U.K. watercolorist Andy Wood has a simple philosophy: The artist’s role is to look, often intently, and to communicate what he sees to his audience. This usually means painting objects and scenes that the artist himself personally enjoys. Wood leaves it to other artists, though, to hunt down and depict dramatic and exciting subjects, or famously beautiful views.

Many artists develop a signature style not just with their paintings but also with their clothing. Georgia O’Keeffe was no exception. In Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern, an exhibit currently at the Brooklyn Museum, many of O’Keeffe’s signature pieces are on display. The show was curated by modernist scholar Wanda Corn.

After a minor vision scare, we are reminded of the fragility of the eye–these complex organs which allow us to experience all the visual beauties of the world. And, we are reminded, once again, never to take our precious vision for granted. But, like the rest of the body, the eye ages with time.If we remain free of injury or disease, our eyes may only experience slight changes as we age, but even these small changes may affect our abilities as artists to judge subtleties of color, light and dark.

In last year’s Annual Art Competition, we had the pleasure of getting to know oil artist Kadir Nelson. His piece A Hole in the Roof puts a unique spin on figurative work; it’s brimming with personality and story. Read below for a more in-depth conversation with the artist about his process and inspiration, and don’t forget to enter this year’s Annual Art Competition.

Your Best Oil Painting Brushes Are Here“They’re like magic.” “It was my savior.” “Don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost it.”I kid you not, these are some of the reactions we got when we asked artists to talk about the best oil painting brushes that they have in their studios. For beginners or intermediate painters, choosing brushes can seem overwhelming because there are so many choices so we’ve put together this primer on what every oil painter should know about paint brushes, including how to choose brushes, how to clean them, and more.

The Seventh in an Artist Daily Exclusive Series:Masters of American Watercolor Monika, I understand you are a native of Warsaw. Were you educated in Poland?Yes, I was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland and I graduated from the University of Warsaw where I studied Biology and then received a Master’s Degree in Animal Physiology.