Watercolor

Wet-in-Wet/Drybrush Techniques

Wet, wonderful watercolor! The colors are dramatic; the methods of creating a watercolor are many.  All types of paint applications can be used, but there are two that seem to be associated with watercolor more than others.  Wet-in-wet and drybrush applications are very important as well as fundamental to many watercolorists’ repertories of techniques.

Wet-in-wet is a true description of the method and the technique of application.  Wet paper is flooded with rich, fluid color that can be either thick and creamy or very light and barely tinted. The resulting tones, once dry, vary greatly; and because of the lack of control or predictability and the diversity, wet-in-wet is considered one of the most important watercolor techniques.

The amount of water that is soaked into or floating on the surface of the watercolor paper greatly affects the results.  Well soaked paper that has been allowed to set for a while is less watery and will result in a more defined, yet slightly softened image.  Very wet paper, flooded and soaked with water, will allow the pigments to stream and flow.

Soaking a large sheet of watercolor paper can present a challenge.  One method is to soak the paper in a bathtub.  The depth, temperature and length of soak are easy to control as is the quality of water.  It should be stated that minerals in some water might have long-term effects on the paper and paints used in watercolor.   Where minerals and cleanliness really come into play is when an artist is in the field or painting in a new area where the quality of water is unknown.  If you plan to do plein air work in watercolor, presoak in the water at your home.  It is much cleaner than any you might have access to out in a remote area.  And your technique will be challenged if things are greatly different from that to which you are accustomed.  So play it safe and soak ahead of time. Also carry ample working water so you control that quality, too.

Transport your dampened paper by slightly rolling it, wrapping it in a clean plastic trash bag and slipping it into an oversized mailing tube.  As soon as you reach your destination, remove the paper so that it will relax prior to tacking or taping onto your work board.

Another element in the mix is the texture and thickness of the paper used.  If very heavy, pre-soaked but somewhat drier paper is used, the results will have more edge and less fluidity.  Overly damp papers, both thick and thin, will not retain detail.  Thin paper tends to buckle and allow the pigments to pool.  Finding the right paper for your style is part of the fun and experimentation of watercolor.  Changing paper weight will often alter your plan of application, too.

Brushes used can be almost any, but artists seem to have special wash brushes that they prefer.  This brush might contain a thick tuft of hair, might hold lots of diluted pigment and be able to cover lots of paper is just a few strokes.  Marine boar bristle brushes offer a good value and can hold lots of fluid.  Hake brushes do the same and can be used for other application methods as well.  See your retailer and visit www.fmbrush.com.

Wet-in-wet methods lend themselves to topical textural additions as they set up and begin to dry.  For instance, when dropped into fluid areas, rock salt will pull the pigment into star or crystal figurations.  Resists such as oil and sometimes common rubbing alcohol can be dropped into pools of color to create unique patterns and tones.  None of these are possible with other methods of paint application.

If you like to add linear details to your work, working wet-in-wet will give you an opportunity to do so.  When the wet areas have begun to dry but still have moisture, you can use a blunt instrument (pointed paint brush handle is ideal) to scribe lines through the damp areas.  These lines will take on a much darker tone than the painted areas they lie in and will give you a chance to add an infinite sketchy style to your work.

Drybrush is the closest thing to a wet-in-wet opposite that is possible.  Dry paper is contacted with non-watery brushes full of rich pigment.  The resulting painted lines and shapes are rigid and well defined.  There is no fluidity to the images created with drybrush.  It is a method of application that is added over other methods for sharp detail and definition.  Textures, roughness and highlights are some of the ways drybrush is used to accent a nearly finished work.

Drybrush is a great additive technique.  Whether you want to increase the depth of a shadow or use an opaque white tone to add sharp highlight, drybrush is a good way to do it.  Remember, your brush will be charged with a paint that is far less fluid than ordinary watercolor application, so the paint will sit upon the surface rather than react as a wash.  The amount of paint and the degree of dryness will determine the crispness of the look you achieve.

By combining drybrush over completed wet-in-wet areas you will discover other ways to can help you achieve dramatic results.  Slightly damp areas respond differently than those that are totally dry.  Salted areas respond differently when scribed than unsalted, smooth, wet areas.  Dragging drybrush over scribed areas is different from dragging it over dry smooth areas.  New discoveries are limited only by your time and energy.

