.com...the link between you, the visual artist, and the manufacturer of art materials.
Established 1990
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.com ...the link between you, the visual artist, and the manufacturer of art materials. Established 1990 |
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Artist Profile
Frederic Remington (1861-1909)Born in Canton, New York, on October 4, 1861, Frederic Remington was the son of a newspaper publisher who was a Civil War commander. From his father, Remington inherited an interest in the cavalry and military operations. (But he did not inherit his father's trim physique, being only 5'9" and weighing in at 300 pounds.) In his youth, Remington enjoyed hunting and was also an avid horseman. He attended Highland Military Academy in Worchester, Massachusetts, through his high school years. Afterwards he was educated at the Yale College School of Art where he displayed more interest in football than in art. Remington returned home in 1880 after the death of his father and was given a minor position in the state government through the influence of a relative. Harper's Weekly printed his first cartoon in 1882, and later works appeared in Outing and Century magazines. He detested what he considered the commercialization of art and felt publishers sacrificed art and truth for action and sensationalism. Remington preferred to draw his favorite subjects - horses, Indians, soldiers and cowboys. In 1886 Remington attended the Art Students League in New York City. In February of 1888, his illustrations appeared in Theodore Roosevelt's war articles carried by Century magazine (later published as Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail). From that time until his death, his works were shown in galleries throughout the world. While employed by William Randolph Hearst as a war correspondent to sketch the Spanish-American War for the New York Journal, Remington was sent to Cuba to record the "death camps" of Cuban prisoners and the details of what happened during the war. He suffered great disillusionment and disliked the assignment, though he fulfilled the demands of the publication. Remington had an aversion to showing a battle between two opposing forces. He depicted either the defending forces or the attacking forces but did not show any actual battles taking place. Because of this method of depiction, the viewer is drawn into the scenes and is allowed to imagine the outcome. His war experiences so disenchanted him because of the images he was forced to examine, that he began to sculpt in bronze. The paintings of Frederic Remington, rather than depicting the western landscape, concentrated more on the people and events of the time, using the landscape as casual background. The geological surroundings were unrecognizable and rarely defined. Those works between 1880 and 1900 portray the life of cowboys, the Indians and the white settlement of the frontier by immigrants from the east.
While Remington is revered as one of the two most famous western artists (Charles Russell being the other), he was actually not a westerner. Hailing from the east, he made annual pilgrimages west to collect material and become recharged with the spirit and vitality of the area. Remington's private life had a few interesting twists. In 1884, he proposed to Eva Caten, but she refused him. Her father forbid her to marry Remington because he had no real means of support. Feeling dejected, he immediately moved to Kansas and invested in a hardware store and a saloon. A few years later he returned to New York and proposed to Eva again. Once more her father was not impressed and forced Eva to refuse him a second time. The next year he returned home again, proposed to Eva for a third time and she accepted. They were married that year (1888), at which time Eva returned to Kansas with Frederic and brought some much needed stability to his life. They had no children. Eva left her large estate of Remington's work to a museum in Ogdensburg, New York. The museum to honor her late husband is in the home of a lifelong friend who left his home for that purpose. Seventy-seven of Remington's later works are featured here. During his career as a western artist, Frederic Remington produced nearly 3,000 magazine drawings, paintings and sculptures. His work, which depicted the settlement and growth of the frontier in a manner that was easily understood by every American of the time, made Remington the most popular illustrator from 1888 onward. That same year he received an award as the most popular artist in America. Critics, however, consider his work less an accurate documentation of the settlement of the American frontier than a record of how the American public of the time viewed the west. His detailed study of the cowboy, for instance, gave a romantic twist to that form of livelihood that exists to this day. Frederic Remington died on December 26, 1909, at his studio and home in New Rochelle, New York, from the complications of an appendicitis attack. He was only 48 years old. Both he and Eva attained fame in their lifetime--Frederic Remington due to his tireless depiction of the American West, whether or not it was completely realistic, and Eva because of her tireless support and management of the estate (Frederic's paintings) left to her and the establishment of the Frederic Remington Art Museum. Several galleries throughout the United States have examples of Remington's work. And by exploring the Internet, you can see many of his sculptures and paintings. Remington On ViewOpening August 10 at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK, will be a three-part exhibition featuring the largest collection of Remington's work ever gathered in one location. Frederic Remington: The Color of Night is the second stop of a national touring exhibit organized by the National Gallery of Art in association with the Gilcrease. The 25-piece exhibit features the nocturne paintings by Remington (and travels to the Denver Museum of Art). The Cast of Characters: Frederick Remington's Bronzes features 25 bronze sculptures, with the signature piece being Bronco Buster, cast in 1895. And The Published Remington will include original artwork created for magazines, as well as books written by Remington, personal letters, publications containing his illustrations and B/W paintings he created for publications. All three exhibitions may be viewed through Nov. 9. Also on view through August 24 at The Hyde Collection Art Museum in Glens Falls, NY, is Frederic Remington: Illustrator, Sculptor, Painter. This traveling exhibition features over 30 works by the artist drawn from the premier collection of the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, NY.
