzydd/ref/ VideoHive: DavidZydd https://videohive.net/user/davidzydd/portfolio?ref=davidzydd Contact: davidzydd@gmail.com Visit all the MEET THE ARTIST posts. Please, Pin it! Comment below this post. Graphic Design Rules: 365 Essential Dos and Don'ts by Sean Adams | Peter Dawson | John Foster | Tony Seddon Paperback, Illustrated

An artist doesn't work out of a vacuum. My ideas come from things that I see or dream. Yet, the ideas need to connect to the technique. The creative process has been studied by many, for example, The Five Stages of the Creative Process. I don't dwell on this, but I am sure I go through each stage. I don't analyze my process. I know that I do prep work, an idea "incubates," I do have "aha" moments, I evaluate what I'm going to do and what I need for materials, and I carry out a physical process, combining materials, technique, visuals, and the final result. I don't often head for the myriad of art books that I have. More often than not, I have the images in my head before I start my work. A sketch, some pencil work, and I am off and running. I often work from my photographs, even if I have the objects in front of me (a still life). But art books do charge my batteries. Flipping through pages sometimes is enough to give me ideas for how to get a certain effect. So here is my list: 1. Figure It Out! Human Proportions I don't draw/or paint many people. Why is this my number 1? Well, for me, it's a desire to know figure drawing. As an art student at the Universidad de las Americas in Mexico, we had to draw every major muscle in the body and then overlay the skin to draw that body part. Whew. I still hear the professor: "The deltoid muscle raises the arm to a horizontal plane." These books vary by level and are available in Paperback, Kindle, or Hardcover. 2. The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets: Easy Techniques for drawing people, animals, flowers and nature By Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks. Paperback. 3. Watercolor for the absolute beginner (7 books) By Mark Millenbrink. Available in Kindle and Paperback. 4. Watercolor 1 - Learn the basics of watercolor painting. By Caroline Linscott. Assorted lessons. Paperback. 5. The Complete Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: a treasury of watercolor secrets discovered through decades of painting and experimentation. By Gordon MacKenzie. Hardcover. Intermediate. 6. Creating Textured Landscapes in Pen Ink Watercolor By Claudia Nice. Kindle, Hardcover, and Paperback. 7. Watercolor Lessons: How to Paint and Unwind in 20 Tutorials By Emma Lefebre - Paperback, Kindle, and Hardcover. 8. Watercolor in Nature: Paint Woodland Wildlife and Botanicals with 20 Beginner Friendly Projects By Rosalie Haizlet. Paperback. 9. Colorways: Watercolor Animals: Tips, techniques, and step-by-step lessons for learning to paint whimsical artwork in vibrant watercolor By Saunna Russell. Paperback. 10. Watercolor Success in Four Steps: 150 Skill-Building Projects to Paint By Marina Bakasova. Paperback. 11. Mindful Sketching: How to Develop a Drawing Practice and Embrace the Art of Imperfection By Peggy Dean. Paperback. 12. Ready to Paint in 30 Minutes: Flowers in Watercolour By Ann Mortimer. Paperback. 18 Books. Pin it, please. Comment below.

This series will introduce artists associated with certain states. This is my home state of Massachusetts. No doubt about it. The eighteenth-century artist followed the pursuits of their English counterparts: paint the rich, the nobleman, England's penchant for showing the client in extravagant surroundings, wearing silk and the finest fur. No longer the preserve of royalty, commissioned portraits — of oneself or one’s ancestors — became a coveted symbol of wealth and status. Gilbert Stuart December 3, 1755 - July 9, 1828 The artist's dream in this new world was to make that commission an absolute. How on earth did Gilbert Stuart land the task of painting George Washington? Still, who is the nobler here? Stuart wanted to paint Washington, for he expected that he could make a "fortune" on images of the Revolutionary War hero and American leader. At the time the president sat for Stuart, the artist tried to relax his sitter, offering, "Now, sir, you must let me forget that you are General Washington and that I am Stuart, the painter," to which the president responded, “Mr. Stuart need never feel the need for forgetting who he is and who General Washington is.” Stuart produced portraits of over 1,000 people, including the first six Presidents.[4] His work can be found today at art museums throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, most notably the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Frick Collection in New York City, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the National Portrait Gallery, London, Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.