With experimentation in wet-in-wet and drybrush work, many new and exciting opportunities will arise.  Both methods have huge potential in watercolor work and will give you many challenges.

See your retailer and visit www.DaVinciPaints.com.

Art Events

NOTE:  Events are sometimes subject to change, so please call ahead to confirm.

13^thAnnual Minneapolis Print and Drawing Fair
April 20-23

Nine nationally prominent art dealers will offer an extensive array of works on paper for private purchase, ranging from Old Masters to contemporary.  The selection will include original prints, drawings, pastels and watercolors. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Villa Rosa Room, 612-870-3131.

24^th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show
April 20-23

This prestigious juried exhibition and sale of contemporary American crafts will feature 120 booths where master artists will display and sell their imaginative, functional and sculptural craft in 12 media.  The show benefits projects within the Smithsonian Institution.  National Building Museum, 410 F Street NW, Washington, D.C., 888-832-9554.

Art Chicago
April 28 – May 1

“Art Chicago in the Park 2006,” the 14^thannual international contemporary and modern art fair, will return to its spectacular downtown location at Butler Field on Chicago’s lakefront--across from the Art Institute of Chicago and adjacent to Millennium Park.  312-226-4700.

Folk Art

The History of Weather Vanes

The earliest weather vane honored the Greek god Triton and embellished the Tower of the Winds in Athens, a structure built by Andronicus in 48 B.C.  Weather vanes are symbols of our dependence upon the wind and weather.  From raising a moistened finger to tossing fistfuls of grass into the air, we have employed many methods for checking wind direction.  Reasons for these tests are as varied as the activities we embark upon.

By definition, a weather vane (or weathercock as it is also called) is a figure that turns freely on a vertical rod and, by virtue of its design, always points into the wind.  Stated another way, the wind always comes from the direction in which the weather vane points.  Even in 48 B.C., civilization knew the wind was a true indicator of weather patterns.

Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “fane,” meaning flag or banner, the weather vane became part of ancient cultures where life-sized replicas were hoisted atop structures.  Flags had been used to indicate wind direction for the archers to present their arrows in the proper location.  Later cloth flags were replaced with metal ones and decorated with the coats of arms for lords and noblemen.  Early American colonists used banners for their meeting halls and public buildings.

Weather vanes once represented a simpler way of life.   More decorative than functional, today’s lifestyle and technology have little need for such elementary devices.  Yet, there is a kinship between man and the weather vane.  With the end of a day or the beginning of a new one, people have always looked “to see which way the wind is blowing,”   trusting the good directions of the wind that drove their fate.

Early American colonists merely copied the sculptured figures of their European roots.  But, as time passed, the art form became almost as important as the function, and different themes were replicated.  Patriotic designs included the Goddess of Liberty and by the middle of the 1800’s, the eagle emerged.  New Englanders depicted fish, seagulls and ships, while rural farmers and settlers crafted their own shapes such as animals, Indian heads and arrow points.  Up to this time, all weather vanes had been handmade.  In the 19^thcentury, weather vanes became mass produced in dozens of designs.

In the late decades of the 19^th century, Victorian buildings had fancy weather vanes and elaborate metal work embellishments covering nearly every inch of their roofs.  After 1900, simpler styles began to emerge. The introduction of the silhouette weather vane depicted humorous scenes, often sporting scenes or figures.

Today, in areas of winds and quick directional changes, weather vanes are still very popular.  It seems like everyone is always looking out to see the ferocity and direction of the wind.  Very windy areas are especially good places to research different forms and designs of weather vanes.  But these can also be seen as decorative objects on garages and outbuildings in many places.

Artisans can make their creations out of many different materials, often from very unusual found objects and components.  Almost anything that the wind will blow can be used to create your own design.  Something as simple as long splinters of wood shingle (thicker on one end than the other) can be formed into a crude weather vane.  The only trick is to pierce a hole through the center of the wood so that it can swivel on a nail.  Old timer’s talk about “worrying” a hole through the shingle with a hot nail held with pliers.  Once that is done, all you have to do is find a fence post or barn roof.  Remember that the heavy side of the design will be blown in the direction the wind is blowing.

Closely associated with weather vanes are whirligigs.  Made in the form of humorous and entertaining actions, often of found materials or hand-cut wooden shapes, whirligigs have even been given credit for improving the “chi” in your home.  If there are no breezes inside, occasionally tap and move the whirligigs or perhaps your stationary weather vanes to release their soothing powers.  Bet you didn’t know the “toys” your grandpa made were actually good for you!

