Art Classes for the New Year

Art Classes and Weekend Workshops will be scheduled in 2023 starting in the Spring. To indicate an interest for you or a student aged 12 or over to attend class, please send an email and Nehemiah’s Art will send you up to date information on dates and times. If you have a group and wouldContinue reading “Art Classes for the New Year”

Paint Beautiful Shapes. Paint Beautiful Colors.

Two simple phrases were passed down from teacher to student who then became a teacher to other students. These two directives actually take a lot of contemplation and deep thought. Paint Beautiful Shapes. Paint Beautiful Colors. These are good “filters” to access many works of art. Do they please the eye? Is it a feastContinue reading “Paint Beautiful Shapes. Paint Beautiful Colors.”

Axiom #3 Paint What You See

My painting teacher, Jim Faber, used to say: “paint what you see, not what you THINK you see! It’s a call to observation. Instead of assuming that the sky is blue and the leaves are green, take a look. How does the light affect the colors? What are we taking for granted? What have weContinue reading “Axiom #3 Paint What You See”

Paint Nite in Fortuna

A Paint Nite evening brings together friends old and new to experience the process of making a painting in a fun social atmosphere.  On this evening we painted a still life with pears and a lot of laughter in between. Set in Nehemiah’s Art Studio and Gallery in Fortuna, California, Art Nite is a time toContinue reading “Paint Nite in Fortuna”

The Big Picture, The Details

The direct method of enlarging a picture by observing its major geometric shapes, the relation of those shapes to each other, the negative spaces they create and paying attention to the way the light illuminates the shapes to create forms is said by another way in a simple but overused sentence: Look at the bigContinue reading “The Big Picture, The Details”

Experimenting, Learning and Working Hard

 Taking the attitude that we are learning and experimenting helps take some of the pressure that we put upon ourselves away.  If we consider learning a “win” then we are encouraged.  If we are perfectionistic in our expectations then we will certainly become discouraged when our efforts don’t measure up.  Personal progress is a reason toContinue reading “Experimenting, Learning and Working Hard”

Writing & Painting in Times of Adversity and of Peace

Here is what Winston Churchill said of painting: “I am never going to have anything more to do with politics or politicians. When this war is over I shall confine myself entirely to writing and painting.” I find it both fascinating and encouraging, as an artist, that when Churchill moved off of the world stageContinue reading “Writing & Painting in Times of Adversity and of Peace”

5 “P’s” – The Fifth “P” is for Perseverance

Perseverance often means a dogged determination to master the basics.   For we know that as we build that solid foundation, in the field of our endeavor, our greatest opportunity for full artistic expression is given flight.  The very repetitious and mundane practices of our craft coupled with an intellectual thirst to learn more create within us buildingContinue reading “5 “P’s” – The Fifth “P” is for Perseverance”

The Joy of Mixing Colors

My painting teacher, Jim Faber (who was a wonderful colorist) said is that “in light there is all colors.”  So when we paint we can attribute color to places that we know, scientifically, are there even if we don’t wholly see them with our limited eyesight.  For example, we may see only a light yellowContinue reading “The Joy of Mixing Colors”

Art & Wine in the Park – June 9th

Back in the day, as they say, I was part of a small band of artists working in a representational manner.  We called ourselves The Representational Art League, and although my path went a different direction, the League is still in existence.  We started something called Art & Wine in the Park in local Rohner ParkContinue reading “Art & Wine in the Park – June 9th”