Montgomery Community Media

What is an Artist Master Class? An artist master class is a workshop on a specific topic or skill given by a renowned artist, in his or her field. After obtaining a degree or taking years of weekly classes, artists reach a point where they need to be set free.  They paint for a while, on […]

Today my five year-old got very upset that he had made a mistake coloring a picture of a car.  As a parent, you want to instill in your children that mistakes are ok, if not even great to make.  You might end up with something even better or follow a different path than you expected.   […]

Van Gogh only signed his first name.  Monet used his first and last name to complete a piece.  Picasso painted his last name.  And Lucian Freud sometimes just used his initials.  Just to throw my name amongst some of the greatest painters of all time – I use my initials, JKB.  Well, here is my secret – they […]

There are more viewpoints than that of just the artist.  There is the gallery salesperson, the curator, the viewer, and the collector, to name a few.  In order to expand my knowledge of how the art world works, Julie Farrell, the Art Program Specialist for the City of Rockville (and also an amazing curator) generously allowed […]

An art exhibition does not form out of thin air.   Typically, there are guidelines, processes, and YEARS of planning.  Yes, sometimes YEARS. Every art gallery has different procedures and timelines, so I am going to make sweeping generalizations in this post.  From the artists vantage point, there are 9 stages of an exhibition: Apply for an exhibition […]

What makes up an artists studio?  If you are a painter, do you just need an easel?  If you are a ceramist, do you need a kiln?  The answer is different for each artist and for each discipline. I can only answer for what is MY art studio. Confession:  My studio is small, has no […]

Inspiration to finished piece is a different journey for every artist. Some artists do lengthy studies, others create fully developed sketches, and some just begin with no plan and hope it works out.  I love the painting part, so the faster I can get to that, the more fun I have! I mainly paint from photos.  So, […]

Noticed posters around town promoting local art shows and exhibitions?  Have you wondered what these are all about? Art shows are a great way for art to meet an audience and the public to take in local art.  Art shows typically take place in a community venue, a gallery, or even outside festival.  A specific organization, […]

Do I wait until inspiration strikes?  No way!  Instead, I go food shopping. Every artist has his/her trigger, the item that gets the creative juices flowing.  I suppose I am lucky that I don’t have to hike to the summit of a mountain or cross the desert to find inspiration.  I just need to take […]

My path to becoming an artist is a long and convoluted one.  Since 7 years old I knew I wanted to be an artist.  Early on, in a painting class at the Jewish Community Center in Newton, MA, I found my love of paint and color.  Over the next 10 years I continually enrolled in painting classes […]