Take a class with SAL – anywhere! Ever wonder what the name for the cleft between your nose and mouth is called? Did you know there’s a name for where your mouth turns from lip color to skin color? Here are some slang and scientific names for a few of the bits on your phiz. …

DRAWING FROM OBSERVATION I like to draw from observation. I like to study what I see, and experiment with how I see it. My goal is not realism, my goal is to find and discover. Every time I look at something, even something I’ve drawn before, I see things I didn’t see before, things I …

One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …

Take a class with SAL – anywhere! We are more than two thirds through February and I’ve been so busy posting pictures of your vegetable drawers that I haven’t posted for Black art history month. Terrible! To be honest, it has been a tough year and the last thing I want to do is send …

Take a class with SAL – anywhere! Think you know about sumi ink and brush painting? Below is some basic history about this ancient art form, as well as some facts you might not know! History of Sumi Ink wash painting appeared in China during the Tang dynasty (618–907). That’s 1400 years ago, and 700 years before …

Take a class with SAL – anywhere! In previous V. Notes, I’ve posted work by our sumi instructor Angie Dixon, Huang Yongyu, Pan Gongkai, and stuff you didn’t know about sumi. Today I wanted to broaden my view of sumi painting. I wanted to see more works that are being created in the medium today. …

Have you heard Keith’s news?  …Before I can share the news, just in case you missed my previous V. Note about Nicolás Uribe, I should tell you who he is. Nicolás Uribe is a world famous painter currently based in Bogotá, Colombia. He is known especially for his portraits, and has a youtube channel to which …

From my window, the smoke gives a terrible, surreal beauty to the landscape. A dampened and compressed eerie glow. There is a weight to it. What do you see? CALL FOR ART: SMOKE I’ve received great submissions for this show! There’s still time to send in yours. Email artwork of any media you have documenting this smoke …

Take a class with SAL – anywhere! Yesterday’s post featuring drawings by Kathe Kollwitz introduced the idea of hands as expressive elements within a drawing. I was so excited about the idea of hands doing the talking for a face in a drawing that I made a class to study expressive hands and heads, and …