"Paint Your Way to Paradise" ContestGenesis Artist Colors (in conjunction with All-American Crafts, Royal & Langnickel Brush Mfg., Inc., and Viking Folk Art Productions) has announced the "Paint Your Way to Paradise" Contest. Three Grand Prize trips for two to Cancun, Mexico, will be awarded in three categories: Professional Artist, Decorative/Recreational Artist and Genesis Teacher (who generates the most students in Genesis classes during the time period). In addition, first, second, and five third prizes will be awarded in each category. All artist entries must be painted exclusively with Genesis Artist Colors and can be a home furnishing, accent, accessory piece or a painting on the surface of choice, including canvas, wood, porcelain, FIMO polymer clay, etc. For complete contest rules/entry form, see www.genesisartistcolors.com/contest-info.html. Deadline: December 31. International CompetitionArt Renewal Center's Annual Open Competition will award more than $16,000 in cash awards. Open to all artists, representational work only will be considered in three categories: figurative, landscape and still life. Send #10 SASE for prospectus to the Art Renewal Center, PO Box 837, Glenham, NY 12527 or visit www.artrenewal.org. Deadline: October 31.
Oil Painters' CompetitionOil Painters of America will hold a Midwest Regional Juried Exhibition in December in Long Grove, IL. The focus will be to select paintings that show the highest quality in drawing, color and composition, emphasizing diversity in representational style and subject matter. See www.oilpaintersofamerica.com. Deadline: September 3. Casein and Acrylic Painters' ExhibitionThe 50th Anniversary Exhibition of the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic will be held in Bethlehem, PA, beginning October 23. Open to members and non-members, eligible work includes original paintings in casein, acrylic and egg tempera. See. www.bright.net/~paddy-o/art/nspca.htm for further information. Deadline: September 10. National Pastel Painting ExhibitionThe 12th Annual National Pastel Painting Exhibition of the Pastel Society of New Mexico will be held Nov. 7 23 in Albuquerque, NM. All work must be at least 80% soft pastel. For more info, see www.swcp.com/psnm/. Deadline: August 29.
