94 Artists Magazine October 2019
Independent
Study
Resources to
inspire + build skills
BY HOLLY DAVISEyes to the Skies
It’s been 50 years since the
first lunar walk, but artists
have been exploring the
moon for centuries.
Discover the visual inter-
pretations of 19th- and
20th-century American
artists in the exhibition
catalog The Color of the
Moon: Lunar Painting in
American Art (Hudson
River Museum, James A.
Michener Art Museum and
Fordham University Press),
edited by Laura Vookles
and Bart Bland.The Cloud Appreciation
Society (clouda reciation
society.org) provides free
resources on clouds in art,
video, photography, music
and poetry. If you’re not
already a believer that
“clouds are the most evoca-
tive and dynamic of
Nature’s displays,” this
society’s website will go far
in making you one.POUR AND PRINT
In The Art of Paint Pouring
(Walter Foster) artist Amanda
VanEver starts with the basics
and proceeds to demonstrate
11 acrylic pouring techniques,
yielding striking visual textures
and abstract patterns.The Printmaking Ideas Book (Ilex),
by Frances Stanfi eld and Lucy
McGeown, explores printmaking
techniques of artists around the globe.
Included are examples of etching,
engraving, monoprinting, woodcut,
lithography, collography, linocut,
aquatint, screenprinting and more.Drawn to Nature
Agelilo Batle’s Classic Ginkgo
(6½ inches long)In the book Look Closer, Draw Better: Expert
Techniques for Realistic Drawing (Rockport),
Kateri Ewing encourages artists to truly see their
subjects—not just in terms of form, but also as an
evocative presence. The capturing of both qualities
sets a drawing apart. With her lyrical artwork of
natural subjects, Ewing presents lessons in
graphite, charcoal, pen and ink, and watercolor.Looking for a unique gift for an artist—or a small
treasure for yourself? Agelio Batle’s sculptures,
made of smoothly fi nished graphite and smudge-
resistant compounds, fi t easily into a hand, and
any part of these pieces can be used for writing
or drawing. Check out his nature-based designs
(feathers, leaves, shells and more) as well as his
delightfully metaphorical Classic Drawing Hand
at batlestudio.com.