The Digital Easel - Issue #1

Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Digital Easel! I want to personally thank you for joining me on this journey. I’ve got some awesome art and art history to share as you read but allow me to take a short detour to introduce myself first….

Who am I?

I was a long time “closeted artist” before discovering AI in mid-2021. All my life I’ve wanted to create beautiful things, but became discouraged as a child when I couldn’t draw to the skill level I was aspiring to. So I buried that side of my brain and focused on other hobbies as I got older. I’m sure many of you can relate.

That all changed when a friend started talking about these “Tezzardz” he had collected on Objkt.com. I discovered VQGAN shortly after joining and collecting my first few pieces of art. For the new kids on the block who think first of “Midjourney” or “Stable Diffusion” when AI art is mentioned, VQGAN was one of the first AI models that created art using a text prompt. Compared to the latest and greatest, it was downright primitive.

I was completely hooked after generating my first image. From there I joined Discord groups (RIP VQLIPSE), tried every Colab notebook I could get my hands on (360 Diffusion, JAX, Disco Diffusion, Pytti, etc), applied for and joined the alpha tests for Midjourney and SimulacraBot which became Stable Diffusion.

That brings us to the present. Through my journey I’ve met hundreds of incredibly talented artists, collectors and curators; made real friendships and have had doors open to opportunities that I never dreamed of.

Outside of one art history class I was required to take in college on my way to a dry degree in management, I don’t have a formal education in art. But using AI as an artist’s tool has awoken a desire to learn and appreciate the masters who came before us. It inspires us as we look upon the dried paint that reveals their soul and leaves us wondering what their intention was.

So what is The Digital Easel?

A common statement I hear from AI artists is “I’ve never learned so much about traditional art since finding these tools”. As someone who loves to learn, I wanted to share the fruits of that knowledge with others and dig deep into these famous (and not so famous) artists; who they were, what their inspirations were and why they’re important to us today.

The goals for this newsletter are:

• Shining a light on masters of the past

• Highlighting great art in the present

• Bringing you interviews with artists to connect with them on a level you won’t get on X

• Other cool ideas I can’t wait to dive into

Now that you know more about me, let’s get back to the art!

Artist Spotlight - Johannes Itten

Career

Johannes Itten was a Swiss expressionist painter, designer, teacher, writer, and theorist, born on November 11, 1888, in Südern-Linden, Switzerland. He is perhaps best known for his work as an educator at the Bauhaus, the influential German art school where he taught from 1919 to 1923.

Johannes Itten's career began as an elementary school teacher, after which he pursued art at the École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva. Later, he studied at the Stuttgart Academy of Art, where he was exposed to the works of Adolf Hölzel, who greatly influenced his thoughts on color theory and abstraction. He was a key figure at the Bauhaus, developing the school's preliminary Vorkurs, a foundation course that helped students understand the basic principles, materials, and techniques of design and color.

Contributions to the Art World

Itten is most famous for his work on color theory, introducing concepts such as the "color wheel" and "seven color contrasts," which have become standard tools in art and design education. His book "The Art of Color" is considered a seminal work on the subject. He also developed a series of exercises to help students understand the interaction of color and form.

Style

Itten’s style evolved over time, embracing aspects of expressionism and abstract art. He experimented with form and composition, utilizing geometric shapes and intense colors to create works that were both emotive and structured.

Influences and Lessons

Itten was influenced by his mentor, Adolf Hölzel, and by the spiritual philosophies of Mazdaznan, which included a focus on meditation and the expressive power of color. Eastern philosophy and mysticism also played a role in his approach to color and design.

Itten taught that colors convey feelings and can be used to evoke specific emotional responses. His integration of spirituality, philosophy, and science into his art practice is a testament to the value of a holistic approach to art-making, where cross-disciplinary influences are embraced.

Through his seven color contrasts, Itten showed how juxtaposing colors can create dynamic and engaging visual experiences, a principle that can be applied across various visual disciplines. Itten's work embodies the idea that an artist's personal beliefs and philosophies can significantly shape their work, suggesting that authenticity and personal vision are as important as technical skill.