Visit your local library or search the Internet to view some great weather vane photos. And maybe it’s time to do some study on the winds of your area or to just create a unique decorative weather vane of your own.

Kids’ Korner 

Easter Fun

As a religious celebration, Easter began in the 2^nd century, when people celebrated the coming of spring with a huge festival, food and frolicking in honor of their goddess of springtime, Eastre.  This name later became Easter, as we know it today.  As with the Easter Bunny and the holiday itself, the Easter egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated.

From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs -- those made of plastic or chocolate candy.   There is nothing like a bright basket filled to overflowing with colored real, plastic and candy eggs.

Decorating for Easter is fun and marks the beginning of spring in more than one way.  The flowers and motifs used in this season’s decorations and the fresh new growth outdoors parallel.  The colors are often soft, but new rich tones have begun to enter the picture, too.  Plastic fillable eggs are available in everything from glittery or metallic finishes to sports themes and even camouflage.  But the uses and enjoyment are still the same.

If you enjoy creating handmade decorations for special holidays and occasions, you might want to consider a couple ideas for Easter.  Mobiles are fun and easy to make and are great decorations for indoors or out.  The fastest way to create an Easter mobile is to hang colored plastic eggs from thread.  They look really neat hanging from doorways or across the tops of windows in a family or game room.  You might want to create original designs and shapes that will float from threads.  You can do this by cutting out Easter related shapes from corrugated cardboard.  Apply white glue or glue stick to the shapes and add layers of white tissue paper.  When the entire surface is well covered the paper resembles icing.  Allow to dry completely and then use felt-tipped pens to decorate the “cookies.”  Hang these cookies from threads attached to twigs or thin wooden dowels; then balance the sticks and tie them together.  The result will be a cool mobile that will become a family treasure.

Plants around the house can be given a special look by adding eggs on skewers or the same “cookies” from the mobile instructions above.   Don’t forget the front entry.  You can use plastic eggs or other handmade decorations (try pastel paper chains or wreaths) to decorate the front door around your home.  Make it a personal creation and everyone will love it.  Happy Easter!

Follow the White Rabbit

Alice’s Wonderland:  A Most Curious Adventure (Ages 3-8) is at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (NY) through April.  Discover a fascinating world that inspires curiosity and helps make the unknown more familiar, maybe even logical, and certainly fun.  Enter Alice’s Wonderland through the Riverbank and follow the White Rabbit into the Underground where children and adults alike must determine what is real and what is not.  Experience the Hall of Doors, the Mad Hatter Tea Party and the Croquet Ground.  212-721-1223.

Medals Awarded

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has announced the winner of the 2006 Caldecott Medal for illustration.  The award was given to Chris Raschka for “The Hello, Goodbye Window,” written by Norton Juster (Michael di Capua Books).  The award honors outstanding illustration of a work published in the U.S. during the previous year.  And author Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Sucie Stevenson are the 2006 winners of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Beginning Reader Award for their book “Henry and the Mudge and the Great Grandpas” (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).

New Glass Installation

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis presents Fireworks of Glass, renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s largest permanent sculpture of blown glass.  The 43-foot tower is comprised of more than 3,200 individually blown pieces of glass and rises above a “floating” glass ceiling, under which an innovative hands-on glassblowing exhibit for children and families is housed.  In addition to scheduling professional development institutes for teachers, the museum will develop and produce a unit of study focusing on the art of glassblowing, Dale Chihuly and the exhibit. To celebrate the opening, the “Hot Glass Roadshow,” a traveling hotshop in conjunction with the Corning Museum of Glass, will visit through June 4.  Call 317-334-3322.

Best Museums

After a four-month investigation that examined more than 100 museums nationwide, Child magazine has named their choice of the 10 best art museums for kids.  Criteria included family tours, kids’ and family classes, educational programs for school groups, staffing, the accessibility of the exhibits to kids and other features key to a memorable family experience. And rated Number 1 is the Art Institute of Chicago. See the March issue of Child magazine for additional results or visit www.child.com.

Matting & Framing

Matting and Framing Sports Jerseys 

One of the most rewarding framing projects is that of sports memorabilia, especially jerseys from your favorite team!  There are several elements you must consider when framing fabric art and collectables.  First is the light to which the item will be exposed, second is the degree of moisture in the area of display and third is the quality of backing and support materials used in the framing project.