[5] Washington must have been pleased because, after this initial portrait of Washington, Stuart made more than one hundred copies for American and European patrons eager to own an image of the illustrious sitter. Norman Rockwell 1894 - 1978 Norman Rockwell is designated "Massachusetts State Artist" (I did not know there was such a thing). Here lies a conundrum. Was he a "real" artist? Or (just) an illustrator? Aside: This is the world that I live in. My work is very illustrative. So, am I not a real artist? Where does that rank start? In art school? I found this definition: "The biggest difference between illustrator and artist is the purpose of the work. Illustrators create images to help promote a function or a product. Artists create art to express emotions. In other words, an illustration is a visual explanation of the text, [which] almost always comes with context." Me, Annie Mason, an artist, says This ⬆️ is hogwash! Norman Rockwell was an illustrator and a great artist. If you want to dig deeper into this conundrum, a good place to start: Michaelangelo: Painter or Illustrator. (The title itself gives you a clue, doesn't it?) Norman Rockwell is cited in the article, and the author makes a great point: "If his famous Saturday Evening Post cover of the Thanksgiving dinner, entitled Freedom from Want, hung in a posh New York City art gallery, then it would have been considered fine art. But collectors snubbed Rockwell as a sentimental illustrator. The Author, Rachael McCampbell, continues: "Yet ironically, Rockwell’s Saying Grace (1951) sold at Sotheby’s in 2013 for $46 million. Does that sort of price tag elevate Rockwell to the fine art status?" Exactly!! Yet. Here we go. There are probably a lot of readers here who can point out a Norman Rockwell painting. Rockwell was born in New York City in 1894. At age 14, Rockwell enrolled in art classes at The New York School of Art (formerly The Chase School of Art). Rockwell found success early. He painted his first commission of four Christmas cards before his sixteenth birthday. While still in his teens, he was hired as art director of Boys’ Life, the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America, and began a successful freelance career illustrating a variety of young people’s publications. 22-year-old Rockwell painted his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post, the magazine Rockwell considered the “greatest show window in America.” Over the next 47 years, another 321 Rockwell covers would appear on the cover of the Post. In 1943, inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt’s address to Congress, Rockwell painted the Four Freedoms paintings. They were reproduced in four consecutive issues of The Saturday Evening Post with essays by contemporary writers. Rockwell’s interpretations of freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear proved enormously popular. The works toured the United States in an exhibition jointly sponsored by the Post and the U.S. Treasury Department and, through the sale of war bonds, raised more than $130 million for the war effort. In 1953, the Rockwell family moved from Arlington, Vermont, to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Six years later, Mary Barstow Rockwell died unexpectedly. In collaboration with his son Thomas, Rockwell published his autobiography, My Adventures as an Illustrator, in 1960. The Saturday Evening Post carried excerpts from the best-selling book in eight consecutive issues, with Rockwell’s Triple Self-Portrait on the first cover. I grew up in Western Massachusetts, and the Norman Rockwell Museum is in Sturbridge. If you are traveling in this area, this museum is a delight. Rockwell’s large-scale original paintings are displayed, and you will discover the highly relatable world of American Illustration – the art that tells our stories. There’s always something new to enjoy, with ten galleries of ever-changing special exhibitions, engaging programs, and a magnificent scenic 36-acre campus. James Abbot McNeill Whistler 1834 - 1903 Who doesn't know this lady? Why it's Whistler's Mother (the colloquial name), actually titled Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, painted in 1871. The subject is the artist's mother, Anna McNeill Whistler. The work was shown at the 104th Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Art in London (1872) after coming within a hair's breadth of rejection by the Academy. Often parodied, the painting has been featured or mentioned in numerous works of fiction and within pop culture. These include films such as Sing and Like It (1934), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Babette's Feast (1986),[13]Bean (1997), I Am Legend (2007), and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013). Theodor Seuss Geisel - "Dr Seuss" 1904 - 1991 American children's author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, and filmmaker. He wrote and illustrated more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. In 1927, he left Oxford College to begin his career as an illustrator and cartoonist for Vanity Fair, Life, and various other publications. Horton Hears a Who! Read Together Addition. How the Grinch Stole Christmas Geisel's art translated into many other media: Film, stage, and television specials. Lisa M. Greenfield Sculptor Lisa M. Greenfield is a Boston artist who creates public art sculptures and installations, as well as paintings, graphic design, and urban planning. Created in conjunction with Daniel J. van Ackere, her most famous work, Starry Nights, is an installation under a bridge in Fort Point; thousands of LED bulbs light up the underpass. Though the project was only supposed to be up for eight weeks, residents enjoyed it so much that it will be permanent for the next ten years (from 2014 to 2024). If you couldn’t find any twinkling blue LED lights at Target at Christmas time in 2009, that was because artists Lisa Greenfield and Daniel J. van Ackere, armed with a budget of $1000 from the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC), bought out the entire stock from about a dozen stores in the Greater Boston area. The installation is best viewed from A Street at Summer Street (between Congress Street and Melcher Street) in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood of South Boston. Books about artists in this post Gilbert Stuart Norman Rockwell James McNeill Whistler Theodor Geisel "Dr Seuss" Pin it, please, or comment below this post.