Style Representation

Collectors Corner

Ransom Wells - (A)IRL(I)

This long-form collection pulls together traditional art and AI with stunning results. Detailed photos were taken of abstract acrylic and gold leaf paintings, which were used as initial images to create gorgeous patterns and colorful landscapes. The piece pictured above is an artist proof, airdropped to the first 22 collectors (luckily, I was one of those 22).

The collection is still minting and you have to check it out.

Artist Highlight

Picking the first artist interview for the debut issue of The Digital Easel was an easy choice. It’s someone I chat with on an almost daily basis, makes up a sizeable chunk of my 500 piece collection on Tezos with 69 pieces, and consistently inspires me with his singular focus on creating art his way. No trends, no compromising on quality; just making a living off his craft and connecting daily with the art community.

Hailing from the great country of Spain, I present Arkhan.

Arkhan, can you share a pivotal moment in your life that profoundly influenced your artistic journey and the themes you explore in your work?

Yes, I remember it perfectly even though I was 5 years old. I wouldn't say it was a moment that influenced my style, but it was when I discovered art.

One day, we went to visit a family friend, an abstract painter. She had a studio, and on one of the walls, she spread out a large sheet and let me paint on it with her paints. Although I had no idea what I was doing, the feeling was liberating. I felt like I was creating something. It's an indelible memory of how my love for art began.

How do you navigate the relationship between personal vulnerability and public exposure in your art? Is there a piece of yours that felt particularly exposing to create or share?

To be honest, I have no issue with it.

The type of art I create is very symbolic, cryptic, and delves into the realm of the existential. So, in reality, I expose myself much more than it might seem... but because of my style, I'm not directly laying bare my feelings in a straightforward and raw manner.

I couldn't name a piece where I particularly expose myself; I expose myself in all the ones I've created that carry an existential message. If I have to choose, I think the pieces in my Mindscapes collection are the most personal.

Anyway, I don't mind exposing myself. The only people who can truly hurt us are ourselves.

In what ways do your artistic practices and processes serve as a dialogue with your own identity, culture, or the larger issues of the world today?

I'm not sure if my creative process reflects these things, but the message behind my pieces is very much connected to all of this. Not in an explicit way.

I have a very holistic view of existence, so although I don't usually explicitly delve into personal or worldly issues, I believe that we are all human beyond identities and other more circumstantial considerations. We all love, suffer, enjoy... that's our identity, what makes us all human.

So, many times I'm talking about everyday things and events in the world, from the existential perspective that they are things that happen as a consequence of our own humanity. We should learn more about ourselves and focus on what makes us similar, rather than what makes us different.

Art often requires a balance between discipline and spontaneity. Can you discuss a time when a spontaneous change of direction in your work led to a breakthrough or a significant change in your approach?

The truth is that my creative process is very deliberate; there's not much room for spontaneity.

Ideas do come to me spontaneously, but once I have an idea I like, there usually aren't many changes in direction. In fact, in most of my works, the themes are recurring.

In terms of style, there have been changes in direction because I love to experiment and discover things I like or other ways to better express what I want.

If you could have a conversation with one artist, past or present, who has significantly inspired you, who would it be and what would you ask them about their own creative practice?

Zdzisław Beksiński, without a doubt. It would be very interesting to know his creative process, but what I would really like to understand is his pain. I would like to hear about his life and experiences, from himself.

His pain is the heart of his art.

Are there any pieces or collections that you want to direct readers to check out?

Yes, my HUG profile is the best place to view my latest work and while you are there why not give me a follow to stay updated!

Final Thoughts

Well, that’s a wrap for the first week! I hope you enjoyed the time you spent reading this newsletter, and if you did would you do me a favor?

At the top of this newsletter are social sharing icons. Just hit your favorite one and share so we can grow the audience together. And if you’re not following me on X yet, I’d love to follow you back.

On that note, I’ll leave you a quote that I love.

Enjoy your weekend, friend!

P.S. If you have feedback I’d love to hear it! A reply to this email goes directly to me.