Gerard Bianco Studio

  "Best Friends" by Gerard Bianco Rückenfigur is the German word that translates to Back Figure, or figure from the back. An artist has the option of painting people from the front or from the back, which begs the question: why would an artist paint a person from the back? Is it because he has trouble painting features? Are his noses always too long? Are the eyes in his portraits always pointing in opposite directions? No, not typically. The reason an artist paints a person, or people from behind is to create an atmosphere of wonder, both in the person being painted, and in the person gazing at the painting. Having the viewer think about what is going through the mind of the subject in the painting puts them in direct communication with the subject’s thought process. The viewer suddenly becomes one with the subject in the painting, which causes an impactful psychological effect upon the viewer. No longer are you, the viewer, looking at a typical portrait, thinking that this p...

"Jubilee Park Covered Bridge" original watercolor painting by Gerard Bianco.  What attracts us to covered bridges? Could it be the feeling of nostalgia we get when we look at a covered bridge, our longing of the past when we felt that times were simpler, when we felt unified with other people, a time where we felt safe? We sometimes feel alone in this world where fierce trouble rains down upon us. The covered bridge represents the protective environment we inwardly seek, both in reality and metaphorically. The covered bridge swaddles us with its shelter, protecting us against the storm, keeping us dry and warm.  The covered bridge was built with the sweat and hard labor of men, not by cold, unforgiving machines that build the sleek modern bridges of today. We find companionship and a natured presence in the fruits of this hard labor. Covered bridges are usually situated in scenic environments that attract us, offering a quaint vision of when we were young and had more time an...

Back in the day, when I was studying painting and portraiture at the Art Students League on 57th Street in New York City, the book that was required reading in almost every class was “The Art Spirit” by Robert Henri. I refer to this book as, “The Art Bible” for artists. The content in this book is educational and highly inspirational for beginners, professionals, and everyone in between. I still have my copy, pictured here and below, which I purchased back in the 70s. (Did you catch the price I paid back then? $2.50.) I lovingly read this book over and over. As you can see, it’s been so well-read that it’s falling apart and held together with rubber bands. For me, it’s like an old friend I keep saying “hello” to, or an old pair of tattered slippers that are still so comfy. I like to underline important content in a book I’m reading. As you can see, almost every passage has been underlined. The information in this book is so deeply moving and important that whether you’ve been painting ...

        Back in 2011, I introduced my 6-Step formula for writing a short story. I published it again in 2014. Here it is once again with a few changes and a much better graphic. I thought it would be a good idea to resurrect the formula for those who may have missed it. It works the same today as it did back in 2011. This formula also works for writing other short formats such as flash fiction and even a novella.         A short story usually contains 1,200 - 7,500 words. The short short or flash fiction usually contains between 100 – 1,200 words. Experienced non-fiction writers can usually spit out 1200 words before breakfast.          But, when it comes to writing a short story, an experienced fiction writer knows that short fiction can be more difficult than writing a full-length novel. The brevity of the story constricts the wordsmith, depriving him of deep development of a character, the plot, and setting as he/she ...