Robert Genn's Twice Weekly Letters

Painting on the phone

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:01:12 PDT

Painting on the phone
July 17th, 2009

...Brilliant art is being created on the tiny screens of cell phones. Pocket-sized, email friendly, printable and apparently saleable, the images are viral. A short video describes the phenomenon.
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Are you lonesome this morning?

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:36:51 PDT

Are you lonesome this morning?
July 14th, 2009

...Battling loneliness is a big issue with some artists. This letter contains a few ideas to beat back the demon and still retain your creative integrity.
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Distortion in figurative art

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:34:40 PDT

Distortion in figurative art
July 10th, 2009

...Distortion of the human figure is big stuff these days. Is it legitimate or is it a freakish form of caricature? Where does the urge come from and what are its limitations?
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Changing titles

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:28:03 PDT

Changing titles
July 7th, 2009

...Titles give key information that connects a viewer to your work. Often overlooked or misunderstood, titling is both an art and a ploy. Artists do well to think about their titles.
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Managerial Mode

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:35:12 PDT

Managerial Mode
July 3rd, 2009

...Your inherent laziness can be a key to the managerial mode. Management and self-management�s business is strategy, and when you don�t have strategy, you may be a rudderless ship.
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Where's the juice?

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:14:59 PDT

Where's the juice?
June 30th, 2009

...What happens when an artist starts to lose a sense of direction? How do we get the juices to come back? What sort of questions do we have to ask ourselves?
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Transartistic meditation

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:32:51 PDT

Transartistic meditation
June 26th, 2009

...Consider combining creative work with time-honoured techniques of transcendental meditation. With a new spin, a special kind of "flow" happens as you drift into "the zone."
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Patterns

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:53:00 PDT

Patterns
June 23rd, 2009

...In the transition from reality to the practicalities of pictorial composition, there's the need for an effective value pattern. Pattern is the skeleton that holds work together and entrances the viewer.
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Serious artist

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:45:16 PDT

Serious artist
June 19th, 2009

...The term �serious artist� draws divisions between different art forms and disciplines. What if it�s all about play, and our creative muse is one great playground?
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Just a reminder

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:13:02 PDT

Just a reminder
June 16th, 2009

...Even in out-of-the-way places artists can be in touch with a worldwide support group. Mere reminders may be all we need to improve and thrive.
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The art lotto

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:25:49 PDT

The art lotto
June 12th, 2009

...There's one brilliant way to increase our chances of pulling winners out of the hat. In the art game, it's how we stack our deck.
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A treasured mapbook

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:55:19 PDT

A treasured mapbook
June 9th, 2009

...Photocopies of maps and charts, arranged chronologically, can be a valuable tool for the travelling artist. Properly marked, they contain information inviting further ideas and exploration.
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Bartering for fun and profit

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:58:31 PDT

Bartering for fun and profit
June 5th, 2009

...Bartering is a fun way to get your art out and around and to profit when you might not otherwise do so. There are a few pitfalls but the tactic seems to be on the rise again.
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Winners and losers

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:21:54 PDT

Winners and losers
June 2nd, 2009

...What is it that makes some of us winners and others losers? What is winning anyway? Robert names some of the attitudes and actions that make the good stuff happen.
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Stereotype threat

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:53:47 PDT

Stereotype threat
May 29th, 2009

...The stereotype that artists are condemned to a life of poverty is widespread, causing not a few artists to have that exact expectation. There's a way to beat it.
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How to control kissing

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:30:54 PDT

How to control kissing
May 26th, 2009

...'Kissing' is a compositional weakness that can also be used as a ploy. Painters need to understand why and when they kiss, and to what purpose.
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What to do with Grandpa's art?

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:49:15 PDT

What to do with Grandpa's art?
May 22nd, 2009

...Families and heirs of a recently deceased artist often face significant challenges. Here are a few ideas of what can be done with all the art.
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Off the beaten track

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:38:40 PDT

Off the beaten track
May 19th, 2009

...Living in small towns or remote places has its own challenges. How to let folks in the greater world know what you're up to is one of them.
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The wise juror

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:37:02 PDT

The wise juror
May 15th, 2009

...A letter from a juror to a rejected artist sets off an understanding of the true purpose of art and offers powerful reasons to keep on going.
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Introducing The Painter's Post

