Thomas Schaller demonstrates how to move beyond what the eye actually sees to present a unique vision.It’s my belief that an artist’s job is to interpret what he or she sees, not just to imitate it. Also, an artist should try to express what is felt about the subject, not just what is seen. There are different forms of reality.

Ali Cavanaugh is an artistic sensation, pushing watercolor forward with her highly recognizable style. Her portraits and painted figures resonate with thousands of followers and fans. All of us eagerly await what she will do next. Until then, enjoy this exclusive QA with the artist, as we touch on everything from her unconventional career steps and the tools she loves.

“If the insomnia of a musician allows him to create beautiful pieces, it is a beautiful insomnia.”– Antoine de Saint-ExupéryCommon experience informs most of us that sleep is essential for insightful and creative thinking during waking hours. A study conducted at the University of California – San Diego, illustrates that the four or five periods of REM sleep we experience at night (which typically total about 90 to 120 minutes), enhance our creative processing more than any other sleep or wake state.

Neuroscientist Greg Dunn found a way to mix his profession with passion in an incredibly brilliant way, giving a whole new meaning to “arts and sciences.”In his artwork titled “Self Reflected,” an 8 by 11-foot gilded engraving of the human brain, Dunn mapped illustrations of neurons and axons via “algorithmically guided microetchings,” according to an article by Scientific American.

Kari Tirrell revitalizes the still life genre in her colorful paintings that feature nontraditional subject matter.When Kari Tirrell was growing up in the ‘70s, there wasn’t much “good TV,” so drawing was her entertainment. It is a truly unique take on still life composition.Jumble PaintingsTirrell’s first attempt at these chock-a-block “jumble paintings,” as she calls them, was inspired by a box of Christmas ornaments.

Draw, Paint, Create, and ShareCountdown to a sketch-centric November in sunny Southern California for the first ever SketchKon event. SketchKon is the brainchild of Network and Sketchbook Skool, who’ve paired up to deliver the live, interactive—and fun—sketching event we thought the world needed.