Helpers throughout our lives are the people who have influenced us and may have even changed the direction of our lives. In art, I had many influences but my earliest and biggest influence was my junior high art teacher. Her name, Mrs. Lobe. Our relationship was up, down and sideways all at one time. I [...]
You don’t need to ask the deaf if this is true. In my hometown just north of Pittsburgh a lot of people came from the Old Country. We had a lot of Irish, Italian, Polish, Syrian, actually in a few blocks we had most of the United Nations represented. But as a child, I learned [...]
There is an unusual show at the Gallery on High this month, flowers so colorful you can almost smell the fragrance. Kay Majka paints a lot of different subjects but her love for flowers really comes through in each of her paintings. I have known Kay and her husband for more than a few years. [...]
Green has a history of meaning. Green is growing. As I look out my window this morning my grass is turning from a light shade of brown to a rich green. The tree buds are coming out and they are a light green. So many people over the years have identified green as a color [...]
No, it’s nothing new to me. I’ve been here in varying degrees many times before. I have seen some of my friends run into the same situation. In some extreme cases it is referred to as burn-out. I’m not sure this is an accurate definition. It gives the connotation that one was once on fire [...]
You don’t have to have a lot of money to start painting. In fact, it is less expensive than when I was a child. These are the basics of what you need. A set of brushes (the best buy is synthetic hair brushes that usually go under the name of Golden or White Talon). A [...]
Art programs are being cutback or not taught at all in many of our public schools but that does not mean that art education is disappearing in our community. We have a strong visual arts community program for all ages already in place to not only fill this gap but even offer more than most [...]
Many people want to learn how to draw faces and the human form. Many drawing courses cover the basics, so many eyes across the width of a face, heads are divided by centerlines, ears and noses are in proportion. The figure is measured in heads high and the list of generalities goes on and on. [...]
