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Roped Together Like Mountaineers: How Braque and Picasso Invented Cubism
When we think of Cubism, Pablo Picasso’s name usually dominates the marquee. Yet the radical dismantling of Western perspective that defined early twentieth-century modern art was never a solo crusade. It was the product of an intense, turbulent, and symbiotic art partnership between Picasso and French painter Georges Braque—a creative dialogue so intertwined that Braque famously remarked they were like “two mountaineers roped together.” An Unlikely Alliance (1907–1908) The story began in late 1907 inside Picasso’s chaotic Montmartre studio at the Bateau-Lavoir. Introduced by the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, Braque stood before Picasso’s freshly completed, shocking canvas Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Initial reactions to the aggressive, jagged painting were mixed—Braque initially confessed…
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Françoise Gilot and her life after Picasso
In 1953, Françoise Gilot packed her bags, took her two young children, Claude and Paloma, and walked out on Pablo Picasso. In doing so, she accomplished something no other woman in his orbit ever had: she left on her own terms and survived intact. Picasso reportedly warned her that leaving him meant stepping directly into the desert. Instead, Gilot built one of the most vibrant, resilient, and prolific artistic lives of the twentieth century. Defying the Blacklist Picasso did not take rejection quietly. He used his immense clout across the French art world to isolate her, pressuring galleries, collectors, and critics to drop her work. For years, Paris treated her…
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Johanna van Gogh-Bonger: The Visionary Who Made Vincent Famous
When the world gazes at the swirling cobalt skies of The Starry Night or the radiant yellows of Sunflowers, Vincent van Gogh is universally remembered as a lone, tragic genius. Yet, had history followed its expected course, his name would likely be forgotten in an attic in the Netherlands. The painter who sold almost nothing in his lifetime owes his immortal fame not to luck, but to one determined woman: his sister-in-law, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger (known fondly as Jo). A Sudden Tragedy and an Inherited Burden In January 1891, twenty-eight-year-old Jo Bonger faced unimaginable loss. Just six months after Vincent took his own life in Auvers-sur-Oise, her husband, art dealer…
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Small art portfolio tour
In this video, I share an eclectic collection of original small-format artwork, proving that compelling art doesn’t require expensive supplies or high-end archival materials. Working across versatile mediums including oil pastel, acrylic, pen and ink, colored pencil, marker, and even standard printer paper, Jeremy walks viewers through years of creative exploration. Explore a wide variety of subjects, including: Marine & Ocean Life [00:24]: Whimsical sea turtles, vibrant octopuses, and humpback whales inspired by coastal scenery. Wildlife & Nature [03:01]: Expressive night owls, bold eagles, koi fish, foxes, giraffes, and a three-panel stylized elephant. Conceptual & Playful Pieces [02:31]: Thought-provoking commentary on global peace, musical foxes playing the guitar, and…
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Drawing with Scissors: Henri Matisse’s Final Creative Triumph
In 1941, at the age of seventy-one, Henri Matisse underwent radical surgery for abdominal cancer. The operation saved his life, but left him profoundly weakened and largely confined to a wheelchair or bed. To an outside observer, the legendary pioneer of Fauvism—the man who had spent four decades shocking and seducing the art world with uninhibited color—seemed poised at the close of his career. Matisse, however, viewed this precarious chapter not as an ending, but as what he called a seconde vie—a second life. Stripped of the physical stamina needed to stand before an easel for hours with a palette and brush, he simply invented a radical new visual medium:…
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About Jaime Sabartés, Picasso’s Lifelong Confidant
When we think of Pablo Picasso, we imagine the towering genius, the chaotic revolutionary of modern art, and the larger-than-life persona who changed the way we see the world. But behind every great artist is often a steadfast anchor—someone who manages the mundane so the genius can soar. For Picasso, that indispensable person was Jaime Sabartés: a Catalan poet, a lifelong friend, and for over three decades, his devoted personal secretary. The story of Picasso and Sabartés did not begin in a stuffy administrative office, but in the vibrant, bohemian haze of Barcelona in 1899. Both young, ambitious, and deeply embedded in the artistic circles of the famous Els Quatre…
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About me – Part 1
Reality has a way of hitting everyone sooner or later. When you’re young, worry and fear feel distant because someone else carries the weight—your parents, or whoever raised you, shield you from the sharp edges of the world. But eventually, that childhood buffer begins to crack, and you realize you alone have to answer for your choices. For me, that reckoning arrived on my final day of high school in June 1994. It happened in math class—my absolute worst subject. I was just getting started with my art but I was also faced with having to graduate highschool. I had struggled with numbers my entire life and was consistently placed…
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The Balance of Movement and Stillness
As a visual artist, my practice often feels like a conversation with the canvas, and my latest 11 x 14 painting, a detailed close-up shown here, is one that speaks volumes about energy and contrast. For this piece, which I’m adding to my art portfolio, I wanted to explore the duality of nature—the relentless flow of movement juxtaposed with moments of vibrant, contained stillness. I’ve always been drawn to aquatic life, a theme I often revisit, but this time, the inspiration wasn’t a serene pond, but a sense of active, diverging energy. I’m thrilled to share this glimpse into my latest creation with you. Capturing Life in Motion: The Koi…
