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CNY Watercolor Juried Show

I hope you can make it to the CNYWS Juried Show Reception this Sunday, June 9th from 2-4 p.m. I was excited to have the painting shown above, juried into the show. Of course there will be LOTS of lovely watercolor paintings of every imaginable style and subject by many talented watercolor artists of the Central New York region at this show. It’s free! Come and check it out! Location: Wilson Art…

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Painting with Coffee

“January 20, 2009”, Katie Turner, coffee on paper, 2024, after Thornton Dial Thornton Dial was an American self-taught artist from Alabama (b 1928-d 2016) and did not have access to a formal education.  How inspired I was after reading about his art and life in “My Soul Has Grown Deep: Black Art from the American South” a book published in 2018 by Finley Cheryl, Randall R. Griffey, Amelia Peck…

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Inspired by the Hunt

15th Century Playing Cards at the Cloisters/MET museum The Met Cloisters has a set of 15th century playing cards that are in mint condition.  The cards have four suits, a king, queen, knave and ten pip cards with symbols rather than numbers.  The symbols are hunting horns, dog collars, hound tethers and game nooses since the theme is hunting. I was inspired by the Franco-Flemish style figures…

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Book Sculptures

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Art Shows in Progress

If you are in upstate New York and would like to view some beautiful art, I recommend checking out two shows that Central New York Watercolor Society has going on right now. In full disclosure, I have a single painting in each show, but there are plenty of paintings by many different artists at each gallery to see. There is something for everyone’s tastes. Information is below. Bountiful…

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Hoffmann’s Hedgehog

“Hedgehog”, Katie Turner, watercolor after Hans Hoffmann Hans Hoffmann was a German painter during the Renaissance.  He specialized in watercolor and gouache nature studies but also painted religious pieces in oil and also portraits.  This Hans Hoffmann (with two “f”s) is a different artist than the Hans Hofmann, the German born American painter who died in New York in 1966 at the age of 85. “A…

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The Inlander

“Fires of Spring in Big Woods”, Katie Turner, Watercolor after Charles Burchfield. I revisited several books about artist Charles Burchfield recently and found some inspiration.  Burchfield was described as having three distinct periods in his artistic career.  The 1st period was early mature work that focused on nature – sometimes realistically, sometimes decorative and sometimes fantasy with…

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Drawings by Georges Seurat

“Tree Trunks Reflected in the Water”, Georges Seurat 1883-84 This week I found several books in the library on Georges Pierre Seurat, the French post-impressionist artist.  Many of us have seen his painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” with women and their parasols, children and pets playing while men lounge in the summer shade along the water.  It’s a soft, beautifully…

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10 Ways to Practice Creativity

Watercolor sketch by Katie Turner Making things, writing, crafting, collaging, and painting involves so much more than just the process.  There are so many things you can do to cultivate your creative thoughts beforehand that will help sustain you throughout the creative process. Here are some ideas: Challenge yourself to make something every week or every day.  Set up your workspace so you…

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Stamping in Watercolor

Jungle Birds, watercolor, Katie Turner 2024 A huge part of being an artist, for me, is experimenting.  Today I explored using some of my own carved rubber stamps with watercolor. I am not the first to use stamps in fine art and won’t be the last.  Andy Warhol used handmade rubber stamps to create repeated patterns and symbols in his commercial work and paintings. Paul Klee combined stamping,…

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Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was a prolific street artist with no formal training, had more than 2000 paintings, sculptures and mixed media works and an unknown amount of notebooks. The book I’m writing about today, authored by Christopher D. Stackhouse, Franklin Sirmans and Henry Louis Gates Jr., was originally published in 2015. Basquiat was best known for figurative works that integrated…

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Multimedia Pioneer: Laurie Anderson

Finding inspiration and creativity...

Inspiration can come from anywhere.  This week I want to take a moment to share a multimedia virtual reality piece by Laurie Anderson.  I was intrigued by the floating letters.  Please read on about this artist. As a storyteller and performer, Ms. Anderson imagined a museum of her work might resemble a radio broadcasting station. That inspired the design of her glasswalled gallery, now to be her…

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Short on Time? Make a Tiny Painting!

If time is hard to come by during this end of year rush, why not try some quick and tiny watercolor sketches?  Once you get started you’ll have a hard time stopping!  These little art pieces are such fun and there is no pressure to create a masterpiece.  These are great ways to experiment. Cut out a mat board template 4”x3” to keep a consistent size. Lightly draw a pencil line on your paper for…

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POP-UP Show

(R)EMAIN FALL ART SHOW at the GEAR FACTORY 200 S. Geddes St., Syracuse, NY 13204 Opens Saturday, Nov. 11 from 3-11 p.m. Gallery hours will continue 11/13/23-11/17/23 from 6-9 p.m. Please stop by to check out the art. My daughter will have a few of her spectacular weavings as well and my art will be hanging right next to hers. There is a wide variety of art at this event and it is handicap…

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The Color You Hate

Recently I finished reading an old interview of Tomie dePaola by Will Hillenbrand.  Both men are/were artists, writers and illustrators.  Tomie dePaola created more than 260 children’s books before he passed in 2020.  He described learning how to paint at Pratt, mentioning how lucky he was to have the instructors he did.  Many of them were refugees – modern artists, such as Richard Lindner – that…

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Black and White Exercise

Here’s a fun little art exercise.  It helps train you for better design. It involves working in black and white only.  It’s a great way of noticing differences.  While doing this exercise, you will have to pay attention to what’s light, what’s dark, what’s small and what’s textured or smooth.  Of course your art will always be uniquely your own because you have created it but why not make it even…

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Will The Real Creative Please Stand Up?

Many creatives have felt the effects of “Imposter Syndrome” at one time or another, but it affects many people, not just artists, writers or musicians.  “Imposter Syndrome” is the persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of your efforts or skills.  It’s where you feel like a fraud.  Unfortunately, letting these thoughts take over…