artist quotes

Bridget Riley art, stuart bush, art exhibitions london,

Bridget Riley Art Review

Swimming through a diamond – Bridget Riley Art Exhibition London review   Almost anyone who loves art would be interested to know what the first experience of discovery is like. The moment when a painter notices that ‘something’, and has the opportunity to capture it all.  Leading to the dream of a fantastic career as an artist, with an absolute breath-taking body of work, accumulating in a career beyond belief that makes you go goggle-eyed.   I imagine Bridget Riley in 1960, aged 29 years old walking by a lake. Her arms are heavy, after a frustrating session in the studio. She is young, gifted and hopefully going places.  Her… Read More »Bridget Riley Art Review

Stuart Bush Studio Notes, artist Eric Fischl,

‘Bad Boy’ by Eric Fischl – book review

‘Bad Boy’ by artist Eric Fischl – book review I imagine when artist Eric Fischl wrote ‘Bad Boy,’ about his journey as an artist, it must at times been excruciating to write.  Fischl along with his co-author Michael Stone goes deep with stories about the uncertainty of life as an artist.   He includes narratives of middle-class white America, from his messy dysfunctional family to his roller-coaster career.  However, the highlight for me is the journey Eric Fischl took to realise the type of artist he wanted to be.   Eric Fischl talks a lot about his time at art school at CalArts, California Institute of the Arts under the… Read More »‘Bad Boy’ by Eric Fischl – book review

Stuart Bush Studio Blog, pretending to be an artist, I can't trust myself

Pretending to be a painter

Pretending to be a painter When I hear a negative voice in my head saying, “I am in over my head, they are going to find out,” this little voice reminds me I am not good enough.  It seeks to devalue myself worth causing me to underestimate myself.  Then I come to the conclusion that l must be mad about choosing to be an artist. I realise that l have volunteered myself for all this self-doubt.   I feel like l am pretending to be a painter.   If l am not careful the voice gets out of control and my self-confidence is eroded. It is hard to break the psychological… Read More »Pretending to be a painter

Stuart Bush Studio Notes, contemporary artist blog, Chuck Close, chuck close process, Process painting

Chuck Close’s process

What I learnt about process from Chuck Close To someone who loves art, walking into a gallery and seeing stimulating art is inspiring and uplifting. However, at times, it can be intimidating when you’re trying to emulate success for yourself. When Chuck Close started his career, like a lot of artists he was affected by the best art of the time. De Kooning became a massive influence on Close’s earlier work. De Kooning stirred Close into practising his style and technique.   It all started so well. After several years, Close had De Kooning’s style and technique down to a tee. However, Close struggled when he realised that when people… Read More »Chuck Close’s process

Stuart Bush Studio Blog, Henry Moore, Appreciation of form

Henry Moore’s appreciation of form

Henry Moore’s appreciation of form In my previous blog post, I mentioned Michael Craig-Martin’s interest as a child in the shape and form of American cars. From a very young age, Michael Craig-Martin had the ability to identify every make and model of an American car. I found this profound because as a child I also had this ability, but with British cars in the 80s and 90s.  This foundational understanding and appreciation of form is clearly something that many artists unconsciously encounter from a young age. This week l stumbled on a black and white BBC documentary about Henry Moore (1898 – 1986) and my appreciation of form was enhanced.… Read More »Henry Moore’s appreciation of form

Stuart Bush Studio Blog, Michael Craig Martin Sculpture

Michael Craig-Martin: Sculpture

Michael Craig-Martin: Sculpture review It is hard to understand the incongruities between a successful artist and the work of mere mortals like the rest of us. I want to put into words how can a simple drawing of an object can be turned into a world-class sculptural form. Michael Craig-Martin, the once significant tutor of the YBAs at Goldsmith between 1974-1998, is now showing his latest sculpture at the Gagosian Gallery on Britannia Street in London. Is it the snap at the moment of impact when seeing his work, where he is best in the game? Is it the skill of his placement that no one else comes close to?… Read More »Michael Craig-Martin: Sculpture

What I learnt from Philip Guston, Stuart Bush Studio Blog

What I learnt from Philip Guston

What I learnt from Philip Guston, Stuart Bush: Studio Notes It is well known that during Philip Guston’s career and throughout his life’s work, he toyed with two opposing forms of art. There was the figurative cartoon style of his earlier work in the 1930s and abstract expressionism in the 1950s. Philip Guston’s career highlights what he believed to be the central concern in the career of an artist. No matter what anyone else says or does, Guston believed that “A painters first duty is to be free.” Free to make their own choice, that is said, “unless you’re the kind of an artist that gnaws on one bone all… Read More »What I learnt from Philip Guston

Stuart Bush Studio Blog, Elizabeth Peyton review, A love story between a painter and the subject

Elizabeth Peyton review

A love story between a painter and the subject It is perhaps not surprising that the first thing I am drawn to as I enter Elizabeth Peyton’s new show at Sadie Coles in London is the few abbreviated spontaneous strokes.  The marks capture feelings sending the paintings beyond just physical aspects in her lush romantic paintings.  Over the years the configurations, I have noticed Peyton’s paintings have become more and more involved. However, the subject matter is still the same.  Peyton’s use of light, colour and poignancy has compounded.  The watercolour brushwork is pure and clean like freshly fallen snow.  Through her use of bristles of her brush, Peyton has… Read More »Elizabeth Peyton review

Leonardo Da Vinci Vitruvian Man

Leonardo Da Vinci book review

Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson book review If you have ever wondered about the life and mind of a voracious creative genius, then this is undoubtedly a satisfying read.  Leonardo Da Vinci left 7200 pages of notebooks after his death, filled with anatomical and scientific drawings, detailed designs for new machines and weapons, military strategies, maps, sketches, and observations, as well as 15 paintings.  He was interested in art, engineering, biology, medicine and geology amongst many other subjects.  Walter Isaacson’s book is an interpretation and analysis of those notebooks and paintings.  The six hundreds pages of the book, ‘Leonardo Da Vinci’ by Walter Isaacson it is an immensely impressive undertaking.   Author… Read More »Leonardo Da Vinci book review

Stuart Bush Studio Blog, Adrian Ghenie, Nickelodeon, Adrian Ghenie: The fuel of failure

Adrian Ghenie: The fuel of failure

Adrian Ghenie: The fuel of failure It’s no wonder many people see failure as the most painful moment in their lives, school wrongly teaches us we need to do everything we can to avoid failure.  However, Adrian Ghenie makes it a central power source. Having to face humiliation and shame by returning to home to Cluj, Romania, after trying to start a new life in Vienna drove his artistic ambitions.  Returning to live back at his parents home at age 27 in 2005 he had no future to look forward to. However, Ghenie used his difficult set-back as fuel rather than limitation.   The fuel of failure is a common element… Read More »Adrian Ghenie: The fuel of failure