Artists' Blogs

Ghost Productions: Varicose Vein Treatment Animation for Cardiovascular Institute of the South

By |July 8th, 2015|Featured Work|

Ghost Productions, Inc. recently created a beautifully rendered 30 second animated commercial spot highlighting [...]

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Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany

By |June 3rd, 2015|Syndicated Content|

In the summer of 1909, in the beautiful Bavarian town of Murnau, nestled in the Alps, the 20th century art movement, The Blue Rider (The Blaue Reiter) had its genesis. That was the summer that artists Gabriele Munter (1877-1962) and Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) found a charming house on the hill overlooking Murnau, with stunning views of the Alps. The colorful village houses, intense light, local folk art, along with images of St. George slaying the dragon, would inspire the ground breaking works of the artists of the Blue Rider movement. Kandinsky, Munter, Franz Marc, August Mackeand Alexi von Jawlensky, painted together in this picturesque town, and influenced each other’s work.

Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany
                         Munter House in Murnau. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer

Kandinsky, Munter and their friends gathered at the “Russian House”, as the locals called it, to paint en plein air.  Influenced by local folk art  (paintings on small glass panels, with a bright palette and heavy dark lines) their work became more expressive, with an abstract quality.  After disassociating themselves from the Neue Künstlervereinigung München  art movement,  Kandinsky and Marc decided to start their own group, and write an almanac of their artistic philosophy.  Kandinsky took inspiration in his favorite images of St. George slaying the dragon, while Marc drew from his love of painting animals, combined the Blue Rider was born.  The first almanac featured a cover image of an abstracted horse and rider.



Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany
                    The Blue Rider Almanac cover by Wassily Kandinsky, 1911

The Blue Rider movement lasted from 1911-1914, and its artists shared a similar approach and sensibility to painting.  Their use of expressive, symbolic color, dramatic brushwork, and spiritual themes dominated their paintings.



Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany
                                      Yellow Cow by Franz Marc, 1911

Kandinksy and Munter lived in the “Russian House” from 1909-1914, when the onset of WWI forced Kandinsky and von Jawlensky to return to their native land of Russia.  Tragically, both Franz Marc and Auguste Macke were killed in battle.



Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany
                           Village Street in Murnau by Wassily Kandinsky, 1908

Gabrielle Munter lived in this beautiful house in Murnau until her death in 1962.



Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany
Staircase in Munter House painted  by Wassily Kandinsky, 1901. Photo  by Marie Dauenheimer


The Munter House is now a museum open to the public. I had the pleasure of visiting this historic home while recently traveling through Upper Bavaria. While none of Kandinsky’s paintings are on view, there are some of Munter’s works, along with hand painted furniture made by the couple, and local folk art, which inspired the Blue Rider artists. The presence of Kandinsky and Munter is felt in this house, their palettes are displayed side by side near a window overlooking one of the beautiful views that inspired them.



Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany
 Wassily Kandinsky and Gabrielle Munter's palettes, Munter House, photo by Marie Dauenheimer

An hour away in Munich the largest collection of Kandinsky’s work can be viewed at the Lenbachaus Museum.  In 1962 Gabriele Munter donated a vast collection of over

1,000 paintings, drawings and prints, all created by the Blue Rider artists.



Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany
                 View of Murnau from the Munter House. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer

For more information on the Munter House I recommend the book The Munter House in Murnau by Matthias Muhling and Isabelle Jansen.  There is also a wonderful chapter about the Munter House in the book Artists’ Houses by Gerard-Georges Lemaire.  


Visiting the Gabriele Munter House in Murnau, Germany

                                                 Dandelions by Gabrielle Munter

For more information on visiting the Munter House visit their website:

http://www.muenter-stiftung.de/en/the-munter-house/





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Bryan Christie Design: Illustrations Featured in “Understanding The World: The Atlas of Infographics”

By |May 28th, 2015|Featured Work, Syndicated Content|

Six pieces created by Bryan Christie Design can now be seen in the [...]

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Dual Antiplatelet Therapy

By |May 7th, 2015|Syndicated Content|

Journal cover image about duration of dual antiplatelet therapy following angioplasty. Antiplatelet medicines work to keep platelets from sticking together and forming blood clots. There have been many recent studies debating whether shorter or longer courses of dual antiplatelet therapy are better for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. 

The post Dual Antiplatelet Therapy appeared first on Clark Medical Illustration.

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Logo Redesign Part 3

By |April 23rd, 2015|Syndicated Content|

I've had some very good logo discussions already, and now I'd like to share some basic information about my business which could be represented in my logo, or elsewhere. Mission statement (written about 5 years ago) - We provide expert, high-...

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Logo Redesign Part 2

By |April 22nd, 2015|Syndicated Content|

Here are some brainstorming doodles I've done. "No idea is a bad idea" at this stage. It could also be a name-only logo with no "mark" or picture associated with it. As you can see, I like brains, kidneys, cells, DNA (although I just spotted a left-han...

