Painting flesh
Artists find painting people and portraits difficult. Even artists who can paint complicated landscapes without too much difficulty stumble when they attempt people. Why? Part of the answer is the uncanny valley. The uncanny valley…
Category: Uncategorized
New painting prep
My newest painting, White Ballon, is the standard size for me, 40" x 54." The drawing is simple--really the plan for the painting. I define the shapes and clarify the relationships between objects: light on…
Matt Irwin photography
I'm on my third Nikon camera. I bought my first one because the Nikon-produced photos that I saw excited me in ways that the photos from other brands did not. I have never regretted going…
Grumpy book review: 1177 B.C.
The book's complete title is 1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed. The book addresses the mysterious collapse of the Iron Age civilization. The author, Eric Cline, claims that recent findings prompted him to update his…
J. L. David’s Cupid and Psyche
Jacques-Louis David is one of my favorite artists. David's reputation was cemented for me the first time I visited the Louvre. David made a career revitalizing well-known stories and allegories. From the beginning of his career, David…
Grumpy review: Kindles
I've used my Kindle Oasis for several years and thought I'd share my impressions with you. Let's start with the negatives. Cons Goodreads. Amazon embeds Goodreads in the Kindle. You cannot turn it off, even…
Grumpy review: Perdido Street Station
I'll cut to the chase: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville is one of the worst books I've ever actually finished. Perdido Street Station is a fantasy novel that also straddles the sci-fi and steampunk…
Afghanistan forever and ever
I was too optimistic when I recently applauded President Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal announcement. I failed to mention that President Trump had scheduled the withdrawal from Afganistan for May. Biden actually is delaying the final withdrawal…