The Economical Exploitation of Artists After Their Death Using the Example of Gustav Klimt

People usually have pictures in their head if they think of Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). The most famous oil paintings of Klimt are "The Kiss", "Tree of Life" or "Adele Bloch Bauer" to name a few. All Klimt paintings sold for millions in art auctions. But Klimt did not only leave his astonishing oilpainting art, in fact he left a whole industry if you look at the Amazon catalogue - Exhibitions, books, art prints, cups, Barbie dolls, mouse pads, cell phone covers, Jewelry, games, etc. - in total you find 1,398 products for Klimt on Amazon. Usually the succession of a death artists are the beneficiaries of an economical exploitation but since Klimt died before 1920, his painting motives are in public domain already.

During his live Klimt did not achieve the status of a very wealthy person as he would by now but he secured financially stability for his family. Klimt's father was an engraver and could only barely feed his family. A proof for this is also the death of Klimt´s youngest sister Anna, who died of weakness because they couldn't afford enough food. It was the primary school teacher of Klimt who convinced the parents that Klimt shall go to art school and also helped him to receive a scholarship for his studies. During his studies Klimt got hired painting work which was common for that time. In the end Klimt's education, his hired work and scholarship helped the family to survive in times of economical crises.

In 2012 the city of Vienna is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Gustav Klimt. There will be several exhibitions in major museums in Vienna and the city is expecting thousands of tourists all over the world. In contrast to the grandiose celebration around Klimt people should keep in mind that several oil paintings of Klimt where seized by the Nazis during the second world war. Maria Altmann, one successor of the Klimt family, even needed to file a law suit against the city of Vienna in order to get back her paintings. Altmann successfully won her lawsuit but it took her till 2006 to achieve that success. Business is business but shouldn't we also keep in mind the intention of the artist who devoted all his life? Is a lawsuit with the shadows of the Nazis really necessary?

Gustav Klimt's primary subject of his paintings were the female body. Maybe all men in the world should start gifting a piece of art to women they are in love with, as a symbol of joy which was the primary intention of Gustav Klimt when he worked on his paintings.

If you want to get to know more about the life of Gustav Klimt, please visit the following links:

Gustav Klimt oilpainting art museum
Gustav Klimt oilpainting greeting cards

Original article

Claude Monet

One of the most well known impressionist painters, Claude Monet, was born in Paris in 1840. A few years after his birth, Monet would move to the French town of Le Havre. His parents owned a supply store and had a very successful business. His father wanted him to continue with the family supply business, while his mother encouraged his talent as an artist. Monet did not follow in his father's footsteps because his dream was to be an artist. He would start pursuing that dream in 1851, when he started to attend school in France.

Claude Monet was not fond of following traditional ideas when it came to his artwork. He found it hard to learn in the art school he attended and would often draw caricatures while in class. He started selling the caricatures, which greatly disappointed his very well-to-do parents. Monet's talents could be seen at a young age and he had his first art showing as a teenager. It was not long after his first art exhibit that his mother passed away and Monet went to live with his aunt, Marie Jeanne.

One of Claude Monet's biggest influences was Eugen Boudin. Boudin gave Monet the motivation he needed to become a great artist. Boudin helped to encourage Monet to start painting, which was something that only started to interest Monet after he met Boudin. Boudin would also encourage Monet to paint what he saw in nature. Boudin played one of the most pivotal roles in helping shape Monet into a successful painter. Monet would serve in the military for several years and then he returned to Paris where he was influenced by several other artists, including Pierre Auguste Renoir.

Claude Monet would end up marrying one of his models, Camille Doncieux. Monet and Camille would have two sons, Jean and Michel. Monet and Camille would struggle financially at first, but eventually Monet would be become more successful. The couple moved to London in 1870 because of the war. It was not long until Monet and Camille returned to France. It was in France that Monet had his first Impressionist art showing. Famous artists, such as Renoir and Cezanne were included in the exhibit. It brought criticism from art critics, but eventually Monet's work was more widely accepted. After the death of his wife in 1979, Monet moved to Giverny where he lived until he died of lung cancer in 1926.

Original article

Life and Work of Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera, more formally known as Diego Maria de la Concepcion Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodriguez was born on December 8, 1886 in Guanajuato, Mexico to well-to-do parents. His father was from Spanish nobility and Rivera had advantages as a result of this. At the age of ten, Rivera was sent to the Academy of San Carlos, located in Mexico City, to study art. His studies continued in Europe thanks to the sponsorship of Veracruz's governor, Teodoro A. Dehesa Mendez. He arrived in 1907 in Europe where he saw the beginnings of cubism as portrayed by Pablo Picasso and others. He embraced this art form before moving to Post-Impressionism.

Upon his return to Mexico in 1921, Diego Rivera began working on murals. He participated in a government sponsored program which was planned by Vasconcelos. Other prominent artists who took part in this program included David Alfaro Siqueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco and Jean Charlot. In 1922, Rivera's first mural was completed. Creation was painted in Mexico City in the Bolivar Auditorium located in the National Preparatory School. That same year, Rivera helped found the Revolutionary Union of Technical Workers before joining Mexico's Communist Party. The focus of his murals switched to Mexican society and the 1910 Revolution.

Rivera, while involved in these activities, developed his own style. He began painting large simplified figures using bold colors. There was an Aztec influence in his art that can be seen in murals in Cuernavaca, Mexico City and Texcoco. In 1927, Diego Rivera chose to head back overseas where he arrived in Moscow. He was asked to paint a mural in Moscow for the Red Army Club, but was ordered out of the country in 1928 due to involvement in anti-Soviet politics. As a result, he returned to Mexico. The following year the Mexican Communist Party chose to expel him. He married Frida Kahlo in August of that year and continued his work. He then accepted a commission from the American Ambassador. He was to paint murals in Cuernavaca in the Palace of Cortez.

From 1930 to 1933, Diego Rivera painted murals in a number of locations in America before returning to Mexico where he repainted an earlier mural. He returned to America one last time in 1940 to paint Pan American Unity. Mr. Rivera passed away on November 24, 1957 in Mexico City, but his works still exist today and are a great example of both social realism and the Mexican Mural Movement.

Original article

Finishing Your Canvas Print With Lacquer

Canvas prints are a great way to turn your favorite photos into fantastic works of art. This is mainly because canvas is very durable and can last for several years. Unfortunately, no matter how durable canvas is, it is also prone to damage. The image printed or drawn on it could fade, particularly if the canvas art is always exposed to sunlight.

