Cool stuff

Paul Cézanne, the famed Post-Impressionist who painted a range of subjects in natural and domestic spaces, may now rank among the most celebrated artists of the 19th-century, but he didn’t always have that reputation. In fact, he was relatively obscure in the French art world until the later years of his career. Today, however, Cézanne’s masterful still lifes, landscapes, and portraits are recognized for their ineffable alchemy, which the artist often achieved through the use of skewed perspectives that alienated some critics during his lifetime. Below is a guide to the artist’s life and career, from his time under the tutelage of Pissarro to a look at some of his most notable series.

Art has been around since the dawn of time, but it's undergone many changes. Different?art movements?have emerged over millennia, and with them they brought inspirational artists we celebrate years later. A fairly recent style was?Dadaism. Dada was a 20th-century?avant-garde?art movement (often referred to as an “anti-art” movement) born out of the tumultuous societal landscape and turmoil of WWI. It began as a vehement reaction and revolt against the horrors of war and the hypocrisy and follies of bourgeois society that had led to it. In a subversion of all aspects of Western civilization (including its art), the ideals of Dada rejected all logic, reason, rationality, and order—all considered pillars of an evolved and advanced society since the days of the Enlightenment.

There’s something special about still life art. It’s particularly contemplative — even the phrase?still life?feels meditative. Let’s talk a little about what makes still life art so special, before diving into a handful of resources for making your own.

There are many things that fascinate in an?Angus McEwan?painting. There is the light, which varies according to the part of the world in which he finds himself. There’s the texture — the depth of which is rare in watercolor. There’s the composition, which always takes you on a journey. And then there’s the minute attention to detail. To each aspect there’s a story attached. Before we dive into McEwan’s process and how to add texture to watercolor, a bit about the artist himself.