The Human Cry
Bearing witness to horror, Iraqi Ala Bashir, a surgeon as well as an artist, pays homage to the dead. His journey––from Baghdad to London to Quatar to New Haven––affirms art's power.
By Maureen Bloomfield

Simple Beauty
Classical in her emphasis on craft, Grace Kim composes still lifes that repay a debt to the Dutch masters she has spent years copying and learning from.
By Colin Fry

The Heart (and Art) of the Heartland
Over the span of a 40-year career, Harold Gregor has brought the subtle colors of the prairie to riotous life in paintings in acrylic, oil and watercolor.
By Christine Proskow

Special Section: Partners in Art
How two pairs of kindred spirits––Ana England and Steven Finke, and Kathleen Gilje and Robert Lobe––made the commitment to create art as well as a life together.
By Ruth K. Meyer

Do-It-Yourself Framing
A master woodworker delivers a lesson in the tools and techniques you'll need to make your own frames.
By Keith Mealy

Columns

Brushing Up
How to make a monotype (you don't need a press!), using actual flowers and leaves from the garden.
By Joan Effertz

Master Class
A look back at a 17th-century Venetian, Rosalba Carriera, who painted vivid portraits in pastel.
By Wende Caporale

Departments

• Dialogue
• The Artist's Life: A review of the 181st exhibit at the museum of the venerable National Academy in New York, plus tips for painting en plein air and more.
• Competition Spotlight: 2006 Art Competition finalist David Griffin.
• Art News
• Ask the Experts: How to dispose of oil and solvent waste in ways that protect the environment as well as your health.
• Materials Handbook: Albert Handell's new DVD, stackable boxes for your studio supplies and a nifty pencil sharpener.