Plein-air painting in the nude

OK, by popular request, here's the story of James Perry Wilson painting in the nude:

"Wilson was irrepressible. There are several accounts of his penchant for nudity. This was not a lewd or sexual activity for Wilson, he grew up in the 'Fresh Air' generation where getting outdoors and sunbathing was associated with health. He may have been encouraged by his mother to get outdoors and soak up sunshine given the amount of life-threatening and mortal sickness experienced directly in his family. His interpretation of how to soak up sunshine may not have been the same as his mother's, but the pairing of plein air painting and healthful sunbathing was probably shared and encouraged."

James Perry Wilson painting in Yellowstone, courtesy AMNH and Michael Anderson

"Fred Scherer recounts that they were painting together in a secluded area when he looked over and found Wilson to be totally naked. At some point later that day, Fred noticed two women on horseback coming up over the hill. He whistled to alert Wilson, who reached down, whipped his pants up, and continued painting as if nothing had happened."

James Perry Wilson "The Restless Sea," 1933, 24X30, o/c

The quote comes from Michael Anderson's extraordinary online biography of Wilson, called "Painting Actuality: Chapter 2. See also Chapter 4 with more examples of Wilson's plein-air work."

Jeffrey Kahane, pianist and conductor

Pianist Jeffrey Kahane led the Bard College Conservatory Orchestra in Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto yesterday.


I sat in the second row with my watercolor pencils at the ready. Because I was so close to the stage, there were no other audience members around me, and there was enough spillover stage light to see my sketchbook.

I sharpened up three water-soluble colored pencils: ochre, brown (really red-brown), and black, and also had the black and clear water brushes ready. The decision what to hold in your off-hand is crucial, because you can't fish around once the music starts.

Jeffrey Kahane, pianist and conductor

Mr. Kahane was in constant motion, acting both as soloist and conductor, directing the orchestra from the keyboard.

I watched him without drawing for the first five minutes to look for characteristic poses. In keeping with Beethoven, his poses went from fiery to lyrical to explosive to vulnerable. The most typical pose was with the head thrown back and the left hand up.

Once I decided on that pose, I had to commit to it entirely, even though I would only see it again in glimpses.


I don't usually touch up sketches at home, but I was dying to use a few dabs of white gouache to define the front planes of his face, plus a few white scratches with a knife to suggest the hair over the collar. This detail is the size of a postage stamp or an SD card.

Media: Caran D'Ache watercolor pencils, Moleskine Watercolor Notebook, Niji water brush filled with fountain pen ink. Lettering with Waterman fountain pen.

More about the performance last night and the Bard Conservatory.
Wikipedia on Jeffrey Kahane. Watch him play a little Mozart in this video clip.

Mel Birnkrant's Cartoon Toy Collection

One of the world's greatest toy collections is now viewable as a free downloadable ebook as well as a rich and deep website that will pull you in for hours.


Mel Birnkrant has spent a lifetime collecting cartoon character toys, starting with a Mickey Mouse that he discovered in a Paris flea market.

Mel Birnkrant's Betty Boops

Before there was eBay, he was hounding flea markets and antique auctions, gathering prime examples of Betty Boop, Yellow Kid, Mutt and Jeff, Gasoline Alley, Foxy Grandpa, Krazy Kat, Andy Gump, and other character collectibles.


His collection also includes Victorian paper theaters, marionettes, and vintage board games.

Mel Birnkrant's geometric celluloid toys

Each of the pages is curated by Mel himself. Drawing on his knowledge and experience as an inventor, artist, and collector, he tells the backstory of many of the toys.

What makes the website really compelling is that he brings an artist's eye to the presentation. He assembles the figures into groupings, beautifully lit and photographed, as if they're gathered to look out from their world into ours. Some of the toys with action elements are presented on the website with slide-show animations.

Mel Birnkrant's Little Nemo toys

Most of the groupings are based on newspaper comics or early film animation from the golden age of cartoons, about 1900-1940.

Mel Birnkrant's Bonzo

If you are a character designer, animator, art toy maker, or comic artist, you owe it to yourself to check out the website or download the "Mouse Heaven" eBook. The eBook was a collaboration between Mel and Massive Fantastic author Eric Millen. Thanks to both of them for sharing this amazing virtual art museum with the world.
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Mouse Heaven The Mel Birnkrant collection website

Archive.org free downloadable book of the collection (in 4 volumes): Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, and Volume 4

Archival footage of diorama painting

The American Museum of Natural History shared this short video featuring archival footage of James Perry Wilson's working method. Wilson painted many of the finest diorama backdrop paintings for the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The video refers to a unique grid system that Wilson used for projecting a scene onto a curving backdrop, so that the forms don't get stretched out. Wilson called the grid "the unsquare square." Based on his background as an architectural illustrator, he was meticulous about planning, and did a complete full-size charcoal drawing on the back wall before painting in oil. You can see him covering up the drawing as he applies the paint. (Direct link to video)

Wilson was also unusual for plein-air painting completely in the nude, but that's another story.

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More about the diorama art in Stephen Quinn's book: Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History
Thanks, Jason Peck

Previous posts on James Perry Wilson

The fate of artist colonies

Edward Simmons, "Gathering Wood, Concarneau" - 1883

After visiting the Newlyn colony of painters in Cornwall, American artist Edward Simmons described the usual fate of artist colonies:

"The artist finds a place that is beautiful, undiscovered, and suits his pocketbook. He goes there for two years. The third year other artists follow him; the fourth year come the retired British admirals and "vamps"; the fifth year the artist leaves; the sixth come the wealthy people who spend a lot of money on it, making it as ugly and dear as possible, but soon tire and go away. Then the artist comes back again and begins all over, picking the bones of what the Money Bags had killed."

From Edward Simmons: From Seven to Seventy; Memories of a Painter and a Yankee.

Fluid dynamics effects reel

Artists in the digital realm continue to create fresh visual wonders. Here's a fluid effects reel by Jesse Pitela that shows off some amazing splash and flow dynamics.

I'm not sure exactly how this stuff works, but I'm guessing it involves some sophisticated simulations involving momentum, air resistance, surface tension, and gravitation. Plus a wonderful artistic sense of timing, lighting, and composition. (Link to video) Thanks, CG Bros.