Often overlooked when framing art items is the amount of light the art will be exposed to during display.  Ordinary home light is usually subdued, while office lighting is bright and constant for long periods of time.  Ordinary clear or non-glare glass blocks roughly 44% of the UV light to which the art is exposed.  Conservation glass (a coated product) reflects approximately 98% of the UV.  Clearly, conservation glass gives your project better protection from fading and deterioration.

Fabric is a natural wick and will absorb any moisture that manages to creep into a frame.  If the fabric piece is allowed to rest against the glazing material, there is a very good chance that moisture will collect and cause the item to mildew.  In extreme cases, the mildew will escalate to such a degree that permanent damage will occur.  Mildew is impossible to remove from an item once it accumulates.  Not even cleaning the item will totally remove the stain and damage.  Try never to display fabric art in highly humid areas such as steamy baths or kitchens.  And, during the planning of projects, include a bit of space between the fabric art and the glass.  This spacing can be accomplished with specially designed spacers or strips of matting or foam board.  Another thing you can do to elevate the glass is to plan your project using matting and elevate the mats above the jersey mounting mat with strips of foam board.

A special trick to help in blocking moisture penetration is to tape the entire circumference of the frame at the point where the art is fastened in the frame.  A layer of framer’s tape will go a long way in helping to stop moisture penetration.  Additionally, double dust covers add more protection than their simplicity might indicate.  Moisture must penetrate two layers to get to the substrate, and that is a major improvement over no dust cover or a single one.

When you are attaching your jersey to a background and supporting that material in the frame, select the best materials possible.  Acid-free mats are ideal as a direct foundation for the attachment of the jersey.  Acid-free foam board is helpful behind the matting – it limits acid migration from the frame and gives great support to the finished project.

Attachment of the jersey is best done by sewing the item into place.  Use good quality sewing thread or monofilament line to attach the fabric in place.  Use the construction of the jersey as guidelines for the sewing.  Try to hide your stitches within the seams already made in the garment.  To make the sewing easier, create pilot holes with a push pin and thread the needle through these openings.

Keep the lint and dust as low as possible.  Always cover your project when you are not working on it.  It is much easier to prevent dust than it is to remove an accumulation.  Once you have sewn the item into place, use a soft brush to lift away bits of fiber or dust that may have gotten into the project.  Plan to do this immediately prior to compiling your project under glass.

Jerseys represent very personal and dramatic framing projects.  They are collectable and often very valuable.  Treat these items as treasures, using the best materials you can afford.  You will be glad you did in years to come.  Your investment will be protected and the results will be permanent.

These same suggestions hold true for other fabric mounting projects.  Doilies, garments, fabric art, quilt samplers, handkerchiefs, etc., can all be mounted and presented in this manner.  So don’t delay.  Gather the materials and create a family heirloom. For all your matting/framing needs, see your retailer and visit www.altosezmat.com and www.crescentcardboard.com.

The Artist’s Marketplace

Artool Products Company is proud to announce the release and availability of three new products:

--Artool Freehand Tiki Master II Airbrush Templates by Dennis Mathewson--You will now be able to enjoy the second installment of Dennis’ insanely popular Hawaiian signature series airbrush templates. Create your own Polynesian paradise with Topical Tribals, Hula Spirit, Two Face Tiki, Tiki Joe, Freakin Tikis and Leilani.  These can be purchased individually or pick up the whole set and give your artwork a tropical twist.

--Artool Freehand Tribal Master Template Set by Steve Vandemon--You now have the opportunity to work alongside Steve to easily capture the unique styles and intricate contours that he has perfected throughout his career as a professional artist. Tribal Master is sold as a set only and contains 42 positive and negative templates in various sizes with two incredibly creative concepts: TribalNometry and CirqueDuTrible.

--Digitally Remastered Artool Freehand Instructional DVD by Eddie Young--This is still a powerful learning tool for those airbrushers wanting to learn the techniques of airbrush illustration for animation. Eddie Young demonstrates his signature series Artool Freehand Airbrush Templates, FH 1 and FH 2.  These incorporate the most common shapes you will need to create a vast range of airbrush effects. Discover many examples of shortcuts, tricks and airbrush color formulas that will allow you to ultimately achieve professional results.

Visit your local art supply store and go to www.ArtoolProducts.com.

