Dear Artist, In case you haven’t heard, “operant conditioning” is the use of consequences to modify the occurrence and form of otherwise voluntary behaviour. For example, rats, cats or dogs that perform a task are more likely to repeat successfully…
Dear Artist, On Sunday Elaine Caulton wrote, “I have tried to find out what the ramifications would be if I chose to paint under a ‘nom de brush.’ I could sign paintings with whatever name I chose, but where does…
Dear Artist, Psychologist Abraham Maslow has written, “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write — if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be.” The question…
Dear Artist, After my recent letter about canvas, re-stretching, etc., there were lots of follow-ups from readers. Bill wrote: “I’ve had two false starts on a canvas where I changed my mind, gessoed over and started again. This third time…
Dear Artist, In a public gallery the other day I came upon a tailored young woman and her equally tailored mother. They were admiring a painting by an artist I happen to know. As I lingered to see what they…
Dear Artist, This morning Dianna Burns of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, asked about taking oil painting equipment and canvas overseas for an extensive trip. “While I’m used to dragging my oils around the country,” she says, “I’m not so sure what to…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Edward Abela was wondering how many artists are interested in why people buy their art. Ed wrote, “At a recent show I found varied reasons: a visitor from England wanted a painting to take home as a…
Dear Artist, Yesterday, Chris Bingle of Stroud in Gloucestershire, UK, asked about signing paintings. She recently turned down the purchase of one because the artist had signed her name “quite high on the lower left in a thick, black stylized…
Dear Artist, Neurologist Oliver Sacks’s latest book, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, tells of various cranial disorders that have led to musical sensitivity and ability. For example, hit by lightning, a man suddenly begins to compose and conduct…