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:27:34 PDT

Introducing The Painter's Post
May 12th, 2009

...'The Painter's Post' debuts today. It's a daily compilation of the latest and best art-related info our informed editors can find. Read all about it here.
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The flat trumpet of self-esteem

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:09:24 PDT

The flat trumpet of self-esteem
May 8th, 2009

...Instead of measuring work against examples of excellence, we now honour mediocrity as well. The self-esteem industry has put the cart before the horse, and we are the lesser for it.
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Sterility

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:19:42 PDT

Sterility
May 5th, 2009

...Artists often find themselves in a state where nothing turns them on, nothing seems worthwhile. The tank is on empty. Here are some of Robert's ploys for refilling the tank.
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Hyper-perfectionism

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:14:59 PDT

Hyper-perfectionism
May 1st, 2009

...Work can sit on the easel for months, even years. The afflicted artist may be dedicated, hard-working and obsessive. In mild cases he takes a very long time to get to signing, let alone to making a delivery.
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Resurrection

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:12:40 PDT

Resurrection
April 28th, 2009

...Taking a successful work and resurrecting it as another has both traditional conventions and creative pitfalls. Here are a few thoughts when you want to make it happen.
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The private lives of keeners

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:46:22 PDT

The private lives of keeners
April 24th, 2009

...For creative folks, overcoming lassitude and bad attitudes are crucial to thriving and even surviving. Here are a few specific ploys to get you on your way.
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Keep moving

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:22:31 PDT

Keep moving
April 21st, 2009

...New research indicates that active movement may be an aid to learning, concentration and physical production, including the making of art.
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A dissatisfied artist

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:24:11 PDT

A dissatisfied artist
April 17th, 2009

...The current bad times are causing dissatisfaction and anger among artists. Some are pessimistic, but there are other ways of looking at the situation.
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Post-Show Blues

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:15:39 PDT

Post-Show Blues
April 14th, 2009

...Artists often have trouble re-firing their furnaces in the period right after shows and exhibitions. There are ways of understanding the condition, and there are ways of overcoming the commonplace problem.
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The elements of abstraction

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:22:27 PDT

The elements of abstraction
April 10th, 2009

...Abstraction is a poorly understood term for a wide range of art. But it holds within it a great opportunity for serious play and the exploration of the subconscious mind. Find out how.
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The art of innovation

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:10:37 PDT

The art of innovation
April 7th, 2009

...Innovation is the life blood of artists. In these troubled times the persistently curious and the inventive will thrive. Find out how to put innovation to work for you.
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The art income shock

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:26:19 PDT

The art income shock
April 3rd, 2009

...A recent Canadian study paints a depressing picture of artists' incomes. The respondent-driven sampling gives a skewed idea of what artists can and do make.
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Eccentricity

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:51:15 PDT

Eccentricity
March 31st, 2009

...Artists are often accused of eccentricity. Robert looks at the uses and abuses of the condition, and proceeds to honour eccentricity as a valuable feature of individualism.
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Selective focus

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:23:12 PDT

Selective focus
March 27th, 2009

...Artists have a great many illusions available to them to control the eye movements and interest of passing viewers. Selective focus, early discovered but now often neglected, is well worth understanding.
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Choices

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:04:53 PDT

Choices
March 24th, 2009

...The making of art is a series of choices, some minor, some major. The choices we make determine our signature, our style and our level of personal satisfaction.
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The rise of vanity galleries

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:20:36 PDT

The rise of vanity galleries
March 20th, 2009

...Vanity galleries charge you, the artist, for space on their walls and part of their monthly overhead. Is this trend viable? Do vanity galleries work?
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In search of John Collier

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:21:46 PDT

In search of John Collier
March 17th, 2009

...John Collier was a significant painter at the height of the British Empire. Attitude, application and belief in the importance of it all contributed to his masterful work.
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Habits for success

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:20:02 PDT

Habits for success
March 13th, 2009

...John Di Lemme has written elegantly on the nature and uses of habit. Both negative and positive--you can engage any kind of habit your heart desires--but make no mistake, habits are the keys to your destiny.
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Artists for something

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:33:21 PDT

Artists for something
March 10th, 2009

...While some artists are asking for charity, others are following their sincere passions. Robert explains why the latter is the most effective route to joy and solvency.
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Feeling blue