Art Materials

Illustration Board and Art Boards

For professionals, intermediate or beginning artists, illustration board is a very valuable material on which to do pen and ink drawing, pencil work, acrylic washes, airbrush and graphic design applications.  Illustration board comes in a variety of surface qualities and textures.  Most are white, although there are a few that offer gray and super black presentation mounting boards.  All have scuff resistant surfaces and stand up to moderate surface abrasion.  Ideal for mounting artwork, color computer laser or inkjet output, photographs, drawings and layouts and prints, illustration board is heavy duty and made of low- or no-acid components.

Multimedia art boards accept both oil and water-based paints without buckling or warping.  Some are made of paper base with heat-set epoxy resin, allowing media to adhere to the surface without penetration.  This is especially good for graphic designers and layout specialists.  Whatever media you are using holds a definite edge and does not bleed or smear.   The surface can be erased, scraped and sanded and both fronts and backs of some boards can be utilized.  Archival qualities and neutral pH factors make the boards long-lived.

Illustration boards come in a variety of surface qualities.  Cold press surfaces are slightly textured and come in a wide range of weights and thicknesses.  They are meant for use with watercolor, gouache, acrylic, tempera and pen and ink.  It is also possible with most illustration boards to strip off the surface paper so that it might be scanned in a scanner and reprinted.

Hot press illustration boards have very smooth surfaces and are best used for pen and ink, mounting transfer lettering and graphic design that does not employ excessive water.  Airbrush, light acrylic washes and adhesive film (for mounting) adhere excellently to the super-smooth surface.  They can be stripped for scanning and reprinting.  Varied weights can be obtained in the hot press boards.  Their super white and very smooth surface also holds ink lines sharply and can be scraped or erased and then reworked.  Transfer letters adhere perfectly and stay put.

Illustration boards with special textures imprinted into the surface are available from a few manufacturers.  These embossed textures offer variety to the artist and designer.  Some of the boards come with a smooth side and a textured side so that either side may be used. The textures are very helpful for creating half-tone areas in drawings and renderings.

In addition to illustration boards, art boards offer another category of selection.  Art boards differ from illustration boards in that they are usually set up for more "artistic" applications.  They can be used for such techniques as critical line drawings with ink, watercolor, pastels, markers, charcoal and colored pencil.  They do very well in either single thickness (sometimes referred to as 1-ply) or double thickness (approximately 3-5 ply) and come in thicknesses up to 24-ply for professional applications.

Multimedia art boards are rated archival and come in a thickness perfect for many artistic disciplines.  These are designed for use with oil and water-based paints and can be scraped, sanded or erased and then reworked.  Art boards can be worked on either side, but one side is usually smoother than the other.

In addition, Bristol board is a very high quality single thickness material ideal for many artistic applications, although it is technically not really an illustration board. Bristol boards and other specialized boards are used for more specific art techniques but also consist of a single thickness of paper without a backing board.  They exhibit a super-smooth surface ideal for fine artist quality ink and pencil work.

In recap, illustration boards are the heaviest boards used by artists and graphic designers.  They are actually a layer of top paper joined to a support backing, are rigid and very applicable to many artistic and illustration disciplines, and are available in white, gray, and black.  Art boards are heavy papers without a backing, but substantial enough to be used for many fine art applications.  They are almost always acid-free and come in whites to off-whites.

Explore the art papers available on your local art retailer's shelves and discover how versatile and high quality the illustration and art boards are; and visit www.strathmoreartist.com. One is sure to suit your style and technique.

Airbrush

Stenciling with Gravity

There are times when the airbrush artist does not wish to use a self-adhering stencil/frisket film or cut a stencil directly on a painting surface.  When airbrush photographic retouching was in its heyday, airbrushers developed many methods to stencil a photo without adhering anything or scoring the surface when cutting a frisket.  In the ‘50s and ‘60s, frisket was not available coated with adhesive—as it is now--and had to be prepared in advance by hand with a coat of rubber cement, a very messy process.

For today’s airbrushers, there are times when they prefer to use a gravity-held stencil rather than a self-adhering one.  One example is when working on delicate paper surfaces, where fiber picking will likely occur when removing the self-adhering film.  Another instance is when working on very thin paper, e.g., rice paper, where slicing the paper when cutting a frisket is a distinct possibility.

The photo retouching technique involved using acetate as the preferred stencil material.  It’s transparent and comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses.  The key to cutting an acetate stencil is to only score the line with a sharp blade and not cut entirely through.  Once scored, just bend the acetate and it will break away with a perfect edge.