Fortunately, there is a solution for this. Finishing your canvas art with lacquer can protect the painting from fading and scratching, thereby increasing its durability. A lacquer finish can also enhance a canvas print's quality.

When ordering a canvas print of your favorite photo, you can ask your service provider to apply a lacquer finish to your canvas art. If they do not offer this particular service your can apply the lacquer finish yourself. The process is fairly simple. Here is how to finish your canvas print with lacquer:

First, gather all the things you will be using. You will need the following items:

Lacquer
Spray gun or brush
Or
Lacquer in a spray can

Start by preparing your work space. Cover the area you will be working on with plastic or newspaper. You should also cover other nearby items that you do not want to be spattered with lacquer. Your work space should be well-ventilated and without open flames nearby.

Pour lacquer into your spray gun. Spray guns are available at your local hardware store. You can opt to use lacquer in a spray can. However, using a spray gun has an advantage: a better, more even coverage. You can also use a brush-on lacquer. Pour a generous amount of lacquer on shallow dish. This is where you will be dipping your brush.

If you are using a spray gun, test it first by spraying it right onto the newspaper or plastic. This will give you an idea of what the gush of lacquer will be like.

Before you start spraying or painting your canvas print with lacquer, first make sure that the ink or paint of the print is completely dry. It may be a smart move to wait for about three days before applying the lacquer finish to make sure that the ink or paint has completely dried. Otherwise, the lacquer could smudge it.

Once you have ascertained that the ink or paint is completely dry you can start spraying or painting your canvas print with lacquer. Start at a top corner and spray or paint evenly across toward the other corner, then down, and then work your way back to the side where you started from. Continue spraying or painting lacquer in this manner until you have covered the entire surface are of your canvas print. If you are using a brush, work quickly and spread the lacquer as evenly as possible.

Do not go back to other areas that you have already applied lacquer to. Also, avoid applying a thick layer of lacquer on the first coat. If you prefer a thick layer of lacquer, you can apply a second coat. However, do not apply the second coat right away. Let the first coat of lacquer dry for one to two days and then apply the second coat.

Izabella Harris is an expert when it comes to home decorations and arts. She is good at making canvas prints and arts. Currently working with CanvasWorld, she intends to share tips about canvas prints information and more.

Original article

Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse is one of the most well known artists who helped develop art and sculpture in the twentieth century. Matisse was born in Le Cateau, France in 1869. He was the first born son of a middle class family who owned a flower shop. Matisse started his working career after he finished studying law. He would not start to take an interest in art until he became ill and his mother purchased him art supplies to help him pass the time. That is when Matisse became interested in art, and in 1892 he would leave his law career behind to travel to Paris to study art.

Henri Matisse began his art studies in Paris under instructors that were mostly conservative. Matisse's early works are mostly still lifes, but he would eventually start experimenting with a more abstract approach in his artwork. He was greatly influenced by famous artists like Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cezanne. He would experiment with the techniques used by other artists, sometimes even mimicking other pieces of famous artwork. Matisse used the painting methods of other artists, combined with his own unique brushstrokes to define his own painting technique. Many of Matisse's paintings exhibited bright colors.

While in art school Henri Matisse started moving away from the more conservative approaches he was taught. He was often thought of as being rebellious since his works were becoming more and more abstract. His use of very bold colors was also one of the reasons his artwork was considered controversial. However, Matisse did not let the controversy over his artwork stop him from continuing in his art career. He continued painting and in 1904 he met another famous painter, Pablo Picasso. It was in 1904 that Matisse had his first art exhibition. In 1905, he would have another exhibit with a group known as the "fauves." The term "fauves" came from the wild brush strokes and colors used in the paintings. Matisse and several other artists helped to bring about a painting method known as fauvism.

Henri Matisse used fauvism to show emotion in his paintings, especially his paintings of women. He not only liked to paint still lifes, but he was also known for painting women. One of his models included his daughter, Marguerite, who was born just a few years after he moved to Paris to study art. In his later years Matisse would soften the approach to his artwork while residing in the French Riviera.

For more information about Henri Matisse, please visit http://www.henri-matisse.com/.

Original article

Express Your Artistic Flair With the Latest Art Supplies

Certain individuals have the ability to create a fantastic masterpiece from amazing materials and in certain cases have the ability to produce artwork from certain items lying around the household. However not all of us have this ability and require genuine art supplies to enhance our existing art skills.

The problem most people find when trying to obtain certain art materials is that they are not so easily obtained. The internet has helped massively but these specialty art stores tend to charge a fortune on specialty art supplies. However if you are new to art or a novice within the field of art, it is best to target the cheaper art supplies.

We usually find our vocation to art as youngsters learning how to paint pictures and write. When we are young our brains provide a wonderful sense of imagination and creativity. Provide a child with a set of crayons or drawing pencils and you will be astounded at the different pictures and colours they produce. This type of creativity should really be encouraged through properly preparing for creative play by implementing the right variety of art supplies.

You may not be aware of this but something as plain as an empty egg carton can be used as a wonderful method of holding your art materials. Combine this with scraps from the household and simply a few pieces of paper and you will find an inexpensive method for your children to have a great time expressing their creativity. Other art supplies can be extremely low cost yet provide hours of fun, such as glitter and paint sets.

On the other hand artists who are aspiring to make their mark within the world of art put a great deal of time and effort in to ensuring that their masterpieces are developed using only the best quality art materials. Using quality art supplies will help to increase your art skills but it's vitally important to look after all of your art supplies.

Paint brushes are a very important factor for artists who enjoy painting. However it is paramount that you use the correct paint brush. You have a choice soft brushes or stiff haired brushes, which can be made from either natural hair of synthetic fibers. Usually you would use the thin paint brush for precise painting where you want to place a lot of detail within your picture. The paint brush with hard bristles is best for use with thick paint. The dilemma between which is best natural hair and fibre is a difficult decision, however most purist artists will say that the natural hair will out way using the synthetic fibre brushes. The hair for paint brushes is directly used from animals such as squirrel, camel, ox horse, goat and even hog. If this in anyway goes against your idealistic the synthetic fibre brush is going to be your solution and although are thought to be not as good as the natural hair brush they have come a long way over the past few years and are less expensive.

There are other factors that are important to know about the paint brush, such as the size of the brush. This is determined by simply looking at the number on the side of the handle. The sizes available are 00, then 0, 1, 2 and so on. If you are shopping online try to see an image of the brush as sometimes the same sized brush could be totally different due to the amount of bristles and the handle width. Due to the amount of time it may take you to find the perfect brush, it only makes sense that you take care of it.

