New Still Life Paintings by Lori McNee: “Illusionary Realism” at Kneeland Gallery

    Each winter I am honored with the opportunity to showcase my newest works with an emphasis on still life painting at Kneeland Gallery in Sun Valley, Idaho. I have been working all winter preparing for the gallery reception and exhibition which starts this Friday night, March 5th and runs through April 15th, 2010. I thought my readers might enjoy seeing what I do when I am not blogging or ‘twittering’…and yes, I really do paint and do my best to practice what I preach!... 

How to Photograph Your Artwork the Easy Way! Part 2

  Now you have a better understanding of the camera, equipment and lighting from Part 1 - so what’s next? It is time to experiment with taking your own photographs. The steps below will help you achieve great results. The quality has been good enough for gallery opening invitations, magazine articles, advertisements, museum catalogs and my website and blog. Now the only time I hire a ‘pro’ is when I need a high resolution reproductions such as giclee, posters or books. With... 

How to Photograph Your Artwork the Easy Way! Part 1

Not all artists are natural-born photographers. In fact, photography can seem really technical and overwhelming for many of us. Nevertheless, every serious artist should be documenting his or her artwork. Getting good photos of your paintings can mean the difference of selling or not selling your art or finding the right gallery! In this two part series, I will share my simple tips on to ’how to photograph your artwork the easy way’… In the past, I paid thousands of dollars... 

Fine Art Tips – A Year in the Making, Thank You!

Lori takes a moment to thank you in this 1 minute video as Fine Art Tips celebrates its first anniversary! SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Fine Art Tips – A Year in the Making, Thank You!", url: "http://www.finearttips.com/2010/02/fine-art-tips-a-year-in-the-making-thank-you/" }); Read More →

The Importance of Being an Artist in Today’s Modern World

  This weekend, I will be flying with my oldest son up to Vancouver, BC where he will be attending an exclusive school for 3D animation and computer modeling. Bret is a talented artist with a degree in Fine Arts and Graphic Design. But like many young artists, Bret has a passion for Fine Art as well as technology. This got me thinking about the subject of the possible irrelevance of Art in this computer driven day and age. On a number of occasions, I have heard people speak of this…are we... 

“High Moon” – What a Night for Van Gogh!

  Tonight was the first full moon of 2010 which was the biggest and brightest full moons of the year, some are calling it a ‘’supermoon.” The spectacular moon is closer in orbit than usual at this time of year. So much so, that it is 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than normal. After reading this information from the Huffington Post late tonight, I decided not to miss out – even though it was already one-in-the-morning and only 20 degrees outside (balmy for this... 

My Featured Painting #6 – “Old Acoma Canteen & Wren”

  ~Old Acoma Canteen & Wren~ by Lori McNee   Old Acoma Canteen & Wren 24×12 oil/board $2200 SOLD This still life painting is one of my all time favorites, so I decided to share it with you. The old Indian canteen is one of my prized still life vessels that I own. Believe it or not, I bought it off of eBay! I found myself in a huge bidding war over this piece, but the late 1800’s antique canteen has been worth the big purchase price. I was inspired by the warm patina on the... 

A Painting Elephant – If He Can Do It, So Can You!

  With nearly 5 million views, there is a good chance that many of you have seen this amazing video of an Asian Elephant artist!  I can’t tell you how many times people have shared their desire to paint with me. I like to fondly call these wanna-be artists, “Armchair-Artists” who sit around reading about and looking at art. I do my best to encourage them out of the chair and into the studio.  But, I am often met with comments like: “I have no talent.” “My... 

My Featured Painting #5 – “Approaching Shadows”

  ~Approaching Shadows~ by Lori McNee Approaching Shadows 9×12 oil/board Sold Lately, I have been featuring my still life paintings on this blog to the point of neglecting my landscapes! And yes, I am a landscape painter as well… It is enjoyable for me to have the balance of painting both still life and landscape. I tend to paint more still life during the winter months and naturally, when the weather warms, I venture out into the field for some plein air painting and studio landscape... 

Why & How to Turn Your Window into Instant North Light!

  For centuries, artists have understood the benefits of painting with north light which has helped produce some of the greatest paintings in history. We have all heard that north facing windows are optimum for an artist’s studio, but why? North Light: North light, commonly known as reflected light or indirect light, produces cool and controlled value shifts. With a north light window the artist does not have to dread the effects of sun moving through the studio at different angles during the... 

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