http://robertjsimone.com Online Gallery and Personal Blog of Florida's Gulf Coast Artist Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:31:58 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_863" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Historic Charleston"][/caption] Just got back from a trip to Charleston, SC.  My first time, ever.  It is a city overflowing with southern charm and hospitality.  It is rich in history, fine art and gourmet food.  We visited numerous representational art galleries and even stumbled upon the official ... http://robertjsimone.com/uncategorized/cats-tongue-and-other-special-use-brushes [caption id="attachment_852" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="1962 T-Bird"][/caption] Saw this beauty on Passe-Grille Beach yesterday.  No bikini could have turned my head.  She was so stunning I couldn't take my eyes off her. 1962 Ford Thunderbird.  They don't make 'em like that anymore! This is the second in a series of posts about brushwork.  ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/selecting-a-workhorse-brush-narrowing-the-options I planned a post about the worlds largest art heist but instead I have decided to spend a post or two on brushes and how to use them.  I'll do the art heist post later on. With September fast approaching my oil painting classes in St. Pete/Tampa at Suntan Art Center ... http://robertjsimone.com/upcoming-events/brush-technique-the-good-the-bad-and-the-optional [caption id="attachment_802" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="The Copper Drinking Fountain - Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin; art renewal"][/caption] No post last week because I was on vacation.  Traveled to New York and Boston.  Saw a show in the City called Jersey Boys.   It's a musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.  Not my ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/how-to-mix-copper-using-three-color-palette Based on a comment to the previous post I thought I would elaborate a little on the phrase I used, ".....add whatever on your palette will make the change."  Here's an example: Let's say you are working from a palette limited to the three primaries (a red, a yellow and a ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/cooking-up-a-pile-of-paint-mixing-colors-elaborated Portrait of Benjamin Franklin by David Martin; courtesy artrenewal.org Here's some free advice that may pay off and be worth a couple of benjamins someday: It occurs to me that a lot of emphasis on painting from life may lead to an erroneous conclusion about color.  Seems logical to assume that the ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/practical-advice-for-mixing-oil-colors [caption id="attachment_765" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Still Life with Pansies - Henri Fantin-Latour"][/caption] The study of painting should be based on the realization that there are fundamental truths which under-gird the beauty of fine art.  Paintings are not good simply because they are colorful, expressive or popular.  Good paintings get their goodness from ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/truth-beauty-and-simplification As a rule I don't advertise for other artists on this blog but I am going to make an exception.  The artist I'm plugging is Julie Messerschmidt.  Julie is a friend and crit buddy.  By that I mean we get together for critique sessions, offering each other encouragement and constructive ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/the-beauty-of-simplicity [caption id="attachment_735" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Edgar Payne, 1971, Canyon de Chelly"][/caption] It's great a privilege to teach ongoing classes and give workshops.  Both provide the opportunity to work with student artists, most of whom have similar stories.  For one reason or another life kept them from pursuing an interest in or passion ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/wise-words-from-edgar-payne [caption id="attachment_724" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" Blue Lagoon, Ft. Desoto Park, 8x10 plein air oil/linen"][/caption] I've had the good fortune to start teaching plein air painting for the Tampa Museum of Art.  The newly renovated museum remains at it's long time location along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa, Florida.  The ongoing ... http://robertjsimone.com/art-instruction/the-language-of-painting