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  • Kissing In Art And Illustration

    Kissing In Art And Illustration

    And it seemed to her that kisses, voices, tinkling spoons, laughter, the smell of crushed grass were somehow inside her. Katherine Mansfield A kiss on the forehead-erases misery.I kiss your forehead. A kiss on the eyes-lifts sleeplessness. I kiss your eyes. A kiss on the lips-is a drink of water. I kiss your lips. A […]

    February 22, 2022
  • Wet, Rainy Streets In Art And Illustration

    Wet, Rainy Streets In Art And Illustration

    How do artists convey wet streets in art? What kind of brush strokes do they use? Colours?

    February 21, 2022
  • Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad: A Case Study In Kindness

    Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad: A Case Study In Kindness

    Conflict, conflict, conflict. Writers seeking storytelling advice are constantly bombarded with the message: Every story needs conflict; nay, every scene! But is this really true? When advice-givers say ‘conflict’, what are they really talking about? Successful stories don’t need conflict… if conflict means arguing, wrestling and wishing each other dead. Stories need opponents. Here’s the…

    February 20, 2022
  • Young Men Picking Up Their Dates

    Young Men Picking Up Their Dates

    The header illustration was for the cover of a 1956 edition of the Saturday Evening Post.

    February 17, 2022
  • The Phantasia Spectrum And What It Means For Writers

    The Phantasia Spectrum And What It Means For Writers

    When reading a book, do you ‘see’ scenery in your imagination? If so, you are a phantasic person. Most people have minds which do this, which makes you one of the majority.

    February 16, 2022
  • Carnivalesque Plot Type: Visitors Who Outstay Their Welcome

    Carnivalesque Plot Type: Visitors Who Outstay Their Welcome

    Something feels different about some stories made for children. Not all of them. Just some. Take The Cat In The Hat or The Tiger Who Came To Tea. It’s not easy to find stories for adults with a similar blueprint. In these children’s stories, a visitor arrives in a child’s house and makes merry mischief. The child has heaps of fun. Then, after a surprising climax, the visitor leaves. The child’s world returns to normality and safety.

    February 15, 2022
  • What happens in Hunted Down by Charles Dickens?

    What happens in Hunted Down by Charles Dickens?

    “Hunted Down” was published in instalments across 1859-60, almost 20 years after Poe’s well-known detective story which kicked the genre off.

    February 11, 2022
  • The Power of the Dog: How Did Phil Die? and Other Questions

    The Power of the Dog: How Did Phil Die? and Other Questions

    The Power of the Dog is a 2021 film directed by Jane Campion, based on the same-named 1967 novel by Thomas Savage. Like a lyrical short story, this film is designed for a repeat viewing.

    February 9, 2022
  • Artificial Intelligence: Illustrations of Venice

    Artificial Intelligence: Illustrations of Venice

    When you think of Venice, you may imagine a certain colour palette. But take a look at the illustrations and paintings below and it becomes clear: There’s no such thing as a ‘Venice palette’. It’s entirely possible to depict Venice as ominous and sinister, as well as beautiful.

    February 5, 2022
  • AI Generated Art: Computer Paints Various Still Life

    AI Generated Art: Computer Paints Various Still Life

    Artificial intelligence generators don’t do well with faces. They can do very well with landscapes. But what about still life?

    February 5, 2022
  • The Lost Daughter: Why does Leda steal the doll?

    The Lost Daughter: Why does Leda steal the doll?

    The Lost Daughter is a 2021 film directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, based on the novel by Italian writer Elena Ferrante (2015). This is Gyllenhaal’s debut as feature-length film director. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

    January 18, 2022
  • Compositions With Strong Vertical Divisions

    Compositions With Strong Vertical Divisions

    Header painting: William Merritt Chase. May I Come In, 1883, pastel

    January 13, 2022
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