Discover the latest discounted art supplies and art materials all from the leading names such as Derwent, Posca, Fimo and many more with Crafty Arts.

Original article

The History of Nude Painting

Paintings of still-life objects, landscape and paintings of animals are impressive, express emotions and tell stories. Images of the human figure, in particular nudes, however, translate emotions most acutely.

Early Nude Art Works

The earliest known nude is the celebrated Venus of Willendorf, found in Austria. She is from the Stone Age (ca. 38000 - 10000 BC). Surprising to the archaeologists, sculptures of the nude female figure in the rest of the world were quite similar.

The earliest, most celebrated, nude art known today are from Greece and Rome in the period of Antiquity (900 BC - 300 AD). The realism of these works were quite impressive, and typifies the "Greek God" sculpture look.

There are not many early paintings available to us. These may not have survived the ravages of time. Hence there were only sculptures to tell the story.

The late Antiquity to Pre-Renaissance Paintings

The late Antiquity to Pre-Renaissance (300 - 1450) paintings were dominated by scriptural Christian paintings. This era was also classified as the Middle Ages and included Gothic art, Trecento and Romanesque paintings. Human figures were mostly stylized and symbolic rather than expressive. Nudes (if at all) were depicted as part of a narrative, rather than expression of emotion.

The Renaissance Paintings

The Renaissance period (1500s) was the rebirth of attention to the realistic human figure. It was this time that Artist's signed their names onto their works and re-focused on the skill of executing artwork to impress, rather than indoctrinate.

Renaissance painters express the nude as beautiful, flowing curves and soft white skin so fleshy that one can feel their warmth. The genre is whimsical and airy like the paintings Sandro Boticelli.

Famous Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci made a lot of study material on the human anatomy, which is fodder for many artists after him.

Michaelangelo Buonarroti (1475 - 1564) was the most illustrious artist of his time. He is regarded foremost as a sculptor. His nudes were beautiful, muscular, god-like. They were almost touchable and much more than realistic. His grandest paintings are frescos on the Sistine Chapel.

The figures of Raphael (1483 - 1520) were more soft-focused and smooth toned. Less musculature, but still strong body language.

Titian (ca. 1488 - 1576) painted nudes of different genres, from altar pieces to mythology. His paintings are dynamic, and there is a lot of motion of figures in his works.

The Baroque Era

The Baroque era (1600s) nudes are dynamically lighted like in a modern screen-play. The paintings are dramatic and 3-dimensional. Even though some of the story-telling in the paintings were based on Christian scriptures or Mythology, the characters in them were somewhat contemporary, real people. They were like actor in a movie set.

Baroque nudes, like those of artist, Rubens, were opulent, full of movement and drama and extravagant. Their bodies were full, but they seem light as air,

18th Century Paintings

18th Century nudes were the product of social and political climate of its time. The art (mostly) got less flamboyant and more stately, and majestic. A good number of nude paintings were borne out of this era. It was the dawn of satirical art. Many artists were also bound by the business of portraiture. Nudes, in this era remained dreamy, sensual like with the paintings of Jean-Auguste-Domique Igres, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Francois Boucher.

Unlike the Baroque nudes, however, subjects had more 'lighting'. The use of Chiaroscuro, a lighting technique was frequently used to enhance the figure with dramatic lights and darks.

Art of The 19th Century

The 19th Century nudes developed to less "in-the-flesh" and more stylistic. The artists of this era were varied and more experimental in their style. Painting styles were experimented with, and there were movements or -isms that were borne from this time. In broader terms, their artists were Realists, Romantics, Impressionists and Expressionists and many other sub-categories which we recognize today.

The Realists were about style. Their subject matter were focused on contemporary, real life ordinary subjects. They reject the idealism in painting ideas used in Christianity or mythology as sole subjects for art.

Of the famous Impressionist nude painters are Edouard Manet. His subjects were like that of Goya, portraying scenes of social and political strife. His nudes, however, were defined by loose brushstrokes. The entire composition of his paintings consists of flat, but subtle, tones with creative use of color and shape.

More typically impressionistic paintings include the paintings of Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat and Cezanne. The figures are even less detailed, with focus on more vibrant shape and blocks of colour.

The Expressionists were more varied in the style. The nudes were much poignant in the message of the paintings. The focus is on communicating than purely aesthetics. Of the famous artists of this genre are Paul Gauguin, Edvard Munch, Amedeo Modigliani, Gustav Klimt, Egon Shiele, and Henri Matisse.

The 20th Century and Today

The 20th Century began with tumultuous years of the two world wars. Great art derived from this era were interesting and expressive. Abstraction is born, and often the subject of "nude" is no longer a recognizable shape. The 18th Century adopted styles of the Impressionists and Expressionists still live on. Contemporary artists are, in one way or another, influenced by their predecessors.

This is the era of photography and cinema. Realistic representation seems no longer a priority, and neither is there any more journalistic role for art as in Goya's time.

The best way to fully appreciate the paintings of nudes in history of art is to view the images all in one page.

The art world today is more interesting than ever. With social media on the internet, more artists are inspired experiment with styles and techniques of painting. The form of the human nude figure is interpreted and re-interpreted. In any form, paintings of the nude human figure always fascinates.

Nik Helbig is an artist and art blogger living in Austria. She specializes in figurative paintings on canvas.

Original article

How to Paint Snow With Watercolor

Painting winter scenes with watercolor can be an enjoyable experience once you know how. The light shining on pure snow and the shadows, both form and cast shadows, give the painting a sense of depth and clarity. There are several ways to achieve a beautiful, snowy landscape.

To begin, wet both sides of your watercolor paper. (If you do not wet the back, your paper will curl when you paint the front.) Some artists prefer to soak the paper then tape it to a board when dry. Consider your light source and be consistent with it throughout your painting. Lightly sketch your scene on your dry watercolor paper. I find 140 lb. cold-pressed paper works well. You will need to spritz the back of you paper every so often as you proceed.

Determine where your form shadows; those found on an object itself, and your cast shadows; those cast beneath your object, will be placed in your watercolor composition. Allow for both hard and soft edges for interest.

Preserve some pure white paper for your brightest snow. The eye goes to white first. Make a light wash of Aureolin Yellow and paint some of your sunlit areas in your foreground with this. Keep it very light. Next paint a sunny section towards the middle with a light wash of Rose Madder Genuine. Light washes of pure transparent color may be added after these have dried. Let your painting help you to decide what it needs.

Drop in some cooler colors such as Cobalt Blue into your shadow areas. Mix some Rose Madder Genuine and Cobalt Blue together for a soft violet color. Add this to your shadow. Allow it to run and blend into your blues.

