Dear Artist, Yesterday, Nancy Holloway of Lexington, Kentucky wrote, “The art instructor in Noah Gordon’s novel, Shaman, says about his student, ‘He was too literal. He lacked the vital imagination, the misty vision. He had the heat but lacked the…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Paul Austin of West Drayton, England, wrote, “I’ve recently been given a commission to paint an exact replica of Magritte’s The Son of Man. The original canvas, now in private hands, measures 89cm x 116cm. I’ve been…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Joe Radovich of Surrey, B.C. wrote, “Together with two other painters I’m having a two-day show in our art clubhouse this weekend. My question is, when someone buys, should we give it to them right away, or…
Dear Artist, It’s been fifteen years since Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen’s much quoted The Innovator’s Dilemma was first published. Countless corporations, governments and technological organizations have applied his ideas in attempts to improve bottom lines and minimize failures. Disruptive…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Dennis R. of Aspen, Colorado wrote, “I read with interest your letter on why you shouldn’t put dates on paintings. What are your thoughts about catalog numbers on paintings? Assuming an artist uses some sort of sequential…
Dear Artist, Several artists have written to suggest that the massive growth of digital photography might be de-popularizing fine art. While reports of the decline of painting are suspect, protestors have a point. “Digital photography,” said one writer, “is using…
Dear Artist, The American architect and author Anthony Lawlor looks at rooms as containers for the elevation of the human spirit. The kitchen, for example, is a sacred place where raw foods are transformed by the alchemy of heat into…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Marjorie Moeser of Toronto, ON, Canada, wrote, “I sometimes place my signature to the left at the bottom because it suits the composition better than having it on the right. I try to make the signature inconspicuous.…
Dear Artist, Recent emails asking for advice prompted me to give further thought to the business of giving advice. Believe me, I’m deeply honoured when people trust me with a half dozen jpegs and the question, “What do you think?”…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Alex Nodopaka of Lake Forest, California, USA, wrote, “What do you think about making art by cutting larger paintings into several pieces, and also cropping existing work slightly smaller? Also, what’s the recommended way to do this?”…