Scratch and DrawWhen you think of drawing, you usually think of adding pencil, charcoal, pastel or other media "onto" the surface of paper. But, have you ever thought about trying the opposite? Scratchboard is a great reverse of the old rule of adding to the surface because, with scratch work, you remove the surface to create an image. Scratchboards come in a variety of different types. Traditionally, the surface is black and the paper beneath the black surface is white. This means that you remove the dark surface to expose the white under it. Scratching more of the black inked surface away will yield whiter, lighter areas. The boards are easily cut to size with scissors. New scratchboard products include bright colors of red, blue and green under the black ink top coat. The very newest scratchboards have splashes of rainbow colors under the ink top coat. Plus there are metallic colors, too. When you scratch the ink coating from these sheets, you expose glitter and sparkle. These are great for any celestial or supernatural drawings or just for fun. One artists' quality scratchboard type of product is available (from Ampersand) that consists of a super-smooth clay surface with a coating of high quality ink over Masonite. Scratching through the ink and into the clay surface allows superb control of the amount of light or dark in the drawing because you can balance between the extreme black and chalk white to create simulated shades of gray. The only way to achieve gray with traditional scratchboards is to mingle pure dark and pure light close enough together to fool the eye into believing gray is present. The tool used to scratch away the coating on any of these papers can be as simple as a sharpened stick or as sophisticated as a special scoring tool. Pushpins and tapestry needles make excellent tools for scratching fine detail work. Young adults can carefully use knife blades or any other pointed metal object to create patterns in the black surface. There is a tool designed especially for scratchboard. It is styled like a tiny trowel with a pencil-type handle. This instrument is sold wherever scratchboard material is available. Here's an easy exercise to learn how to create different tones of "gray." Use a sheet of simple, black-on-white scratchboard material. Pencil in 6 to 8 two-inch squares in a row. Within the squares, crosshatch (crisscross scratches) to create a progression, exposing more and more of the white as you work from left to right. This simple exercise will help you learn different ways to create the degrees of light and dark needed to make a drawing come to life. Great fun! Magic Touch Posters by JacquardWith Jacquard's Magic Touch Posters, kids three and up can paint perfectly every time. Included with the poster are a paintbrush and five paints. Just touch the brush to the surface, watch the colors magically flow to just the preprinted design outline, and frame/display your masterpiece when complete! It's goof-proof! Available in the Master Series (Bosschaert, Munch, Picasso, Remington, Escher, Leger, Matisse and van Gogh) and the Popular Series (Tiger, Wizard, Parrot, Mushrooms, Maiden, Puppies, Pond and Dragon). 2003 International ChildArt FestivalThe fifth ICAF International Festival will be held on The National Mall, Washington, D.C., to "paint a new future for the world." The festival will showcase the important role that children and the arts can play to promote international understanding, empathy and cooperation. The festival is free and open to the public from Sept. 9-11, 11am-5pm, between 7th and 12th streets. Included are an international children's art exhibition, an arts and crafts studio, an online creativity tech center and more. Renowned artist/author George Rodriguez of Blue Dog fame is designing collaborative peace murals and will join the children in painting them on the Mall. For more on ICAF and a complete schedule, visit www.icaf.org.
Maple End Grain Wood Engraving Block by Art Boards
In the Spotlight: The Genius of GenesisIt isn't often that something revolutionary and edgy comes along, but Genesis Artist Colors are just that. Perhaps the most profound advancement since the development of oil paints over 500 years ago, they represent an entirely new concept in painting and an artist's dream come true. Controlled drying time and an extremely broad spectrum of premixed and/or mixable colors make Genesis a real asset to traditional painters who wish to work at a rapid pace yet continue to achieve the results they have come to depend upon. But, because they represent a "system" that is new and different, many artists have yet to discover their versatility and performance. Genesis is not