Rachel Ruysch is the one token woman represented in the Dutch Exhibit and was famous for her lovely colorful paintings of flowers. Her father was an amateur painter and an internationally renowned professor of anatomy and botany. Because of this she undoubtedly became familiar with flowers and gardens in her early years. She later married the … [Read more...] about The Token
Full Steam Ahead
March 1st is just around the corner and full steam ahead it is! Pictured here is a detail of painting #5. The detail is showing a very small portion because this is the "stool climbing canvas" and will be the largest in the exhibit. As some of you know, I started taking piano lessons a few years ago. This introduction to music opened vast … [Read more...] about Full Steam Ahead
Oil Change
Drying oils are an essential component to painting in oils, and there are several which can be used. The primary function of a drying oil is to bind the pigment particles together which enables the pigment to adhere to the surface of the painting. The most common oil is linseed which is pressed from the flax seed and has been used since antiquity. … [Read more...] about Oil Change
The Painted Word
Here is a list a words I have come to know and love in all my glossaries. Impasto - thickly applied paint which stands out from the surface of a painting Pastose - paint mixed to a stiff texture, so that it can be used to create impasto Grisaille -The process of painting in different shades of grey or near-monochrome Monochrome - A painting … [Read more...] about The Painted Word
Art Glossary 101
Glossary (glos'e-re, glos'-) n. pl. -ries A lexicon of the technical obscure, or foreign words of a work or field. (<L glossarium <glossa, See GLOSS-) glossarial (glo-sar' e' el) adj. --glosssarially adv. -- glossarist (glos'e rist, glos') n. Glossitis -- Inflammation fo the tongue. Really ...its in the dictionary. To me, books about … [Read more...] about Art Glossary 101
A Thimble Full
"Sparkling light enters from the left" describes Willem Kalf's paintings perfectly and succinctly. He painted luminous elegant objects peering through the shadowy chiaroscuro of his still life compositions. Willem Kalf, mentioned in my previous post, Juicy Paint, was born in Rotterdam in 1619, and was known not only for his still life, … [Read more...] about A Thimble Full