I have always loved art. Like most of you, I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid—drawing characters from my imagination and creating stories around them. Through the years, I’ve come to learn and appreciate all of the ways that creativity manifests within the world. All of the different mediums out there to experiment with, all of the styles, subjects and ways in which individuals express themselves and what they love. Lately, I have been drawing quite often. And because it always feels more natural when you draw or paint what you know and love, I’ve gravitated toward birds. As an avid birder, it’s been such a joy. I’ve enclosed some photos of a tufted titmouse and a great horned owl that I drew a few months back. They pale in comparison to what we see in the rest of the pages of this magazine (and what you do as well), but I wanted to share my joy with you all!

 

As a happy coincidence, our special feature this month homes in on avian art with the expertise of wildlife artists Christopher Forrest and Michael Dumas. 

We’ve also made some updates to our demonstration articles, the bread and butter of International Artist. The aim here is to focus more closely on the technical and educational elements of the demos. (We want you to be able to truly create your own artwork utilizing the pages of this magazine). Updates include special sidebars devoted to various artistic techniques depending on the artist and the demo they are conducting, as well as a color swatches section where artists can include more information/imagery on the colors used in their paintings along with how they mixed those colors. Not every demonstration will necessarily include all of these elements, but we’re opening the door a little wider in terms of showcasing artists’ technical prowess.

I hope you enjoy learning from some truly excellent artists this issue, including portrait artist Jie Gao from China, marine painter Virginie Schroeder from France, and Irish artist Kayla Martell who paints interiors that feel like home. Also be sure to take a look at our Artist Groups & Societies Guide if you’re thinking about joining an art society this year.

Warmly,
Alyssa M. Tidwell
Editor
atidwell@internationalartist.com