truly an oil in the traditional sense. It is actually a separate compound that resembles and performs like oil paints but has its own mediums. It cleans up easily with rubbing alcohol or with water and surfactant soap such as "Dawn." While cleanup is possible with soap and water, the colors are not water-soluble. Genesis is neither water- nor solvent-based, but solvents may be used to thin or clean. Genesis colors can be applied over acrylic gesso priming on canvas or primed wood. Canvas can be either cotton or linen. Its pigments and mediums (Genesis Thinning, Glazing and Thick) were developed to give Genesis Artist Colors strong archival qualities with very high lightfastness ratings. While you can use other manufacturers' mediums with varying degrees of success, Genesis colors have a creamy texture that usually requires no medium at all. The cost of Genesis Artist Colors is similar to other artist-grade paints; but there is one important difference. Genesis colors do not dry out until they are heat activated. That means that while you work within any spectrum of colors, there is no need to clean either your palette or brushes, since they will remain supple and soft and charged with paint until you wish to change your color scheme. You may select individual colors from the 88 offered or color systems. The Basic Palette is the most economical, with 10 colors, Thinning Medium, Glazing Medium, video, instructions and a free heat gun - all for under $100 retail. It is also available without the heat gun for under $80 retail. Pro studios often select specially designed ovens to dry their canvases, but start-up Genesis painters can use the hand-held gun very effectively. Another assortment is the Professional Studio System with 80 colors, mediums, video, palette and case. When the subject of solvents, oil paints and the associated compounds comes up, some artists shudder. Genesis Artist Colors have no solvents, so they are safer to work with and they do not exacerbate allergies. In addition to the customary uses for Genesis--those works on canvas, panel, and wood--the creaminess of the media makes it ideal for monoprinting. Once the master plate is charged with Genesis, it is easily printed, ghost printed, and then recharged with color for more prints. The limitless open time makes it a printmaker's dream. Give Genesis a try and you will see how versatile, workable, stimulating and exciting painting can be. Visit the following sites: www.genesisartistcolors.com for great pictures, descriptions, and a gallery of artists' work done with Genesis Artist Colors and much more; www.genesisdecorativeart.com if decorative painting is your interest area; www.gotcs.com/acg for Artist Color Guides; www.gogiclee.info to learn about the Genesis Giclee Enhancement System; and www.amaco.com to see a catalog of all AMACO products.
Brushes for AcrylicsSome artists swear that good quality brushes are what make their paintings come to life. They use these brushes with a reverence that rivals human kinship. The care and maintenance of brushes is very important to such artists, not only because of their cost, but also their symbiotic relationship. Often these artists have a specific width and fiber for every task. On the other hand, other artists consider brushes as tools, items to be used, even abused if that is what is required to get the job done. There are even artists who can complete a painting using only one brush. It is likely that most painters fall somewhere between these schools of thought. Brushes vary widely in fiber, bristle shape, handle length and ferrule shape. Following are some basic descriptions of brushes to help you determine what might be best for the work you do. Starting at the top of the line in brushes, sable is thought by most acrylic artists to be the softest fiber for painting. Sable applies paint in a smooth, even and sure way with few brush marks. The sable used in paintbrushes ranges from very high quality that is strong and dense and full of "snap" to compositions of synthetic and sable that mimic the resilience of true sable at lower cost. Animals raised in super-cold climates (often from Siberia and Manchuria) have a thicker pelt with a springiness that holds more paint. Brushes hold their point and are stronger and more flexible. The most expensive of these sable brushes is hand-set in a seamless ferrule. That insures a tight and proper fit of fibers and years of excellent service. While sable is used almost exclusively by watercolorists, acrylic painters also find them perfect for detail work or for working on smooth panels or wet-sanded, gesso-coated canvases. These surfaces demand the fine quality that sable offers.
