by Nicholas Wilton | Sep 17, 2017 | Art Practice
You can never bring differences into your work too early – they will only make your art better. Click the image and watch how I improve a piece I just started with a few simple marks. In gratitude,...
by Nicholas Wilton | Sep 14, 2017 | Art Practice
Do you ever notice how even though you plan things out, even though you think you know what you are going to do, that sometimes it seems like the universe just has a different plan for you? I have come to realize that this little idea or actually this little truth is...
by Nicholas Wilton | Sep 10, 2017 | Art Practice
When finishing a painting, I find that small, simple adjustments are all that’s needed. This was the case with a painting I’ve been working on lately – it was almost done, but something about the composition irked me. Then I made a simple change and...
by Nicholas Wilton | Sep 7, 2017 | Art Practice
There are many challenges the artist must face to pull off a consistent art practice. But today I don’t want to talk about those. Besides, they pale in comparison to these positive ideas and truths regarding art making that I have come to embrace and believe. When I...
by Nicholas Wilton | Sep 3, 2017 | Art Practice
I’ve been working on a painting and for some reason it just wasn’t coming together…something was off. And then, the solution hit me! Click on the image to watch the video, and see how I solved the issue with my painting. In gratitude,...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 31, 2017 | Art Practice
Wandering through the northern Italian town of Tirano, I am struck by the very old, stonewalls. They circumscribe every property, miles of village roadways and impossibly steep hillside terraces. They are simply beautiful. Utilitarian but incredibly artful, their...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 27, 2017 | Art Practice
In the beginning it really helps if that beginning is totally new for you. The stakes are low but the potential is high. It can be really exciting to begin something new. The way you start is a big reason why. How do you start your work? In gratitude,...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 24, 2017 | Art Practice
Do you ever notice when you are creating your art how often a small section of your art will look especially better than all the rest? If you could magically crop out this one part it would be possibly the best thing you have ever made? This happens to me all the...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 20, 2017 | Art Practice
It’s an issue that’s all too common with creatives: you’re working on a painting and you like what you have so far, but you don’t know what to do next. Watch the video to see what I do when I encounter this with my work. What do you do when you...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 17, 2017 | Art Practice
Sometimes you just get stuck. You are painting along fine and then you reach a point where you don’t know what to do. It might be because you have fallen in love and have lost objectivity. It might because the color is off somehow. But usually you stop and pullover...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 13, 2017 | Art Practice
It can be hard to get into the studio when life’s challenges are in your way. However when you do it almost always helps. What is your experience? In gratitude,...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 10, 2017 | Art Practice
It is not clear exactly who said “Good artists copy, but great artists steal.” It might have been Picasso. The poet TS Eliot wrote something very similar in 1920. Regardless, the quote brings to the forefront an idea, a concept that I am consistently highlighting in...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 6, 2017 | Art Practice
Working larger is amazing, but it often requires a subtle shift in your approach to art making. Watch the video and see what I do when I’m starting a big, new piece. In gratitude,...
by Nicholas Wilton | Aug 3, 2017 | Art Practice
I teach a lot about differences in art making. Differences between colors, shapes and textures, values and even emotions. The thinking being, that a bright color will look even brighter if paired with its opposite. A dull color. A light shape will look even lighter...
by Nicholas Wilton | Jul 30, 2017 | Art Practice
As you might have noticed, a lot of my work revolves around the concept of difference – a dark shape next to a light shape, a subtle mark next to a bold mark, and so on. Sometimes, however, these elements are too separate from one another, and as a whole the...
by Nicholas Wilton | Jul 27, 2017 | Art Practice
Sometimes being an artist can feel hard, while other times it can feel inspiring and joyful. In trying to keep things more the latter, I try to keep the following five points in mind. All of them are available at anytime and there is no cost involved. I believe they...
by Nicholas Wilton | Jul 23, 2017 | Art Practice
One tool I like to use is large cardboard cut outs of various shapes. it’s a great way to add some variety to your mark...
by Nicholas Wilton | Jul 20, 2017 | Art Practice
Have you ever noticed that when you are making your art and it is all working out that it is almost as if you are not entirely there? You are driving the bus but it seems like you do not have to try very hard. Almost like it is driving itself. Art making sometimes can...
by Nicholas Wilton | Jul 16, 2017 | Art Practice
I just pulled an older piece of mine out from storage and was immediately struck by how similar the marks were in terms of value. Not that this is bad necessarily, but when compared with my more recent work, I quickly saw how this older piece was not as engaging. I...
by Nicholas Wilton | Jul 13, 2017 | Art Practice
In art, just as it is in life, more is not necessarily more. This is a hard one for me to remember. My default in may art making is to just keep adding things. If one kind of shape or mark feels good then surely 37 more will feel even better! Unfortunately, this...
by Nicholas Wilton | Jul 9, 2017 | Art Practice
I’ve been working on this giant blue painting for some time, and while I like where it’s at currently, there’s still a long way to go before it’s finished. Watch the video and see how I start to shift the composition. Leave a comment and let me...