Now consider some options for making your snow sparkle. These include techniques such as spattering masking fluid, dropping in salt, and using a light-grade sandpaper. You may want to select just one of these, to avoid "over doing it." Although these techniques can enhance your watercolor, you will want your snow to appear natural. I will describe how to use each of these, and after practicing with them you decide which you prefer.

To mask out small specs of white in your snow, dip the ends of the bristles of an old toothbrush into masking fluid and flick with your thumb onto your paper. Practice this first on a piece of scrap paper to get a feel for it. Once your masking dots have dried they can be painted over. Once the paint has dried the masking fluid can be removed with an eraser or rubbing with your finger.

To give your snow sparkle with salt, experiment with the following. Paint an area of snow with a violet color and drop in some table salt while it is still wet. Allow this to dry then brush off the excess salt. See how you like the result of using this technique.

To use sandpaper as a tool, choose one area of your completed watercolor and firmly move the sandpaper across this section with one motion. Do not go back and forth with the sandpaper, as this can ruin the effect.

Practice these techniques and decide which works best for you. I think you'll enjoy painting snow!

Sue Doucette, Author/Artist

I have been painting with watercolor for many years and am happy to share with you what I have learned. Please visit my website page "hints for painters" for more helpful watercolor tips. http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com/Hints-For-Painters.html.

To see more watercolor paintings, http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com/portfolio.html.

Original article

Tips For Painting Buildings in Watercolor

Painting buildings with watercolor can be both fun and challenging. Getting the perspective correct is very important. If it is off, everyone will notice. If it is just right, it will be taken for granted... but that's ok!

A good way to see the angles of your subject, is to refer to the large hand of your watch. Try corresponding the roofline of your building with the similar looking "time" on your watch. For example the pitch of the roof may look like "twenty past" the hour. In other words the angle made by the large hand at twenty past the hour, resembles that of the roof. If the large hand of the watch points at the number five on your watch, or twenty-five past the hour, it would correspond with a steeper pitched roof. A nearly flat roof would resemble the hand of your watch pointing at the number three. This is a very useful tool when painting plein air. It's helpful in approximating the angles of a building, then transferring this information to your paper.

When adding windows and doors to you building, make sure they follow the angle of your roof and foundation exactly. If the perspective is off, it will be very apparent. When painting buildings in watercolor, perspective is key. Try using the "watch hand" technique for accuracy.

Another tool when preparing to paint a building, is your camera. A grid can be drawn over your photograph, and a corresponding grid is very lightly drawn on your paper. Block off squares of equal size on both. The ratio could be 1:3, 1:5 etc., depending on the size you plan your painting to be. You may want to number your blocks lightly in pencil to make transferring your drawing easier. Making a black and white copy of your photograph can be helpful in two ways. First, you can make your grid on this, preserving your actual photograph. Secondly, the back-white-gray copy can help with your preliminary value sketch.

Once you have made your value sketch to refer to when painting, and have your building accurately drawn on your paper, you will be ready to paint. Remember to use the same palette throughout your watercolor. For instance, if you are painting a red schoolhouse, be sure to use red in at least two other places in your composition. Red flowers (which you may add if none are present) and the red stripes of a flag are two good possibilities. Never use a color only once in a watercolor painting; in at least three places is the "rule." For more interest, add reflections in the windows. This will give your painting a more realistic feeling, as well as adding depth to your composition. If you paint the reflection of the sky, make it a shade or two darker than the actual sky.

Experiment, and enjoy painting buildings!

Sue Doucette, Author/Artist

I have been painting with watercolor for many years, and am happy to share with you what I have learned.
For more watercolor painting tips, please visit http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com/Hints-For-Painters.html.

To see more watercolors, http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com/portfolio.html.

I welcome commissions and can paint from your photograph.

Original article

Oil Painting Lessons - Tips for Learning to Oil Paint

1. Drawing is one of the keys to a great painting. As a beginning oil painter you will want to hone your skills in learning to draw. This will ultimately take your paintings to a newer level as your drawing skills improve. So, carry a sketchbook with you and when you have a few minutes of time take it out and begin to sketch what you see around you. Not only will you drawing skills improve, but you will gain a better sense of composition and some great ideas on future paintings. Remember, your drawings do not have to be perfect and with each project your skills become better and better.

2. Great paintings take work - sometimes art is hard and we all have the desire to give up on a painting or drawing because it's just not working. But, given perseverance and a willingness to give more time and effort often results in a much better painting as well as teaching you self-discipline.

3. Rejection - ouch, it always hurts but learn to accept it with a grain of salt. Everyone has their own ideas on what makes a good painting, but choose to have confidence in your abilities and know that with each project you will continue to strengthen your skill.

4. Being unique - as a beginning painter it is true that often in the learning process you are copying other artists works, but don't be afraid to take what you are learning and apply that to your own creations, it takes time for your own unique style to develop, so feel free to experiment.

5. Learn to question - there are always multiple ways to any technique and any composition, learn to question what you are seeing, what you want your viewers to see, this help you to achieve your uniqueness.

6. Procrastination - enemy number one, be disciplined enough to paint on a regular basis whether you are 'in the mood' or not. After all, if we waited to get in the mood, no painting would ever be finished.

7. Keep learning - the more you know the more depth and creativity in your paintings, always keep learning whether it is branching out into different subjects or mediums, always keep learning.

8. Don't be afraid to share with other artists - one of the best times you'll have is painting with like painters, don't be afraid to offer advice or accept constructive criticism from your fellow artists.

Morris, J is an award winning self taught artist and invites you to get our free e-book on 'Element of Drawing' by John Ruskin just for joining us at: http://oilpaintingtutorial.net/

To get your own personal oil painting lessons online join me at: http://paintinginstructions.net/

Original article

How to Paint People With Acrylic

Acrylics is the most versatile of paints for fine art. There are many attributes of acrylic paints that make it my choice of paint. There are 3 main advantages of acrylic paints to oil paints and watercolors.

1. Varied Viscosity and Textures

Acrylics can be purchased with different levels of viscosity. This allows the artist to apply color using infinite choice of different techniques. One can apply the impasto technique by slapping on thick globs of paint on the support, or choose to thin the paint with water and make color wash like watercolor.

Acrylics have strong molecular bonds. The material is tacky and stretchable. This makes is possible to be mixed with solid granular or fibrous material to create interesting textures.

2. Different supports

The molecular structure mentioned above allows the paint to stick well to any thickness of material, from paper to wood or even metal, as long as the surface is not totally smooth.

