Homesick for moderation, Half the world’s artists shrink or fall away. If any find solution, let him tell it. Meanwhile I bend my heart toward lamentation Where, as the times implore our true involvement, The […]
Creative Challenge As Initiation
Radical Innocence
The first encounter with painting is often a delight and a surprise. Each color is a delicious revelation; strangely satisfying forms appear; we’re amazed and fascinated by the mysterious images that emerge. And the room […]
Don’t Paint Whale — Paint Whaleness!
Recently, Lisa Pedersen (@lisapedersenart on Instagram) reminded us of this brief and very lively excerpt from a talk that Stewart gave at a workshop in Southern California. In the following conversation with a workshop participant, […]
Following the Thread
The Way It Is There is a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it […]
How to Make a Cardboard Tripod Easel
Many painters and teachers ask us about the construction of The Painting Experience's cardboard tripod easels. These big, sturdy tripods have many advantages: They're easy to set up; they collapse for easy storage; and when […]
Process and Presence
To express spontaneously -- that is, without a goal -- is to practice presence, bringing our full selves to the painting with curiosity and interest. Artists are often considered to be the delicate barometers of […]