A New Year, a new look. Whether it's a whole new makeover or adding a vase to a tabletop, I love giving a room that extra touch, Some "pizzazz" (an attractive combination of vitality and glamour). We have recently moved and it is so much fun to take an object and find a new spot for it. The links below will help you do just that. * As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from the links below, at no extra cost to the buyer. I have listed products that are stylish and would perk up any room. Thank you for your purchase as the commissions help with website maintenance. For the living area: Set of 2 White Ceramic Vases VASAGLE Nightstand, End Table Lexicon Elle Accent Chair, Blue 4. FAMAPY Tall Bookcase with Wide Shelves 5. 100% Cotton Rag Rug 3x5' Multicolor Chindi For the Bath Turkish Cotton 6 Piece Towel Set Homemaid Living Luxury Bamboo Bathtub Tray Moen Sage Collection 3-Piece Decorative Bath Hardware Set EcoDecors Oasis 2-Tier Teak Corner Shelf Green Eucalyptus Shower Curtain For the Bedroom Barnyard Designs 24" x 58" Decorative Wall or Floor Mirror Minetom USB Fairy String Lights WLIVE Dresser for Bedroom with 5 Drawers USB Bedside Table Lamp with Outlet OSP Home Furnishings Wicker Papasan Chair For the Nursery Lambs & Ivy Woodland Forest Animal Nursery set Short Birds Nursery Blanket Ladder NoJo Dreamer - Pink/Grey Elephant 8 Piece Comforter Set YOLENY Fabric Rocking Chair Instant Air Purifier, Helps remove 99.9% of viruses (COVID-19) For the Rec Room Greenco Corner Shelf 5 Tier Shelves for Wall Storage WLIVE Wood Lift Top Coffee Table Elk Lighting 57027/4 Diffusion Collection 4 Light Chandelier Shintenchi Convertible Sectional Sofa Couch Victrola 50's Retro Bluetooth Record Player For the Garage / Exercise Room Pegboard Organizer Wall Control Imillet Mop and Broom Holder Marcy Multi-Position Workout Utility Bench Vive Desk Bike Cycle - Foot Pedal Exerciser Yoga Mat Holder Wall Mount Thank you for visiting! Pin it, please! ⬇ or comment below. Tree Bookshelf - 6 Shelf Retro Floor Standing Bookcase

This series introduces artists associated with certain states; this one features the state of Connecticut. The state of Connecticut has been, and still is, the birthplace, workplace, and/or home of many fine artists. Like many noted here, the eighteenth century was the flowering and fulfillment for many portrait artists. Ralph Earl b. 1751 d.1801 Ralph Earl was born in Massachusetts and established his art studio in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1774 at 23. A Loyalist, Earl refused to fight in the Revolutionary War, and his father’s suspicion that he was a spy for the British led him to disinherit his son, and Earl fled to England. There, he studied with Benjamin West. He returned to his native country after the war and settled in Connecticut, where his patrons, the country gentry, appreciated his straightforward landscapes and portraits, [Smithsonian American Art Musuem] Like other artists of his time, Earl joined other portrait and landscape painters whose business relied on the country gentleman and their wives who loved the prestige of having a well-known artist capture the finery and status for posterity. Sadly, Earl had a self-destructive streak and died from drinking. John Trumbull b. 1756 d.1843 John Trumbull was frequently called the "Painter of the Revolution." The painting above is one of three that Trumbull painted during the Revolutionary period. All hang in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol (Fortunately, none were damaged during the Jan. 6, 2021 riots). See: Here's the Status of the Capitol's Historic Artworks After Riots Son of the Connecticut governor, John Trumbull graduated from Harvard College in 1773, worked as a teacher, and then served as an aide to George Washington. Traveling to England, Trumbull also studied with Benjamin West. Encouraged by Thomas Jefferson, he began to work on historical themes. In 1817 Trumbull was commissioned by the U.S. Congress to paint four large pictures that remain in the rotunda, finishing them in 1824. Frederic Edwin Church b. 1825 d.1900 Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Frederic was the son of a wealthy businessman. At a young age, he studied with Thomas Cole, a prestigious landscape painter. Frederic began to specialize in ambitious nature scenes, serious enough that he traveled extensively to Columbia and Ecuador, where he painted Cotopaxi. This volcanic scene was thought to reflect the volatile event of the Civil War rumbling through Church's native country. Alexander Calder b.1898 d.1976 American sculptor known for his "mobiles" (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents). Born into a family of artists, his work gained attention in Paris in the 1920s. He was soon championed by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Although most famous for these mobiles, Calder created paintings, prints, and miniatures, as well as his work in theatre design, jewelry, tapestries, and political posters. Calder has extensive collections in museums across the world. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously in 1977. Sol LeWitt b. 1928 d. 2007 Born Solomon LeWitt in Hartford, Connecticut, "Sol" was an American artist linked to various movements, notably conceptual art and minimalism. He attended Syracuse University and moved to New York City in 1963 following military service in Korea. Sol worked as a graphic designer for the architect, I.M. Pei, During that period he started concentrating on sculptures of various gridlike axial arrangements of modular white aluminum, wood, or metal cubes. Working in this vein, he concluded "that the planning of a work of art would always be more significant than its execution as an object." This became a credo of conceptual art, LeWitt wrote in Artforum magazine in 1967. For his thoughts on "conceptual art," watch this interview with Sol LeWitt conducted by Stefan Römer. 10/2/2004, New York City. (Full-length version available on www.conceptual-paradise.com) Living Artist Fairfield, Connecticut Susan Newbold From her artist statement: "My fascination has always been with the organic line of Nature, most specifically, the ocean." website: susannewbold.com A sampling of her artwork below: Books available on the artists in this post: Pin it, please! Comment below this post.