3. Quick Drying

Quick drying paint is a boon to artists who paint layer on layer. Layering is not easy with oils because they take long to dry between layers. Watercolors are not color fast. Layering with watercolors is tricky since the paint is not color-fast. Layering of watercolors lead to bleeding and smudging of the under layer if one is not patient enough.

Within the scope of this article, I shall explain more of painting, as in applying color and not so much on drawing.

Skin Tones and Realism

Contrary to what many art teachers subscribe to, I do not believe there is such a thing as a formula for the color palette. One can use any combination of colors to create paintings of the human figure. I personally, use a very limited palette of not more than 2 colors plus black and white to paint people. The colors used should reflect the artist's own painting style, and also the tone of the subject matter.

The use of black is actually optional. Some artists do not use black, but rather mix two complementary colors to produce a dark. One great mix would be Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine. However, one can also use Cerulean Blue instead of Ultramarine for a more 'realistic' skin undertone.

For eyes, hair and lips, when trying to achieve realism, less is often more. Keep the color of these features muted if unsure. The exception is, of course, when the intention is to exaggerate these feature.

Clothes and Accessories

Clothes and accessories make paintings interesting. If possible, try to paint these last after painting the complete figure. I tend to use the figures as the support for these accessories.

Different Physical Techniques For Painting People With Acrylics

Creating art is free. There are so many ways to apply acrylic paint. Here are 4 broad techniques one can explore.

1. Color Washing

This method is similar to watercolor painting, except that one can use this method to paint on paper or canvas. Use the most fluid Acrylic paint, and thin it with water. The best results are obtained when the paint is really watery-thin. Paint from the highlights and darken as you go. The way to darken the tones is to wait for each thin layer to dry and then paint another thin layer over.

The more layers, the more control one will have on the skin tones. Start with the lighter skin tones like the yellow highlights and gradually add the burnt sienna, and the blue tones for shadow.

The idea for this style is to keep the colors loose and free.

2. Impasto

This techniques looks best on sturdy medium like stretched canvas and wood. It will not look so stable on paper. Visualize the famous portraits of Vincent van Gogh. The paint is thickly applied as if it was just squeezed out of the tube. Acrylic paints look like oil paint when applied this way. Buy paint which has high viscosity. If you need thicker texture, add acrylic gel medium. Apply the colors each stroke next to each other until the canvas is covered. While painting skin tones, most artists applying this technique would paint the darks first. This is because you want the highlights to appear on top of the surface. Hence, start with the shadows.

Extent of realism in this technique depends on the size of the brush strokes and the thickness of the paint. More realism is generally achieved by smaller strokes and less viscous paint.

3. Layering

This is the technique I use most in my present portfolio. The idea is somewhat in between the first two techniques. Use paint of varying viscosity. For lighter areas of the body, use paint thinned with water, and for areas which are darker of less detailed use slightly thicker paint.

For more control on realism, use thin layers. One can also adopt this technique called "Grisaille" method where the first under-painting is monotone to block in the shades.

4. Collage Techniques

Very popular with abstraction painters, and many artists today. This technique is not so much about painting with the traditional brush. The versatility of the paint allows us to mix and stick objects to the paint and onto the support. One can, use these objects under the paint or on top of the paint. Either way, there will be infinite possibility of textures and styles. Normally, realism in painting the human figure is not priority with this style.

Getting that X-factor in a painting

Human figures are the most interesting subjects to have in a painting. Even a landscape, a tiny figure of a person becomes the focal point. We are always drawn to body language. That is why I find it easy to communicate with art by painting people.

In order to add more drama, more expression in a figure painting, one can try experimenting on lighting, foreshortening, composition and clever use of color and brushstrokes.

The possibilities of painting people with acrylics are endless. An ultimate painting of the human figure can speak volumes and express a whole lot.

Nik Helbig is an artist and art blogger living in Austria. She specializes in figurative paintings on canvas.

Original article

How to Oil Paint Landscape Scenes

The first thing in painting a landscape painting is your subject. Choose a scene that you like such as a lake view or a field of flowers or even a cottage set in the woods. Once your subject is chosen then it is time to decide your canvas size.

If you are sure of your ability to paint your landscape scene, then choose the size of canvas that you feel will do the scene justice. I find that most any size will do, but it often depends on the 'mood' I want to create. However, for scenes that have a subject that I want to experiment with, I will choose a smaller canvas such as an 8x10 primed cotton. Choosing a smaller size enables me to quickly do a study and if it looks good enough, there is the option of doing the scene over again and with more detail on a larger canvas allowing me to enhance what I wasn't able to achieve in the smaller canvas.

The next step is to set out your palate. The colors that you choose are often dictated by the season of the painting as well as the light. Is the scene bathed in sunlight? Is it a foggy morning, a winter scene with snow on the ground and barren trees? As you can see the colors will be dictated by the scene that you choose to paint.

Once you establish your palate, then it is time to sketch the scene on your canvas. I will sometimes use one of the colors on my palate or a charcoal pencil. The main point is to sketch in the major shapes, don't worry about the details at this point.

After you have sketched in the general shapes of your landscape you will want to block in the lights and the dark areas of the scene with an under paint of color. Generally speaking I will use a wash of burnt umber and fill in the major shapes. More color of the wash is used for the darker areas and less color of the wash is used for the lighter areas. This is sometimes referred to as a 'value wash'. Once this is done, step back and compare the lights and the dark areas on your canvas with the scene. If you need to define some darker or lighter values, this is the time.

The next step is to mix the color for your sky. The choice of the color of course is dependent on your landscape scene. For instance, in a typical blue sky I often choose cobalt blue, cadmium yellow light and little cadmium red light. To these colors I will add titanium white to get the different hues of the colors. Working from the top of the sky down to the horizon lay in your sky. Then take your greens and mix color for your foliage. Along the horizon line lay in the foliage to blend with your sky.

So far you have put your sky and your horizon line in. The next step would be to paint in your background trees and work your way forward in the painting from the horizon line to the foreground. As you work the foreground you will need to pay more attention to the detail of the landscape and bring out those factors that excited you about the scene. Once this is done, step back and take a look. This is the point to refine any areas of the painting that you feel are lacking. Once that is done...well you are done!

Morris, J is an award winning self taught artist and invites you to get our free e-book on 'Element of Drawing' by John Ruskin just for joining us at: http://oilpaintingtutorial.net/

To get your own personal oil painting lessons online join me at:
http://paintinginstructions.net/

Original article

What Is A Listed Artist?