Next in the chain are the blends of sable and synthetic. They were created to meet the demands of artists who needed the strength and holding capabilities of sable. With the addition of synthetic fiber came a brush that can withstand severe treatment, hold lots of pigment, is easy to maintain and gives service beyond expectation. This brush is designed for the amateur and professional artists who want the feel and control of sable with a lower cost. Camel, raccoon, pony, badger, and squirrel hair brushes offer economy and good performance. They hold lots of paint and are especially good for washes and initial color applications. Their structure lacks the resilience of sable, but they are all natural fibers and are easy to use and maintain. Their cost makes them ideal for beginning and "budding" artists because they can take a licking and....and you know the rest. They often come with nice long handles and most have tight ferrules that hold up well with heavy use. Natural black and white boar bristle brushes are the backbone of brushes for most acrylic painters. These brushes can work on any surface and exhibit little or no wear. One aspect of bristle that is favored by many textural painters is the wonderful textures imparted by the stiff and sturdy hairs in these brushes--great for impasto and other heavy application methods. Other than slight staining with some pigments, bristle brushes clean up easily and can stand up to squeeze drying for immediate re-use. Shapes of brushes include ovals, often called filbert; broad, flat shapes called flats or brights (flats have shorter bristles than brights); round shapes (offered in the greatest number of sizes); contour rounds that have long hairs with gently tapered outer edges; fan brushes that have bristles fanned out from the handle; script brushes for fine detail work (long hairs in a slender ferrule); and specialty brushes made of bristle called hake brushes, angled shaders, and paint movers made of shaped rubber nibs on paintbrush handles as well as paint shapers for specialty finishing of arts and crafts projects. There is a brush for every possible need and many do double and triple duty. A quick scan at any art materials center will prove that and offer you a chance to experiment with another shape, fiber, length or style of brush. With good care, acrylic paintbrushes can last a very long time. Always remove as much paint as possible immediately after painting. Rinse with clean water and then with a mild soap solution. The most expedient way to do this it to lather your brush (try General Pencils Masters Brush Cleaner and Artist Hand Soap), and then gently rub your paint brushes in the cupped palm of your hand. The palm is soft enough that no damage to bristles will occur. Rinse thoroughly under cool tap water and gently blot the bristles (reshaping to original edge/point/tip). Stand, handle down, in a glass or cup to dry completely. For transport, roll thoroughly dry brushes in paper towels and secure with a rubber band or buy a neat brush caddy. Occasional reconditioning with light oil is good for the brushes. Allow light oil (baby oil) to set in the brushes for a short while, rinse, dry and store; and wash again before using. Tip: Try a neat painting technique: Use the shape of several of your flats or brights to create a design that is comprised of many squares. Simply lay on paint with the flat sides in squares that are the same length as their width. Start with large widths and work in smaller shapes using smaller brushes to do fill-in around the larger squares. It is fun and somewhat liberating. Think of the fun creating a scene simply from flat, bold, boxes of color!
New SCORPION II TT Compressor from SilentaireThe Scorpion II TT is the newest compressor in the Scorpion series. This model has a twin piston pump and an air tank, which makes it ideal for prolonged use. It's portable, compact and requires no maintenance. The sound level of the Scorpion II TT is barely above a whisper. A manual shut-off valve allows one or two airbrushes to be used simultaneously, and two coiled airbrush hoses are included. The Scorpion II TT is ideal for fingernail painting, commercial art, fine art, cake decorating, ceramics, crafts, hobbies, taxidermy, commercial art and dust control/photo retouching. Special Features: Visit your retailer to see this new compressor and see www.silentaire.com for Silentaire's line of fine products. New POWER JET LITE Compressor from Iwata-MedeaThe latest addition to Iwata's acclaimed Studio Series Compressors, the Power Jet Lite, features a powerful twin pump, 1/6 hp motor, and is equipped with an adjustable pressure regulator for precise adjustment of airflow as well as a moisture filter. Built with Iwata's Smart Technology, it automatically shuts off when not in use. A high-power compressor that's economically priced, the Power Jet Lite doesn't have a tank reservoir, yet delivers all the power necessary for use with the high paint flow, multi-purpose Iwata Eclipse airbrush and the new Eclipse G6 pistol grip airbrush. As with other Iwata Studio Series compressors, the Power Jet lite comes complete with an air hose and adapters so that it can hook up to any brand of airbrush. It's housed in a protective case, is inherently quieter and is oil-less. Visit your retailer to see this new compressor and see www.iwata-airbrush.com for Iwata-Medea's line of fine products. New FREE Issue of AirbrushTalkSee the new issue of AirbrushTalk at www.airbrushtalk.com. You'll find "Cacy's Corner" with renowned illustrator Michael Cacy, where he discusses CO2 vs. compressors for airbrushing; "Beginning Landscapes" by Janean S. Thompson; "The Art of Airbrushing Makeup, Part Two: What Product Line Do I Use?" (Continued) by Bradley M. Look; "Streakin'" (a technique to create texture in a plain color) by Charlie Barnes; and Wes Hawkins' successful attempt at using Artool's Nail Master Stencils. While at this site, you can also sign up for a FREE subscription to this informative bi-monthly e-newsletter for airbrush enthusiasts.
