Unpronounceable volcanoes, Björk, Vikings, Game of Thrones – these are some of the things you might think of relating to Iceland. This remote and fascinating island, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a population of 360,000 people, is one of the most creative nations in the world. Is it due to isolation, the inspiration from nature or its centuries-old folklore legends? Eve Jackson goes to the land of ice and fire to find out why Iceland has such an exceptional and disproportionate amount of artists.
Tag Archives: Artists
Views: The 2022 Laguna Beach Festival Of Arts

As one of the nation’s oldest and most highly acclaimed juried fine art shows, the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts has offered a breathtaking showcase for artists and art lovers for 90 years.
Set in a beautiful open-air gallery, this highly acclaimed juried fine art show features the work of over 100 award-winning Orange County artists. From paintings, glass, ceramics, photography and more, the Festival showcases a variety of mediums and artwork styles for avid collectors and festivalgoers to browse and purchase directly from the artists.
From early July through the end of August, the Festival of Arts opens its doors daily for visitors to not only enjoy the award-winning work of exhibited artists, but also art demonstrations, live music performances on select days, opportunities to meet the artists and more.
Art: British Illustrator Heather Gatley’s Colors
Tours: An ‘Artists Cottage’ In East Devon, England
Natalie Silk and Tom Baker have worked on many projects together, the best known of which is Field Day festival, which they co-founded in 2007. As individuals, Natalie now produces regenerative food and craft events that celebrates links between the city and countryside as part of Village Mentality; Tom runs Eat Your Own Ears, which has been a part of London’s music scene since 2001.
But the couple’s latest project is an altogether quieter and slower-going one: the sensitive renovation and extension of an old cottage in the bucolic hills of East Devon, which you can explore in our latest film.
Italian Culture: ‘Mitico – Follow The Art Path’ (2022)
For the 2022 season, Belmond has launched a partnership with internationally acclaimed art gallery – Galleria Continua – entitled MITICO, which celebrates the talents of four prominent artists, as they take the spotlight in some of Belmond’s captivating landmark gardens across Italy.
Evoking a feeling of inclusivity and community, MITICO embodies a new art philosophy: it is the reinterpretation of universal customs shared amongst different societies, such as cooking, painting, observing, and appreciating, and how these are consumed in their environments.
MITICO is a moment in time and history where cultures interact – ultimately it is a celebration of art de vivre. Deepening its long-standing connection to the arts, through MITICO, Galleria Continua and Belmond invite guests to see cultures through a different lens, tapping into each individual destination’s essence and beauty.
Covers: World Literature Today – May/June 2022
World Literature Today Magazine to Launch Art-Inspired 400th Issue

The May/June issue of World Literature Today, the University of Oklahoma’s award-winning magazine of international literature and culture, will celebrate the magazine’s 400th issue. The edition, which will feature writers and visual artists, will be launched in Oklahoma City’s Paseo Arts District’s Studio Six, from 6-8 p.m., Friday, May 6.
The cover feature, “Muses,” showcases the work of writers, visual artists and their inspirations. The issue will contain essays, poems and creative nonfiction inspired by Rembrandt, Wassily Kandinsky, Andrew Wyeth, David Hockney, André Leon Talley, French artist Ghislaine Lejard, American artist Todd Anderson as well as Hong Kong street artists, plus an interview with novelist, journalist and artist Amitava Kumar, who is based in both India and the United States.
Cover Preview: Artforum International – May 2022
Views: British Illustrator Matt Cook’s ‘Storefronts’
Sketch Views: ‘Junkyard Truck’ By Paul Heaston
Watercolor Artists: Liam O’Farrell’s ‘London Views’

I like to get in front of my subjects “en plein air” if I can. Even in my allotment pictures (which are partly from imagination) the core elements are taken from real allotments. Working on site you get so much more from what you are trying to capture, I also get to chat to passersby who feed into my work with their rich stories and conversation. For me working purely in the studio would be like painting through a letter box.
In regards to perspective, the early part of my career was drawing and airbrushing full 3D cutaways of fighters and ships for the MoD so I know a fair bit about getting perspective right if I need to.
Accurate perspective however is all well and good, although in creative terms it can only deliver so much. I tend to adjust and push things about until it feels right. If that means geometric perspective is abandoned then that’s fine. It’s all about the overall impression.







