beside the easel

Pierre Subleyras, Christ at the House of Simon the Pharisee, 1737 In this post I'd like to tackle a subject that I have been thinking of for a long time. As a photographer for nearly 30 years I devoured many books on how to take better photos and wasted numerous rolls of film trying to develop an innate sense of framing and "finding the shot" before I take it. And it works . Photography is great experience in honing your eye for what to include and exclude in the frame, and even what to enhance or focus on. But when it came to applying what I learned toward my art, I realized I still had much to learn. Indeed. One of the most misunderstood yet fundamentally important elements of art is composition . Incredible, but true. Many believe it's their signature or choice of color palette, or their artist statement that will garner more sales and gallery representation, not giving much of a second thought to the very element that literally holds their painting tog

Read this biting article by Cambridge educated aesthetics philosopher Roger Scruton on the elitism and emptiness of modern art.

A 1620s Anthony van Dyck portrait of the musician Hendrick Liberti sold at Christie’s on Tuesday for £2.9 million. from the New York Times Read this article from the New York Times on how the art market is beginning to change for the Old Masters, despite a popularity of the contemporary art scene.