You often hear that an artist is listed, so what does this really mean? Basically, it means that an artist has attained a certain level of recognition in the art world.

Just like everyone else, an artist starts their career at the bottom level. They start to show their work by attending local or school shows, having their art in galleries that specialize in emerging artists, listing their art on sites like eBay and Etsy. As their art matures and they develop a signature style, the artist will start winning awards in major shows, have representation in more established galleries, articles written about them and possible museum attention.

This gets the artists noticed by the publishers, curators, art critics or sites that reference these artist. These entities report biographies, dealers and secondary market information. The importance of this is that it validates that the artist is a professional, creates quality art, deserves recognition and has a stronger potential for maintaining or increasing in value.

It's the same type of progression as a musician that starts playing at the local pub and graduates to large concerts and the cover of the "Rolling Stone".

During pre-internet days, the major reference books, kind of the "Rolling Stone" for art, that an artist could be listed in were Benezit, Mayers and Who's Who in American Art. Being referenced in these books qualified the artist as being "listed". Publications in which an artist paid to be referenced in do not qualify the artists for this distinction.

Today there are major art reference web sites (most are subscription based for all or part of the information). If an artist is referenced on these sites, they are considered as "listed". The major sites are AskArt, ArtPrice, ArtFact and ArtNet. It is very easy to verify if an artist is "listed" by checking these sites. These sites are constantly being updated with new information.

Picasso, Rembrandt and Van Gogh are examples of "listed" artists. Very few listed artists achieve their level of recognition, but this does illustrate that not all listed artists are created equal. Some are much more famous than others.

Just because an artist is not listed does not mean that they are not a creative and accomplished artist, but a "listed" artist has the added confirmation and recognition of their talent.

Most artists never receive this recognition and sometimes, not until after they have passed away.

Melanie Smith is one of the owners of Seaside Art Gallery which has been established since 1961. She is an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers with a specialty in fine art and animation art.

She has hosted and organized numerous art shows and has been a judge for art shows in eastern North Carolina. She also developed and presented the webinar, "Prints, Original, Fakes or Reproductions" for the International Society of Appraisers.

Seaside Art Gallery specializes in original works of art. You can visit them in Nags Head, NC or on their website at http://www.seasideart.com/.

Original article

How to Paint A Unfinished Wooden Bangle

Unfinished wooden bangles are the perfect jewelry craft project for experienced or new crafters. The design and creativity possibilities are endless. You can use one color or a multitude of colors to truly embellish and accent the wooden bangle. People also paint polka-dots, hieroglyphics, trees or even flower designs on their wood bangles.

And, after the paint dries the bangle can be covered with glitter, stickers, fabric, or even cloth flowers.
Some people buy wooden bangles to decorate and resell while others create and add the bangles to their wardrobe. It is also a wonderful craft project to bond with others. One of the greatest pluses is the fact that it is very inexpensive and easy.

Materials needed:
• Unfinished wood bangles
• Acrylic Paint
• Modge Podge or Polyurethane
• Two Paint brushes
• Water basin
• Wax paper
• Towel
• Paint Palette or Plastic Plate

Most of the materials can be bought at any craft store or online.

Step 1: Prepare Your Working Space
Place a sheet of the wax paper under your working area to prevent creating a mess. Put water in a water bottle to hold the paint brush. Organize the wax paper you are going to use. Wood bangles are small so you will probably only need one sheet of paper to lie across your work station.

Step 2: Pick your acrylic paint color
Although there are other paints that can be used acrylic paint works perfectly on unfinished wood. It goes on smoothly and is not to runny. You can find acrylic paint at any craft store or online. If you do not have a color palette you may want to use a plastic plate or simply pour the paint onto the wax paper. And, dab the paint on your brush.

Step 3: Pick your unfinished wood bangle
Wood bangles come in an assortment of different sizes and styles. Are you interested in a dome bangle? Pentagon? Geometric? Or, a chunky bangle? Domes seem to be the most popular. And, if you are creating a custom wood bangle for a client be sure and ask what style they prefer.

Step 4: Painting the Bangle
Grab your brush. Dip the brush in the paint on the platform of your choice. Stroke the paint in the same direction to prevent the paint from bubbling up. Once you have covered the entire bangle let it dry for about thirty minutes. Then, begin to paint the inside of the bangle. Let the inside dry for another thirty minutes.
Repeat step four one more time because you are going to want to add two coats of paint for a rich look.

Step 5: Seal the Bangle
There are many sealants to choose from. I personally like modge podge because it is non-toxic and goes on smooth. And, modge podge can be applied with a paint brush. Tung oil is my second favorite. Other sealants to choose from are: polyurethane, mineral oil and linseed oil to name a few.

T.C. Hill is the Creative Director of Banglewood Crafts an online craft store, blog and how-to-information source. They sell unfinished wooden bangles and wood bangles for decoration resell.

Original article

Andrew Wyeth

While some may call him the most influential American artist of the mid 1900s, still others claim he was under-appreciated. Regardless of your feelings about the man and his work, the controversial Andrew Wyeth and the paintings he produced set a tone of minimalist artistry that continues to capture the attention of art enthusiasts around the world.

Born in 1917, Andrew Wyeth was the son of a famous illustrator. Home schooled by the ultimate art teacher, it seemed almost inevitable that the second generation Wyeth would carry on the family business of art. Drawing under his father's name while in his early teens led young Wyeth to his chose profession. By the time he was 21, he had his first exhibition in New York City where he sold out his complete stock of paintings. His style was much different than his father's though. Andrew presented a drier less colorful style than that of his father. He did less illustrations and more "pieces" than that of his famous illustrator father.

By far, Andrew Wyeth's most famous work was Christina's World. This minimalist painting depicted a young neighbor of Wyeth's in her yard staring at her home in the distance. The home and farm were typical of Andrew Wyeth's work by depicting a local regionalist style such as the farm that truly existed in his summer home of Cushing, Maine. Born in Chadds Ford, PA, many of Wyeths other works re-create a somber view of his home area.

Because he was schooled by his father, one would expect that his work would run parallel to that of his great teacher. However, Andrew Wyeth sought out his own art history and became influenced by the great Renaissance masters as well as American painter Winslow Homer. In return, Wyeth is said to have inspired many of today's artists including popular cartoonist Charles Schultz.

The saying is, "like father, like son" and so is the case in the Wyeth family. Just as Andrew followed in the footsteps of his famous father N C Wyeth, so did Andrew's own son follow in his father's steps to become the renowned artist Jamie Wyeth. Three generations of Wyeth artists helped paint and create a more beautiful world.

