American Artist

Visit the American Artist Community Site For New Editorial Content

As many visitors have already discovered, the American Artist online presence is currently transitioning to a new format. The new American Artist community site is already home to the American Artist forums, and fresh online editorial content is being shifted there as well. The content previously posted here can now be found in a collection of newly created blogs, brought to you by the editors of the American Artist family of publications.

Visit here for new content.

A Practical Approach to Creating & Marketing Oils and Pastels

When J.C. Airoldi left a successful career as a designer, she applied the same level of determination, practicality, hard work, and marketing skills that she used in her previous profession to creating and selling paintings.   

"American Artist" Magazine Cover Competition Winners

Hundreds of artists from around the country sent in submissions for American Artist’s 2008 Cover Competition, and the editors narrowed the selection down to the 10 they thought best captured the skill level and style of our publication. When those paintings were then considered for their strength as cover images, California artist Adrian Gottlieb’s The Auditor was chosen as the winning work.

View the winners of the Watercolor and Drawing magazine cover competitions.

Colleen Howe's 4 Steps to Building Stronger Paintings

Utah artist Colleen Howe is an accomplished pastelist and workshop instructor who is widely known for her sensitive and colorful landscapes of the West. Here she shares four helpful steps to achieving successful works of art.

View an online exclusive gallery of more work by Howe.

The Self in Contemporary Self-Portraits

Several established contemporary artists have approached the subject of self-portraiture in different ways, depicting who they are or who they wish to be at various times in their lives.

International Association of Pastel Societies Announces Award Winners

The International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) recently held their 11th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art, in Youngstown, Ohio, and award winners were selected by jurors Duane Wakeham and Urania Christy Tarbet.

Colleen Howe's Pastel Landscapes

View an online exclusive gallery of more work by July/August American Artist 2008 featured artist Colleen Howe.

Read the feature article on Howe.

Janet Monafo: Pastel Still Lifes and Figures

Janet Monafo once tossed objects onto her studio floor in an attempt to paint a more random arrangement with pastels. “I really wanted to accept whatever happened, but in the end I couldn’t resist my need to carefully organize the shapes and patterns,” she confesses. “I had to admit my inability to deny my natural tendencies and personal standards.”

Janet Monafo Chat Transcript

Read the transcript from yesterday's live online chat with pastel artist Janet Monafo.

Pastel Masters

Artists looking to work with pastel can learn valuable techniques and tips by studying artists who first explored the medium and discovered the possibilities the medium offers.