While shoreline painting has engaged our imagination as early as Dutch painters of the 1600s, since the 19th century artists have proceeded to aggressively abstract the elements of beach life. Turner and Constable’s shoreline images veered toward abstraction under the … Continued

So much ambiguity can be packed into the phrase “hourglass figure”.  This shape proved  useful when unifying elements of a  picture into a single frame. The roots of the hourglass extend at least into the 1300s in Europe but, its … Continued

Quiet is apparent when it is broken through contrast, whether by cries, squeals, or thunder.  Contrast through counterpoint is a foundation of design from music to gardens to paintings. Visually we attend to arrangements with counterpoint  found in opposing patterns.  Opposing … Continued

Reflected images offer possibilities for layered images and building visual metaphors. Walking through Berlin with my family which included three artists, son Max Dunlop, his wife Natalie Kiefer, as well as Rebecca and our infant granddaughter Frida, I discovered serendipitous … Continued

Moving across a fabric of space offers a different challenge than moving directly into infinite space. In 1837 artists still took the grand Italian tour to sites designated as artistically worthy.  Most of these sites were in the Roman Compagna. … Continued

Following conventions we know how to make and recognize a pie. We begin with a circle; a circular pie plate fitted with a circular crust.  We know it’s a pie when it comes in a circle. Pictures follow similar conventions.  … Continued