Seeing is Believing: Caravaggio’s Conversion of Saul, Formal Analysis and Critical Thinking

I teach a 100 level on-site Art History class for The American…
April 17, 2014/by tja

Is Burnt Umber Evil?

Some time back in 2012 I read Virgil Elliot's Traditional Oil…
October 8, 2013/by tja

pLog Pith XIV

Dogma is the illusion of power.

Craft is the power to create…
May 9, 2013/by tja

Illustration vs. Painting

Decades ago this would often come up in discussion with Maestro:…
April 2, 2013/by tja

Exhibit A in the Decline and Fall of the “Art Elite”

When Craft and Quality are smothered by Dogma: Kate Middleton's…
January 12, 2013/by tja

pLog Pith XIII

Religion requires the suspension of Reason.

Little Good is …
December 31, 2012/by tja

Further Notes on “Netherland”

While speaking with the Maestro earlier tonight on Skype we spent…
December 30, 2012/by tja

Notes on Copying Velázquez in the National Gallery

Notes on the notes: this post is long overdue!  My glorious…
December 26, 2012/by tja

Enthrone Reason

The title says it all.
December 23, 2012/by tja

Modes of Vision and Hybrid Images

Fascinating insights into "human visual recognition systems"…
October 31, 2012/by tja

pLog Pith XII

Where there is Dogma, there is a Devil.

—TJA

 
August 19, 2012/by tja

The Anthropologically Possible

500 pages in 3 days is possible (when on vacation).  To me,…
August 19, 2012/by tja

Notes on The Practice of Oil Painting by Solomon J. Solomon

Annotation Summary for: Practice of Oil painting by Solomon…
August 2, 2012/by tja

Satire: A Charlatan-Killing Silver Bullet

The best look at Modern Art I've seen since Tom Wolfe's The Painted…
August 2, 2012/by tja

pLog Pith XI

Dogma empowers the Charlatans.

Craft empowers the Sincere.
July 21, 2012/by tja

The Obfuscation of Lazarus… and Subsequent Illuminations

This past Sunday, July 8th, I went to see the newly restored…
July 14, 2012/by tja

Portrait of a Master Forger

July 14, 2012/by tja

One of My Top Ten Greatest Paintings of All Time

Worth the journey ten times over.

The Beheading of John the…
July 4, 2012/by tja

Notes on R.A.M. Stevenson’s Velázquez

Annotation Summary for: velasquez-RAM-stevenson
Page 11:
Cover

Page…
June 26, 2012/by tja

pLog Pith X

Where Velázquez is Grace, Caravaggio is Guts.

Where Velázquez…
June 26, 2012/by tja

“Du sollst werden, der du bist”

—Nietzsche

Many thanks to Charles for his gracious hospitality…
May 28, 2012/by tja

The Nerdrum Museum

A comprehensive collection and an exquisite presentation, showing…
April 9, 2012/by tja

Cleopatra

The first modestly large, layered-with-subtext, multi-figure…
April 1, 2012/by tja

pLog Pith IX

First, find the structure, then find the skin.

And never underestimate…
March 5, 2012/by tja

La Sfida della Semplicita’

Tonight Giulia and I were admiring and discussing what I think…
February 17, 2012/by tja

Helpful Video on Photographing Artwork

A video that a friend passed on to me about a year ago.  Still…
February 8, 2012/by tja

My Notes on “Notes on the Science of Picture Making”

Annotation Summary for: Notes on the Science of Picture Making by C. J. Holmes published in 1920.
January 25, 2012/by tja

“A Figurative Painter, Literally Speaking”

A time-elapsed evolution of a recent painting, "Knight in an…
January 8, 2012/by tja

Where is Odd Nerdrum?

A presentation that is rightly partisan and begs the question: what is the real motive behind the Norwegian government's prosecution?
January 1, 2012/by tja

Notes on Neo-Megilp

The Sunken Color of Discontent... and how to remedy the problem.…
December 4, 2011/by tja

“Oiling Out”

It looks like some learned practical instruction is finally making…
November 28, 2011/by tja

Glazing ≠ Luminosity

The truth is: keying up a flesh tone with a near-white color…
October 31, 2011/by tja

The Holy Grail of Flesh Tones, Part II: Velazquez

A funny thing happened the other day as I was googling through…
October 9, 2011/by tja

Odd Nerdrum’s Ground

I just had a conversation with my Maestro about this tonight...…
September 12, 2011/by tja

Scumbles on Shadows and Theories of Relativity

Knowledge or skill is much more easily acquired if one has a…
April 18, 2011/by tja

The Holy Grail for Painting Flesh Tones

Such a pronouncement isn't just cause for a zealous quest, but…
April 16, 2011/by tja
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