Artist Celebrated With Stamps--The artwork of Mary Cassatt, renowned for her engaging portrayals of mothers and children and the only American ever invited to exhibit with the French Impressionists, has been chosen for the third issuance in the U.S. Postal Service's American Treasures series. The new stamps to be released August 7th include the works Young Mother, Children Playing on the Beach, On a Balcony and Child in a Straw Hat. Catfish Take over Nashville--A project directed to use public art as a means to raise awareness of the importance of clean lakes and rivers has resulted in the placement of 51 seven-foot-long fiberglass catfish throughout this city. Tennessee artists decorated the fish for sponsors as part of the Catfish Out of Water City Art Festival that runs through October. Design Winners Announced--California Governor Davis has recommended five California State quarter design concepts to the U.S. Mint as part of the state commemorative coin program. The five finalists are Golden Gate Bridge Collage by Sarah Bailey; The Gold Miner Collage, "A Golden Moment," by David Biagini; John Muir--"Yosemite Valley," by Garrett Burke; Waves and Sun by James M. Cody; and The Giant Sequoia-"The Largest Living Thing on Earth," by Jonathan Louie. Sculpture Galleries Open--The National Gallery of Art's new West Building sculpture galleries present more than 900 works of art, including masterpieces of sculpture, decorative arts, Renaissance medals and plaquettes, and Chinese porcelains. The opening of this suite of 22 galleries and a study room brings to a dramatic close the most extensive renovation project the Gallery has undertaken in the last two decades. Milestone--Sculptor Fred Sandback died recently in New York City at age 59. Renowned for his Minimalist works made from lengths of colored yarn, the artist's work is included in the recently opened DIA:Beacon museum of contemporary art. Record Set--A self-portrait of Rembrandt has set a record at a Sotheby's-London auction--$11.3 million. The portrait (1634) had been painted over by a pupil of Rembrandt's and was recently revealed by a cleaning. Memorial Dedicated--Four thousand people recently attended a dedication ceremony at the Little Bighorn National Monument in Montana. Colleen Cutschall designed the Spirit Warriors sculpture, 35 ft.-long by 14-ft.-high, erected as a tribute to those Aboriginal nations who fought for their land and freedom. Award Recipients Announced--The Praemium Imperiale is an annual award given by the Japan Art Association for global achievement in the arts. Among the five Laureates chosen this year are Bridget Riley (Painting) and Mario Merz (Sculpture). Winners will each receive $125,000, a diploma and a medal in an awards ceremony in Tokyo in October.
Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 13 No. 10 -- August 2003 |
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Art Boards combines over 25 years of experience in architectural woodworking and custom furniture. With superior materials, methods and technology, they are dedicated to producing the highest quality wood engraving blocks for the fine art of printmaking.
The origins of wood engraving date back as early as the 17th and 18th centuries. Wood engraving is a relief process. The print is made when the raised wood makes contact with the printing paper. Wood engraving differs from woodcut in both tools and materials used. The graver and the burin, tools associated with intaglio engraving, are employed, and the carving is done on the end grain, not the face of the plank grain. The tight end grain of the engraving block allows for finer lines and a wider range of tonal effects.
Art Boards End Grain Engraving Blocks are made from carefully selected maple hardwood. The hard maple is jointed perfectly straight and then cut and glued together using waterproof glue to form the sections of the end grain printing blocks, dimensioned to exactly .918 inches thick. The wood block is then finely sanded on top and bottom, leaving two perfect surfaces for wood engraving and printing. The engraving block can be printed in a letterpress or by hand.
Art Boards End Grain Engraving Blocks are produced in eight stock sizes: 2x3, 3x4, 3x5, 4x5, 5x7, 6x8, 8x10 and 9x12 inches--all made in letterpress-height thickness: .918".