Jun 17

Muni Art 2018

MuniArt will be back in 2018 - this time, it'll incorporate poetry. In partnership with San Francisco Beautiful and The Poetry Society of America, we're supporting local artists and enhancing the transit experience for San Francisco's 700,000 daily riders through our Muni Art program. 100 Muni buses were converted into rolling art galleries, reigniting a successful relationship between local art and local transit. Muni Art.

Brusho
There has been a lot of talk and play around a powdered pigment called Brusho. Here is a video about some of the things you can try out with this product:
Brusho® Landscape Painting Demo

Blick on Van Ness & Bob’s Donut Shop
Blick on Van Ness & Bob’s Donut Shop are partnering for a donut themed art show. The top 15 pieces voted on will be donated to the walls of Bob’s Donuts on Polk Street (San Francisco’s Best Donut Shop). Now accepting all submissions.
Max size 12x12”, must be donut or donut shop themed and ready to hang.
All submissions due Jun 30th. Bring artwork to Black Art Materials, 1930 Van Ness Avenue.
Thank you, Mary

Jun 10

Evolution of the Paint Tube



We at Winsor & Newton pride ourselves on adapting to progress and instigating change in our industry. In this series, we are highlighting items from our extensive archive to showcase our proudest innovations. First up: we review the evolution of the paint tube.


Artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir is quoted as saying that, "Without paint in tubes there would have been…nothing of what the journalists were later to call Impressionists." Winsor & Newton’s own William Winsor patented a particular iteration of the tube which significantly impacted upon artists’ use of colour. 


These revolutionary artists including Claude Monet headed outside to paint ‘en plein air’ in order to ‘capture the snapshot’, thus celebrating the everyday and changing the art world forever. The portability of paint tubes was integral to such practices.
The metal paint tube was first invented by American oil painter John Goffe Rand as a way of transporting paints to use outside. The tubes were in fact syringes which were used to squeeze out paint and preserved the paint for a longer time, allowing artists increased flexibility and the possibility of a larger palette as colours took longer to perish.


Upon hearing of this stunning innovation William Winsor immediately sought the patent as Winsor & Newton were the only colourmen producing moist water colour. Once the patent was secured, William Winsor added one essential improvement to this design: the all-important screw cap. Thusly, the paint tube we know and love was born.


In the photo above, you can track the journey from the traditional bladders to the introduction of the syringe tube in 1840 to the Tube Cap introduced in 1904.
From the Archives: The History of the Metal Paint Tube


Neil Brian Murphy



Originals and Translations
Whether the work is an abstraction or representation, analog or digital, my creative process is the same and encourages cross-pollination between all four. Although I use digital processes and printing to make limited edition 'translations' of my paintings, each piece is first completed as an original using traditional media.
Process
Water makes inks and pigments bleed, blend, and run amok. My process encourages this irreverent behavior. First I flood water and pigment across a horizontal unprimed canvas. I add shapes and lines with paint and ink. Unpredicted and unbalanced elements appear and the painting process, a continuous realignment and re-balancing, begins. The idea is to coax line, color, and shape 'accidents' into associations that no longer appear to be accidental, and yet are removed from contrivance.


The process unfolds, layer-upon-layer, wash-upon-wash, until disparate elements reach a kind of equilibrium. The painting is finished when the shapes, and the ideas they represent, become one.


I pull the shapes from nature, observations of light, the constructs of western abstraction, and the geometry of Asian color fields and line styles. The ideas come from the wonderful nexus of science, art, joy, empathy, and the unknown.
Neil Brian Murphy


Art in the Neighborhood





ArtSpan’s Art-in-Neighborhoods program serves the city of San Francisco by connecting communities with local artists while activating spaces with vibrant, locally-made artwork. ArtSpan partners with local businesses and building owners to bring art studios, art exhibitions, and art events to businesses, dormant storefronts, and empty spaces. Local artists who are ArtSpan members are given the opportunity to create, display, promote, and sell their artwork in these diverse venues. All aspects of the program allow otherwise unused walls, spaces, or properties to become creative arenas for celebrating local arts.
ArtSpan’s Art-in-Neighborhoods

Jun 03

The Happy Rizzi House

This is not watercolor, but a great way to celebrate the inclusion of art in all aspects of our life.
Happy Rizzi House - Images
Happy Rizzi House - Wikipedia (you may have to translate)












Seeing It Simple
Portraying people, whether it's a portrait or a figure study,  can be daunting for any artist if you are not used to it. Indeed it can be tricky, but no more than attempting a still life, landscape or animal if you don’t know what you are doing. The key is like many things in art - simplification - whether it be the features or the body itself.
Breaking the face or body down into simple blocks or shapes will make it much easier to judge proportions and give you a flying start on your drawing, before you have to consider adding colour.  For example,  here is a useful little chart to get you started on a basic portrait.
THE ARTTUTOR BLOG

Sinopia
Sinopia Products are now available at Arch Design Supplies
In January of 2015, Sinopia closed its retail location in San Francisco. Arch Supplies is the exclusive retailer of Sinopia Products. Visit Arch Supplies for a large array of Art Materials and find an extensive display of Sinopia Products.
Sinopia
Arch Design Supplies
10 Carolina Street @ 15th St.
Telephone: (415) 433-2724 ext. 3
Sinopia has a really interesting blog you can subscribe to: Sinopia Blog

Apr 22

Spring Show at Kay's

Dear Friends,

Having spread into an additional 600 sq. ft., both my students and I are enjoying 

the extra space. Hope you can come see us. -Kay

Tinted Watercolor Paper

Blick on Market Street carries Bockingford Tinted Watercolor paper in full sheets. -Pam 

Winsor & Newton

Spotlight on Phthalo Green

Apr 15

Every Color Under the Sun

This reminds me of the color swatch book we saw at the library:
A Pre-Pantone Guide to Colors: Dutch Book From 1692 Documents 
Thank you, Darlene

Gregory Euclide

Nancy, the watercolor teacher at CCSF, turned me on to this artist. He uses watercolor in all his 2D and 3D multi-media work.
Gregory Euclide Gallery

Apr 08

Open Studio at the Art Explosion

Sue F. is showing her work.

April 08 & 09, from 12 - 5 pm
2425 17th St & 744 Alabama St 

Some Stuff about Blue

I am investigating and talking about color a lot lately. In a recent conversation, Mary C. was saying how disappointed she was with the Daniel Smith Lapis Lazuli. Her expectations of something rich and luscious were not met! So, I did a little snooping, and this is what I discovered . . . 

It started with: Winsor & Newton page on Cobalt Blue
Which led me to: Wikipedia's Cobalt Blue
On to: Wikipedia's Ultramarine
And finally: Wikipedia's Lapis Lazuli

My guess is that Daniel Smith is using the Lapis Lazuli from the mines in Chile, because the other sources are from places not very friendly with the Western World. Just a thought.

Apr 01

Some interesting tips, whether you want to create clouds with pencils or brushes.
How to Paint Sky & Clouds in Water Soluble Pencils

Spotlight on Vermillion

One of Alexander Calder's (and my) favorite colors. 
Winsor & Newton - Articles & inspiration