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:52:15 PDT

Feeling blue
March 6th, 2009

...Recent research throws some more light on the psychological value of blue. Apparently it's not just ethereal and mind expanding, it can make you more creative.
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Lessons learned

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:44:31 PST

Lessons learned
March 3rd, 2009

...It's a remarkable experience to receive a crit from a huge cross-section of willing participants. Is it valuable, or is it a pointless exercise?
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Asking your opinion

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:27:26 PDT

Asking your opinion
February 27th, 2009

...Robert experiments with the idea of getting a lot of opinions on an unfinished work. Is the opinion of others worthwhile? Who do we turn to?
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Conspicuous consumption

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:33:37 PST

Conspicuous consumption
February 24th, 2009

...Economist Thorstein Veblen's concept of "conspicuous consumption" has wide ranging implications for today's artists. Here are the dynamics of what's happening right now.
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The art instinct

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:15:17 PST

The art instinct
February 20th, 2009

...Denis Dutton's remarkable new book "The Art Instinct" links Darwin's theory of evolution with the origins, production and appreciation of art. Prepare yourself for some surprises.
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Irwin Greenberg

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:17:18 PDT

Irwin Greenberg
February 17th, 2009

...Irwin Greenberg, 87, has taught thousands of artists not just technique, but the very attitudes and habits one needs to develop if one would be successful.
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Advisory panel

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:59:36 PST

Advisory panel
February 13th, 2009

...Sitting on an art-advisory panel, giving artists encouragement and suggestions of "what to do next" clarifies some valuable mentoring truths.
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Painting 'Uncle Ho'

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:16:34 PST

Painting 'Uncle Ho'
February 10th, 2009

...A connection with a famous Vietnamese portrait painter brings out some of the universal problems and solutions in that difficult art.
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Where does it come from?

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:47:00 PST

Where does it come from?
February 6th, 2009

...Where does it come from? In a place like Vietnam, where the people have experienced great injustice, their art shows little anger and bitterness, but instead reveals their gentle humanism.
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Talent

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:57:33 PST

Talent
February 3rd, 2009

...Talent is often thought of as those sorts of gifts we are born with--blessings like beauty and brains--or as abilities to be developed, such as drawing, painting or musicianship. One thing's for sure: having talent doesn't mean you're fated to make it work for you.
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The price of popularity

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:19:48 PST

The price of popularity
January 30th, 2009

...Andrew Wyeth got mighty good at his craft and painted not a few American icons. Yet the critics never missed a chance to dump on him. The richer he got, the more they dumped. Maybe some critics have 'painting envy.'
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Economics 101

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:36:29 PDT

Economics 101
January 27th, 2009

...What will happen to us creative spirits during the economic downturn? While I'm no economist, there's evidence of a hard truth... and 3 available strategies to consider.
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Compositional keys

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:53:48 PST

Compositional keys
January 23rd, 2009

...Composition is often the 'make-or-break' of a successful painting. Eleven valuable but breakable keys to successful compositions give pause and understanding to the art.
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Whistler's dilemma

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 11:26:35 PST

Whistler's dilemma
January 20th, 2009

...A subscriber with a famous name asks what to do about the association and how he might sign his own name. As usual, individualism triumphs.
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Four excellent questions

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:50:59 PST

Four excellent questions
January 16th, 2009

...The business of scheduling, self-management, controlling work-volume, goal setting and taking time for creative exploration are major concerns of professionals. Surprising variations arise in a life of application.
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The frequent-pause system

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:24:53 PST

The frequent-pause system
January 13th, 2009

...Working in less-than-perfect conditions reveals some methodologies that give a new spin to creativity, and may actually improve it. Good things come from inconvenience.
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The problem with stealing

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:33:04 PST

The problem with stealing
January 9th, 2009

...Protecting images by watermarking, small-filing, or claiming copyright may not be enough on today's Internet. But there are other things you can do and other ways of looking at the machines.
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Laziness

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:09:47 PST

Laziness
January 6th, 2009

...Simple laziness is one of the basic, oft overlooked impediments to the creative life. Here are a few antidotes and a sure-fire method of beating the malaise when it breaks out in your studio.
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How to find passion

rgenn@saraphina.com (Robert Genn) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:25:09 PST

How to find passion
January 2nd, 2009

...Passion is a commodity that some seek and never find. Others manifest it in spades and it guides their lives. This letter is a key to finding it from some who have found it.
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