Author Archives: howtowriteaboutart

‘It ain’t necessarily so…’

I didn’t have a stack of mirrors, so I raided the kitchen drawer for tin foil! It forms a great reflective surface for a still-life composition. Playing with images of reality and illusion is something that Florence Henri toyed with, an American-born artist who developed her photographic style in her mid-30’s. She created a photographicContinue reading “‘It ain’t necessarily so…’”

Christmas snow

Aren’t Christmas cards great! Not only do you get lovely messages from friends, but you get some beautiful art too! This card depicting a scene from a print by Utagawa Hiroshige caught my eye. It is a section of a larger work in which two woman stand either side of this scene, looking beyond theirContinue reading “Christmas snow”

Chasing the light

Where artists create images, photographers capture images and there can be a lot of fun in chasing just the right shot in the right light. I was driving through a real down-pour, windscreen wipers on double speed and after about 10 minutes I came into the most glorious sunshine. I knew those light conditions wouldContinue reading “Chasing the light”

Space and Substance

John Minton’s illustrations are very striking! I wanted to see more of them, so I bought Elizabeth David’s book Mediterranean Food published in 1950, in which we find Minton’s illustrations that accompany the recipes. Then I decided to draw one of his illustrations – the frontispiece for the chapter on “Substantial Dishes”. Minton confines himselfContinue reading “Space and Substance”

Kingdom Come

I am warmed by the sun streaming through the window and lulled by the jazz filling the air, thick with mood – immersed in the atmosphere of the cafe. Shortly before, I was immersed in other music and other sensations: an airport’s international arrivals gate: people coming, passing through closed doors that smoothly and automaticallyContinue reading “Kingdom Come”

Time Was Away

It was the simplicity of line that drew me to this illustration on a book cover of a travel book, published soon after WWII, with drawings by John Minton. I loved the way he builds up the picture with layers of lines – and no better way to get to know a person’s style thanContinue reading “Time Was Away”

Weeding Onions

They don’t like competition and are rather greedy for all the water and nutrients – onions, that is! So the soil has to be tickled to keep weeds from taking what belongs to them! It is this most ordinary task, one that gardeners perform year in year out, that Thomas Hennell has depicted, most beautifully.Continue reading “Weeding Onions”

Gallery Pig

I came across a delightful charcoal drawing of pigs, made by the artist and professor, Allen William Seaby, which he sketched one camping holiday in the New Forest. I was at the St Barbe’s Gallery, Lymington, and although you can’t take pictures of the exhibits, they support you sketching any image. So I did aContinue reading “Gallery Pig”