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Should We Artists Resist AI or Embrace it? Every artist I know is talking about AI. The debates are everywhere: fight it, use it, or ignore it and hope it disappears. You can't scroll through an artist forum, open social media, or sit down with a group of painters without the conversation turning to it. Even news podcasters weigh in — the disruptions ahead, the jobs at risk, the sense that society isn't prepared for what's coming. Here's what I keep coming back to: AI is not

I sure hope so, because this month I waded into unfamiliar waters. I signed up for a 11 hours and 35 online lessons — Portrait Drawing Fundamentals by Stan Prokopenko. It’s been 50 years since I studied portrait drawing and painting. My landscapes have been noted for their wildness and one Chicago Tribune art critic said my work leaves out the one thing that can “muck up” nature — humans. But since moving to the city in 2025, I find myself wanting to draw more and draw people

Art is often seen as a polished final product, something flawless and inspiring. We admire artists who carry sketchbooks everywhere, effortlessly capturing moments and ideas. Their work looks so refined that many of us try to imitate them, only to give up after a few pages because our sketches don’t measure up. I know I have done this whenever I previously decied to travel and try to draw or journal. But what if the real value lies not in the polished pages, but in the messy