Working flat on a table, acetate is held in place by placing weights around the perimeter of the stencil.  Weights of various sizes and shapes can be collected and include metal washers, fishing sinkers, nuts and bolts, bent airbrush needles, antique lead printer’s type, etc.  Some artists use a sheet of steel as a drawing surface with appropriate magnets to hold their stencils in place.  The table does not necessarily have to be completely flat; the work surface can be at a slight angle, but the weights obviously need to be shapes that lie flat.  You also must use an airbrush that can be sprayed down, normally a side-feed or gravity-feed airbrush.  (A bottom-feed airbrush tends to leak paint when sprayed in this position.)

If working on a delicate surface where the slightest marring will be noticed, you may wish to consider working with gravity-held stencils.  So begin your collection of weights and see your retailer for the appropriate equipment and supplies.

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ArtPourri

Agreement Reached on Antiquities—The Metropolitan Museum of Art has signed an agreement that formalizes the transfer of title to six antiquities to Italy.  The Italian Culture Ministry has further agreed to provide the Met with long-term future loans of works of art of equivalent beauty and importance to the objects being returned.  The Met called this “an appropriate solution to a complex problem, which redresses past improprieties in the acquisitions process through a highly equitable arrangement.”

Milestone Reached—American icon Gordon Parks has died at the age of 93.  A photographer, filmmaker, author and activist, he was the first African American to work at Life magazine as well as the first to direct a major studio feature film.  Both The Learning Tree and Shaft have been honored by preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry.

Masterpiece Acquired—The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has purchased an early painting by Armenian-born American artist Arshile Gorky, which links the museum’s survey of 20^thcentury American art with its holdings of Modern masters. Nightime, Enigma and Nostalgia (c. 1933-34) incorporates his mastery of Cubist composition, his early interest in Surrealism and his wide knowledge of art history.

Auction News—Christie’s June sale of British Art on Paper will include an exceptional work by J.M.W. Turner. The Blue Rigi:  Lake of Lucerne, Sunrise(1842) is considered an extraordinary study in light, color and texture and is expected to realize in excess of $2 million.—In May Sotheby’s will offer an unprecedented collection of watercolors (to be sold individually) by William Blake, 12 of which had been lost to scholars since 1836 and rediscovered in 2001. The 19 illustrations for an 18^thcentury poem by Robert Blair entitled “The Grave” were executed in 1805.—Sotheby’s sale of Plaster Casts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York realized a grand total of $502,530 and all 177 lots sold.

NEA News—The National Endowment for the Arts has announced $700,000 in grants to support arts organizations in the Gulf Coast region that were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Included is $500,000 in support to individual organizations and state and local arts agencies. And $200,000 is targeted for regional participation in the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and Your Town, two of the country’s most established city planning and design programs.

Exhibitions:

Kansas City, MO – Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art – Celebrating a Grand Gift: The Hallmark Photographic Collection spans the entire history of photography, from 1839 to the present, with 31 works by such renowned pioneers and masters as Carleton Watkins, Alfred Stieglitz and Dorothea Lange, among others.  Recently acquired by the museum, the collection is considered the most broad-ranging and important private collection of American photography. Through April 30.

New York, NY – Museum of Modern Art – Edvard Munch:  The Modern Life of the Soul is the first retrospective devoted to the work of the internationally renowned Norwegian painter, printmaker and draftsman to be held in an American museum in almost three decades.  Eighty-seven paintings and 50 works on paper represent each phase of Munch’s career, from 1880 to 1944. Through May 8.

Boston, MA – Museum of Fine Arts – David Hockney Portraits is the first exhibition devoted solely to Hockney’s portraiture and surveys five decades of the artist’s career.  More than 150 works reveal Hockney’s fascination with the human form through depictions of himself and important people in his life. Through May 14.

Washington, D.C. – The Phillips Collection – The Renoir Returns:  A Celebration of Masterworks from the Phillips Collection welcomes back to D.C. approximately 60 masterworks by Renoir, Bonnard, Degas, Gauguin, van Gogh, Kandinsky, and others from an enormously successful four-year international tour.  This special homecoming marks the culmination of a major addition and renovation project begun in 2003 to modernize and expand the institution. Opens April 15 through July 30.

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 16 No. 6 -- April 2006