Through his depiction of the people and landscapes around him, Wyeth brought to life a realistic and abstractionist view of the local area. His expert use of watercolor, dry brush technique and egg empera is one that has yet to be topped by modern artists.

For more information about Andrew Wyeth, please visit www.andrewwyeth.org/.

Original article

Best Artists During the 1950s

During the prosperous and peaceful 1950s, there were many artists who had achieved, or were reaching prominence in the art world. This article will outline some of the more prominent.

Mark Rothko was one of the more original painters during the era. He had broken into the art scene in the United States during the '30s and kept experimenting with forms until he began producing the large multiforms he is so famous for today. The first of these was painted in 1948. He only painted in oil on vertical canvases for the next seven years. His goal was to overwhelm with intimacy and a sense of the unknown with these large paintings.

Henry Moore was long a famous English sculptor, and by the early '50s was receiving plenty of publicity. He won a commission for a reclining figure for the UNESCO building in Paris. His Family Group in bronze (1950) was his first large commission after WWII. During this period, he began to hire assistants and continue to work prodigiously.

Serge Mouille is a master of modern lighting. In Paris Mouille had begun to imitate organic forms as he crafted his metals into modern light fixtures. His spider lamps are representative of the forthcoming minimalist aesthetic throughout the arts.

Alberto Giacometti is a sculptor whose work was similar to Serge Mouille's in style. His thin stick-like figures were more akin to sculpting "the shadow that is cast" by the human body rather than the body itself. The result defies easy classification and is some of the most original produced during the era.

Francis Bacon is another important figure in painting, and was discovered by the art critic David Sylvester, who had written about Moore and Giacometti. Bacon's work, originally perceived as expressionist, defies categorization with its raw spartan imagery and powerfully stark pallette.

Willem de Kooning is a painter who is best known for his equine portraits of women. Why is his work so great, people have asked? Part of the reason is his dedication - he often spent months working on a single painting, scraping and reducing to get the figures exactly as he wanted them. The result was a perplexing ambiguity, which foreshadowed his more abstract work during the later half of the century.

These artists helped to define art in the second half of the twentieth century. Their work can be seen at most major museums throughout the world. Often it may seem difficult to understand, and perhaps that is the point. All one can do when viewing them is think and feel, allow them to wash over you. That may make it easier to understand.

Gueridon offers mid century modern lighting from Serge Mouille, a modern metal master.

Original article

Watercolor Painting - How to Use Masking Fluid

When painting a watercolor, it is important to plan your white spaces ahead of time. These areas will be left white; the white of the watercolor paper. Unlike oil painting, where the whites are added at the end, watercolor requires the artist to plan ahead and "save" them from the start. Often, large white areas can be painted around, thus preserving the white of the paper. This becomes more difficult with smaller areas.

At times "saving" your whites isn't easy to do. For instance if painting a white bird in the sky, it is nearly impossible to paint around the bird and have the sky look natural. Often times the sky is painted with layers of washes going horizontally across the paper. This makes it very difficult to "save" the small area of white for the bird. This is where masking fluid comes in to play. It is applied to the paper to block out this area, and painted over. I suggest practicing before applying the masking fluid to your painting so you will be familiar with its qualities.

An important tip when using masking fluid is to first wet your brush, then coat it with soap. (preferably from a bar. I keep a bar of soap with my painting supplies for this purpose.) Without the soap, the masking fluid will adhere to the bristles of the brush and ruin it! After coating the brush with soap, dip it in the masking fluid. Now carefully cover the area you would like to preserve as white. Don't dip your brush back into the fluid without repeating the addition of soap to the bristles. Once you are satisfied that your area is totally covered, let it dry completely!

Once dry, you can paint your masked area. After your paint has dried the piece of masking fluid can be rubbed off with your finger or an eraser, revealing the white of the paper. At times, you may not be pleased with the result. The edges may not be as crisp as you intended, or the shape may not be quite right. This is why it is important to apply the masking fluid with great care. Even so, the result may lack the precision needed.

A word about masking products: In addition to white, masking fluids now come in colors as well. Some include an applicator or brush, and fine point tips are also available. There are translucent masking fluids, which allow you to see through to your paper, giving you a more complete look at what has been masked.

Experiment with this watercolor tool. You will soon decide whether or not you want to include it with your watercolor supplies.

Sue Doucette, Author/Artist

I have been painting with watercolor for many years and am happy to share with you what I have learned along the way. I write a monthly page which is posted on my website featuring helpful tips for painting with watercolor.
To read more, please visit http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com/Hints-For-Painters.html.

To see more watercolors, http://www.CapeCodWatercolor.com/portfolio.html.

Original article

Add a Little Whimsy to Your Life

Whimsical art is a playful combination of colors and images that utilize a carefree style to express a variety of emotions from fairy tale delight to nightmarishly disturbing. Themes are often unsettling, surreal and humorous. They frequently combine anthropomorphic (partially human) beings or more traditional creatures in imaginative and unique ways. Often associated with picture books, this style of art is showing up in swank art galleries, trendy coffee shops and living-room walls across the country.

James Christensen, based out of Orem, Utah utilizes world myths, fables and tales to create his elaborate works of art. Each painting is a world where the fantastic and outlandish reside side by side with the achingly beautiful. His attention to detail results in a complex finished products that provide new insights and surprises each time they are viewed.

Pristine Catera-Turkus loves that her art work makes people smile. She draws upon such fantastical subjects as mermaids, angels, flora and fauna and even brightly decorated sugar skulls used for the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead to create works of art that are both startling and irresistible. Her bright colors, fresh themes and folk art/whimsical style sets her work apart as an artist to watch.

You'll find pink polar bears, rainbow-hued giraffes and violet-purple Bison in the work of artist Clara Nilles. Clara's drawings and paintings feature wellknown animals in vivid and surprising color combinations. These startling yet attractive tones reach out to patrons and touch them on an emotional level.

Up and coming Irish artist Thomas Joseph Stephenson, known simply as Thomas Joseph of Carrickfergus, Ireland, employs a country primitive style to create his whimsical and humorous paintings. Featuring a host of barnyard characters including the endearing sheep for which his work is known, Thomas's drawings have gained a following both in Europe and in the United States. The bright colors and simple lines of his work convey a warm and cheerful feeling to young and old alike. Thomas uses the rural scenes of his homeland as inspiration for his popular collection, and his artwork can be found on a variety of specialty gift products, note cards and framed prints.

