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Pianos And Organs In Art And Illustration
Pianos in art tend to feature women (rather than men). Piano art also quite frequently features cats. In the public imagination, cats and women are linked. Where there is a man, he’s statistically more likely to be gazing at the woman playing piano than actually playing himself.
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Views Of Rivers From The Middle Of The Rivers
Where do artists stand when they do these paintings? (On a bridge, perhaps, or waist-deep in water.)
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Climbing Trees in Art and Illustration
Did you climb trees as a kid? I went to the park at the end of the street with my best friend. My friend used a tip from her grandmother: Tree climbing must be done barefoot.
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How To Write Like John Cheever
American writer John Cheever is sometimes described as Chekov of the Suburbs. If you’ve not encountered Cheever before, perhaps start with his most famous story: “The Swimmer”.
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Lanterns and Street Lighting in Art
For examples of indoor lighting in art and illustration see A History of Home Lighting. Below is a collection of art featuring outdoor lighting and hand-held lanterns.
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The Year Of The Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston and Barbara Cooney
“The Year Of The Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story” (1988) is a picture book written by Dr Gloria Houston, illustrated by Barbara Cooney (1917-2000). You’ll soon realise this picture book is longer than almost all contemporary picture books, which are overwhelmingly pitched at pre-schooler length. This one is an excellent example of a ‘picture […]
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Ships In Dry Dock and Harbour In Art And Illustration
Below is a collection of ships… but these ones aren’t at sea. They’re on the dock getting built, or fixed. They’re anchored in a harbour, or about to be. This emphasises their size.
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Using Artificial Intelligence To Make Art: Wombo and Deep Dream Generator
Artificial intelligence will eventually replace us all… maybe. But not yet. However, AI software can help produce some pretty amazing artworks already.
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The Blue Devils of Blue River Avenue by Poe Ballantine
“The Blue Devils of Blue River Avenue by Poe Ballantine is included in The Best American Short Stories 1998. It kick started the author’s career, leading to a book contract. (Poe Ballantine is a great penname, don’t you think?) Australia’s Richard Fidler interviewed Poe in 2014 when he was here in Australia for the Byron […]
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Bathroom As Horror: Here There Be Tygers by Stephen King
Toilets are inherently scary. This holds true across cultures, even though different cultures (and even genders) experience public toilets differently. Below I take a look at a short horror story by Stephen King with a few examples of toilet horror by other authors, in which the public bathroom is utilised for storytelling purposes as a […]
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Miracle Polish by Steven Millhauser Short Story Analysis
“Miracle Polish” is a (possibly) fabulist short story by American author Steven Millhauser, published in the print edition of the November 14, 2011 issue of The New Yorker. More recently, Stuart Dybek joined Deborah Treisman on The New Yorker podcast to read and discuss this story. This short story is a great example of: We […]
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Balloons and Bubbles in Art and Illustration
These illustrations show how important balloons are to childhood. Next, bubbles — a variation on the balloon.
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Hunting Dogs In Art and Illustration
These hunting dogs are mostly from 20th century magazines and show the vital role dogs have played in tracking and catching game.
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Illustrations Of The Forest At Night
Some of my favourite paintings and illustrations of the forest at night.
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Table Scenes in Illustration and Composition
Table scenes are notoriously difficult to film in TV and movies. Live action presents its own challenges, but static images of characters around tables aren’t exactly easy, either.