Brock Larson is a contemporary American painter living in Minnesota. On his website you will find landscape and still life paintings along with portrait drawings.
In his landscapes, Larson often pulls us into the shadowy depths of deep woods, while at others times leading us out onto broad fields and expanses of water.
Brock Larson is the son of well-known painter Jeffery T. Larson.
If, like me, you enjoy YouTube videos about art and artists, you may have come across a number of slideshow style videos showcasing the art of historic painters.
In many of these, if not the majority, the creator of the videos seems compelled to add motion — panning, zooming and using transitions that flip, swipe, rotate, dissolve into blocks and otherwise try to be “entertaining”. It’s a video, so things have to move, right?
While I appreciate the effort invested in gathering and presenting the images in these presentations, as soon as I realize it’s one of those, I click away in search of another. I like viewing art images whole, or with simple close crops, without them squirming around on my screen! (Sigh.)
Fortunately, there are other options. One of them I enjoy is a YouTube series under the name of LearnFromMasters.
The channel offers an extensive selection slideshows of varied and interesting artists that are mercifully free of unnecessary motion. They are arranged as simple straightforward slides of the full image separated by basic jump cuts. (What a concept!)
In addition to the regular YouTube listing of the videos, there is a text list here of all of the videos posted to date. The channel has a Patreon account for those who wish to support the effort.
The LearnFromMasters videos are engaging and plentiful enough that I will issue a Timesink Warning.
As I’ve done every New Year’s Eve since 2005, I’ll wish Lines and Colors readers a Happy New Year with one of J. C. Leyendecer’s New Year’s covers for the Saturday Evening Post, in this case marking the arrival of 1925.
For more Leyendecker to while away your New Year’s day, check the list of Lines and Colors J C. Leyendecker posts at the end of this article.
I wish you all a new year rich with artistic exploration and inspiration!
Hungarian born painter Philip de László, who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, spent much of his life and career in the UK, where he was noted for his portraits of royalty and the wealthy.
The de Lazlo Archive Trust website features information about the artist, as well as a catalogue raisonné of his work.
Hopefully — even if only for a moment — you got to see in the top two images Vermeer’s iconic painting with fresh eyes. The images are reversed left to right.
It is not an uncommon practice for artists to pause in the process of working on a painting or other artwork and view the work in a mirror. This briefly provides a fresh view of the work, a contrast to the the kind of familiarity that makes it difficult to see something objectively.
We can use the same effect to view images that are so culturally familiar they are difficult to see in the way we might have when first encountering them. The effect doesn’t last long; we soon become accustomed to the “new” view, but it’s nice to get a fresh view of something so familiar.
I’ve included an image of the painting in its normal orientation at the bottom.
Wikimedia Commons has a high resolution image of the painting, available from this page.
I did the same thing back in 2006 with Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and in the process, I believe I gained some insight into her enigmatic smile/not smile.
Through colorful squiggles embedded with games, trampolines, and sculptural trees, a new public park in Guangzhou, China, re-envisions the possibilities of play.
“Wired Scape,” which design firm 100architects bills as an “an entangling forest of imagination and fun,” takes inspiration from the natural landscape to create a one-of-a-kind playground in a residential area. Trees resembling balls of colorful wire appear to spin out of the ground, and curvaceous green and blue forms reflect the interaction of land and water.
Lively trees made from pipes spiraling around central cores serve a triple purpose as climbable structures, shade-providing canopies, and supports for a series of interconnected bridges throughout the park. The overall aesthetic recalls computer-generated imagery in video games or animation.
100architects aimed to break away from traditional playground design and instead focus on the layout as a multigenerational space. Children’s imaginations are stimulated by myriad ways to jump, climb, slide, and run, while caregivers and parents have ample options for shaded seating with clear sight lines.
Explore 100architects’ exuberant public installations on the studio’s website and Instagram, and check out more incredible playgrounds.
Known for their elaborate performances almost as much as their albums, the American band OK Go just released a new music video that is very literally a hall of mirrors. Filmed in a Budapest train station, “Love” incorporates 29 robots and 60 mirrors that move in perfect synchronicity. The result is an endlessly evolving kaleidoscope that distorts reality and illusion, connecting the band and their surroundings through a trippy, impeccably timed production.
To get a closer look at the making of this iconic video, check out the behind-the-scenes video shot from the perspective of each band member.
Do you have a favorite time of day that helps you be a better maker?
I actually have a couple of answers to that question. During the midday I feel like I am the most productive when it comes down to just getting down and doing stuff. But I think I am the most creative at night, like I am trying to go to bed and my brain is just buzzing with ideas.
Does being in a studio with other makers inspire you or motivate you more as opposed to working alone in a private studio?
I definitely feel like when you are in a shared space you feel more obligation to get stuff done. You see other people working, you want to work too. You also get to see what other people are doing and get inspired by them and want to keep making. I definitely think it’s more advantageous and more creatively inspiring to be with people.
Does being maker impact or influence other areas of your life?
I definitely think it influences other areas of my life. When I bake I tend to want to be little more creative and when I explore and change up the recipe and look up new recipes. I am taking in more visual information and thinking about how the things I see can influence my art.
How do you go about developing your art skills?
I mostly develop them by getting in the studio and working. I have had so many failed attempts and I’ve just had to push myself in order to improve my skills.
Why is the mechanical portion of making a lock or a robot more interesting to you than say making a mug?
I think it’s just more interesting than making mug because I see so many mugs and I don’t know if I could make a better mug than other people. Doing the mechanical side of ceramics I feel like it’s far more novel and there’s not a lot of people doing it and I get to fail and make mistakes and iterate on my designs. I think that is something so special to do.
Outside of the studio what do you do for fun?
I’d say I play a lot of games, that’s the main thing that I do. I read and I bake.
What do you bake?
There’s a lot of things but I am best known for my cinnamon rolls. I get a lot of compliments on those.
Welcome to today’s art podcast! Today, we’re talking about how your mindset affects your art. Whether you’re new to art or already selling your work, your mindset plays a big role in how you improve. Let’s dive in!
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This podcast is sponsored by Evolve. Evolve can teach anyone how to paint in a realism style to a professional level in a year. They offer online lessons, support and also provide the materials you need. To find out more sign up for a free masterclass at https://kickinthecreatives.com/evolvewebinar
Q. What creative ideas do you have for filling the first page of your sketchbook?
The best answers will be read out on a future podcast.
You can Tweet us your answers @KickCreatives or let us know in the Facebook Group, which by the way if you haven’t already joined, I highly recommend that you do! We will put the question up there and also on the Facebook page… and of course, on our Instagram page @kickinthecreatives.
If you have any suggestions for the podcast or our challenges please feel free to get in touch.
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