Individuals, who choose whimsical themes in the art work they display, the note cards and stationery they send, and even the calendar they use, demonstrate their zest for life, and a desire to look beyond the ordinary in their world, to find the extraordinary.

Deanne Blackhurst is a writer for Alana Marketing, a company that specializes in promoting promising new artists and their products to the general public. We carry a full line of Thomas Joseph Whimsical products as well as other unique and specialty items by exciting new designers. Visit us at http://www.alanamarketing.com/

Original article

Contemporary Indian Art

A genuine avant-garde movement in visual art is no longer possible today in the true sense of the term. It happened last time with POP and not any more afterwards. Not that new thoughts have stopped emerging since POP but these are based on the 'isms' developed earlier and are more like Beethoven's twelve variation of a theme, innovative as one listens to the movements but are easily identifiable with links to the central theme. Since the days of classical modernism in the West, it appears in retrospect, that all significantly original ideas in art are like a panoramic spread with peaks appearing in predictable intervals. Interestingly, the heights of the peaks vary little with one another signifying no art movement is more or less important from other art movements and all contributing to the mainstream of modernism in art - the way a major river gains in volume of flow by its tributaries and loses depth as it reaches its end-point of meeting with the ocean.

That is to say Conceptual Art of the comparatively recent era with its associated 'happenings' and 'performances' is not better, or less in significance, to movements like, for instance, 'Bad Arts' - the exponents of which proudly exclaim their singular devotion and obsession on deliberately created stylistic crudity. In between the two extremes of art today, with the emotional charades of 'no-expressionism (and neo-Dada) on one end and the cerebral permutations of the 'conceptual art' on the other, lies a near-endless variety of artists who wish to consciously avoid such extremes.

Contemporary Indian art is characterized by such a scenario in which a large number of practicing artists keep their faith in acquired skills to draw and paint and avoid using extremities of the imported variety. Ability to visualize pictorial metaphors and proficiency in translating the same in line and color on canvas and paper usually characterize them. In these they differ mostly from their contemporary practitioners of the extreme kind who often relies on borrowed skills of other artists they consider not enough artistic. Art of those down the middle path is also distinguishable with their unmistakable contemporaneity and varying degree of comprehensibility without being obvious. They are true exponents of transavantgardeism as they exhibit little faith in creating visual shocks of the extreme kind.

Historical evidence throws up an interesting role reversal in public response to modern art. In pre-War days it reached its nadir while, in post-War days, the same public welcomed modern artists with open arms and much enthusiasm. In Europe and also in the USA large exhibitions were organized to celebrate victory of allied forces over the oppressive voice of the Nazi. These important and landmark exhibitions offered due honor to those artists of the modern era who defied Nazi dictum to continue their professed path of modernism even in exile. The public, faced with the hardship of daily life in the war-ravaged world, was more than ready to embrace the artists whose work they understood only in parts, if at all.

A very significant increase in the footfalls to these large exhibitions almost converted such art-events like a mass-entertainment package to showcase art with a social message (of the failure of the Nazi war-machinery to suppress artistic freedom) even though it still retained its abstracted vocabulary with little hint to unscramble its coded thoughts. In sharp contrast to pre-war skepticism, modern and post-modern art soon gained the status of being newsworthy. Artists and their life -style and also the market-valuation of their art received journalistic attention. Even the Government of the concerned Nations, sensing the popular perception, came forward to offer State patronage to post-modern art in the form of International Art Fairs like Venice Biennale in Italy, the Bienale des Jeunes in Paris and the Documenta in Kassel, Germany.

Such a genuine degree of sympathy of public towards, even with its increasingly abstracted profile in the hands of not a few, was not what the artists concerned had faced earlier. One thing that had triggered such a dramatic polarization was the changes that slowly yet steadily took place both in the mode of representation as well as in the selection of what is worthy of representation in art. Visual arts, historically speaking, had always been choosy about what it represented. Religious themes and stories from epic and historical anecdotes, in addition to royal portraiture were once considered as fit enough for the artists' brush. Changes in artistic subject matter, initiated by Dutch-Genre, got a major boost in POP Art with its singular attention on commercial consumerism. They brought about the needed revolt to not only in the subject-matter but also equally so in how to represent such 'new' thoughts in art.

Sanchit Art is an Indian art gallery selling modern and contemporary artworks of various Indian master artists. We also take keen interest in unveiling and nurturing the talent of talented and passionate young artists. We began operations in March 2010 with an inaugural show and party in the presence of eminent personalities from the art world. Our gallery is situated in Agra at one of the most premier locations in the city, enabling easy access to the gallery by local as well as international populace.

Original article

Wassily Kandinsky

World renowned artist Wassily Kandinsky is known as the creator of abstract art. Born in 1866 in Moscow, Kandinsky not only had a love for art, but he loved music as well. His love of music was inspired by his parents who both played the piano. He moved from Moscow to Odessa when he was five years old. He would continue to study music and art throughout the years. However, when he attended the University in Moscow he decided to study law. Studying law was something his parents encouraged him to do and he was very successful in the field of study.

After studying law for six years, Wassily Kandinsky would go on to become a law professor. He would also marry his cousin Anna Chimyakina, who he would eventually divorce in 1903. Kandinsky taught law, but his true passion was art. He gave up his law career to pursue his interest in art. One of the main inspirations for his career change was Monet. It was Monet's painting "Haystacks" that helped to influence Kandinsky's abstract artwork. Kandinsky found the abstract nature of Monet's painting to be very perplexing. It not only perplexed Kandinsky, but it also inspired his abstract paintings.

After Wassily Kandinsky divorced Anna Chimyakina, he toured Europe for several years with his new love interest, Gabriela Munter. It was during this time period that Kandinsky really started to explore the world of art in more depth. Kandinsky rarely included people in his paintings. A majority of his paintings were landscapes, especially during the period that he toured Europe. His love of music was one of the main driving forces behind his paintings, along with his spirituality. Kandinsky also had a love for vivid colors, which can been seen in his paintings.

In 1906, Wassily Kandinsky was residing in Paris with Gabriela Munter. After he parted ways with Munter, Kandinsky would move to Bavaria. In Bavaria he was able to focus on art and using color in his paintings. It was an emotional time for Kandinsky and his emotions are reflected in his paintings after he moved to Bavaria. Kandinsky's artwork was showcased throughout Europe and caused controversy among art critics. Kandinsky did not let the controversy stop him from creating works of art. He was also inspired to write a number books throughout his life, including his book "Concerning the Spiritual in Art." The book helped to define the meaning of abstract art.

Original article