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Logo Redesign

By |April 21st, 2015|Syndicated Content|

I'm in the process of updating my website. Along the way, I've questioned some branding elements, and of course, the logo has come up. Clint suggested a redesign and I'm not sure, but I think I am leaning towards a new one.I'd like to share t...

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Hello, Readers!

By |April 21st, 2015|Syndicated Content|

Hi everyone. Ok, so it's been a while. I've been here, just not posting. And by here, I mean, all over the country again. If you follow me on facebook, you are probably in the know, but here are some updates:We have had a child. He just turned two and ...

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

By |March 31st, 2015|Syndicated Content|

This illustration was created for a May 2015 AFP article reviewing the diagnosis and management of GAD and PD in the primary care setting. While GAD and PD can develop among children and adolescents, diagnosis and care for these younger populations requires special considerations beyond the scope of this review. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and […]

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Wound Care

By |March 27th, 2015|Syndicated Content|

This illustration was created for the January 15, 2015 feature article for American Family Physisician about Wound Care. This article reviews common questions associated with wound healing and outpatient management of minor wounds: BROOKE WORSTER, MD; MICHELE Q. ZAWORA, MD; and CHRISTINE HSIEH, MD, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Am Fam Physician. 2015 Jan 15;91(2):86-92.   Patient information: […]

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Innovation and medical illustration?

By |February 15th, 2015|Syndicated Content|

We provided medical illustration for a leading company in innovation and best practice in the fields of surgery, radiotherapy and digital integrated O.R.s Can innovation and traditional medical illustration work together for a better communication? Surely yes. We have been asked to participate in an informative design project. Brainlab is a software company with applications ranging from patient positioning in radio surgery treatments. They also provide software-guided surgical navigation that facilitates the secure exchange of medical images. The assigned

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Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York

By |November 4th, 2014|Syndicated Content|

 “Instead of drawing and then applying color, I draw directly with the color.”

These are words Matisse wrote to his friend and fellow artist Pierre Bonnard describing his paper cut- out works.


Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was a prolific French artist whose career spanned six decades.  His body of work includes beautiful paintings of figures, still lives and landscapes, best known for their strong palette and varied textures.  However Matisse considered his later work--paper cut-outs- his life's masterpieces. These stunning large-scale paper cut-outs were created, as Matisse called it by, “drawing with scissors.”


Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
                             The Red Room by Matisse, 1908 (oil on canvas).

Currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NewYork is the most comprehensive Matisse cut-out exhibition ever mounted.  The show, which was on view at the Tate Modern in London, will be at MoMA until February 8, 2015, and is a must see for anyone interested Matisse's later works.


Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
                       The Horse, Rider and Clown by Matisse, 1943 (cut paper)

Matisse first use cut paper in his work creating the Barnes mural for Dr. Albert Barnes’ famed Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania (now located in downtown Philadelphia). 


Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
     The Dance Mural by Matisse, 1932-1933 (oil on Canvas), Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA

Henri Matisse used cut paper in the 1930s and early 1940s as a compositional aid while working on paintings.  In Still Life with Shells(1940) Matisse cut out the shape of the various objects in his composition and used string to simulate the tabletop.  This allowed Matisse to move the elements around until he arrived at the desired composition.


Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
                         Still Life with Shells by Matisse, 1940 (oil on canvas)

In 1941, after recovering from abdominal surgery, Matisse found easel painting too strenuous so he started experimenting with cutting gouache painted paper into abstracted organic shapes.  With the aid of several assistants Matisse was able to “cut directly into color”. The paper cut outs were attached to the studio walls using thumbtacks.  Matisse directed the lively compositions from his bed or wheelchair.


Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
                                  Matisse creating cut-outs in his studio, 1940s

The wall size “The Parakeet and the Mermaid” features animated plants, pomegranates and other organic shapes including a blue parakeet and mermaid.  “I have made a little garden all around me where I can walk. There are leaves, fruits and a bird. I have become a parakeet and found myself in the work.”


Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
        The Parakeet and the Mermaid by Matisse, 1952, wall size paper cut-out mural

In  1948 Matisse began work on a four year cut out project for the Chapel of the Rosary located near his studio in Vence on the French Riveria.  Matisse’s extensive work for the chapel included radiant stained glass windows, and expressive line drawings painted on tiles that dominate the chapel.  Matisse also designed vestments and a tabernacle for the chapel. “It is the result of all my active life.  Despite all its imperfections, I consider it my masterpiece.”

Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
                The Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, France, by Matisse, 1948-1952



I highly recommend a visit to see this wonderful exhibition of at MoMA!  I also recommend the catalog, Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs published by the Museum of Modern Art .  Another book of interest on Matisse and his later works is Henri Matisse, Drawing with Scissors, Masterpieces from the Late Yearsby Olivier Berggruen and Max Hollein, published by Prestel.  For a book on Matisse’s masterpiece The Chapel of the Rosary I recommend Matisse The Chapel at Vence published in 2013 by the Royal Academy of Arts

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