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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 20/09/2026

Wherever you get books: www.creativitydiagram.com Part theory & part field guide, this portable primer is a practical map for working artists. It treats your creative practice like a living ecosystem built on three forces: Study, Influence, and the Individual. #BookSky #Writersky #Authorsky #ArtSky

A photograph of 3 copies of the book "The Creativity Diagram" by Neal Von Flue.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 02/08/2026

Another aspect is the layer where I asked the AI to generate a commentary about it's own consumption. It turned in something that vacillated wildly in tone. No real surprise there, but I came to appreciate the voicing. It complements the ambiguity I hope to achieve in the work.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 30/11/2025

A couple of plein air paintings done over Thanksgiving week in the high desert. Oils on clayboard. I can see how plein air painting can become the only thing that some people do.

Small oil painting of the California desert.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 23/06/2025

“Franklin and Eucalyptus, El Segundo” mixed media on wood, 26”x28”

Photo of an cluttered art studio with a mixed media cityscape painting in the center of the frame.

Photo of a mixed media cityscape painting.

Detail photo of a mixed media cityscape.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 12/04/2025

#sketch of a window in Scotia, California.

Pencil sketch of a curtained hotel window early in the morning.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 08/04/2025

#sketch of a gaggle of Rube Goldbergs, with humorous additions.

Sketches of Rube Goldberg with humorous additions, in blue pencil.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 05/04/2025

#sketch of Jason Isbell. Sorting through his new record. Looking at him through the leaves. #sketchbook

Photo of a sketchbook page on a table, seen through some leaves. The sketch is a big headed cartoon version of musician Jason Isbell.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 16/03/2025

The Second Angriest Dog in the World” Oil on panel 24”x36”

An oil painting depicting a worried woman on the right, while behind her the same scene—a woman standing in a desert landscape next to a large succulent—is shown in two angles overlaid on each other. The more stable color version is distorted, and haunted by the ghostly version in correct perspective. The tell tale black lodge herringbone floor creeps in from the bottom left while in the distance a shaky pencil drawn shack release curly smoke from the chimney.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 25/11/2024

“Always Have a Teacher #2” made from separate lessons found in books from the vintage Walter T. Foster how to paint series. #oilpaint #oilpainting #oilonwood #contemporaryart #art

Warm toned landscape painting of a sparsely wooded area with a small river. Two dog heads float in the space, one facing downward, the other upside down and barking.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 29/09/2024

Over summer I practiced #inking. Here is a #WWII #ghostrider #artprocess. #pencildrawing to #inkdrawing to #colordrawing I imagine him on his burning #harleydavidson WLA crisscrossing Europe delivering vital info, and crossing publishers to meet up with #SGTRock, the #creaturecommandos and #GIRobot

A pencil drawing of ghost rider sitting on his bike in WWII

An image of ghost rider in WWII sitting on his bike drawn in ink

An color illustration of ghost rider in WWII sitting on his bike

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 22/07/2024

“Scissors 12, Cadmium and Cobalt” Collage and Oils in Paper. 2024

Collage painting of a pair of scissors with red background.

Detail view of a collage painting of a pair of scissors with red background

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 08/06/2024

Current work: doing some pieces using a pair of vintage shears. This is a pencil drawing and a charcoal/ink drawing, each done on vellum then cut up and woven together. #drawing #ink #fineart #pencil #contemporaryart #scissors

Artwork of two pairs of scissors woven together into a single image.

Closer image of a drawing of two pairs of scissors woven together.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 31/03/2024

After a number of years not drawing digitally, I have picked up an iPad Pro. Here is a 30 minute drawing of my dog to test inking in Procreate. So far it is a very dangerous tool, as it makes you much better than you actually are. #art #digitalart #procreate #tripawd

Digital drawing of a tri-pawed named Gus.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 03/03/2024

#Portrait of Emperor Joshua Norton, started as a #classsample for historical portrait using #mixedmedia & related #collage. I like the portrait in his hair that made all the good texture. This image is included in the Emperor Norton Trust & archive. #art #painting #history #artteacher #emperornorton

close up view of in-process portrait of Joshua Norton's head, showing a small copy of his portrait, being used to build hair texture.

detailed view of portrait of Emperor Joshua Norton, showing a small copy of his portrait in the negative space.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 27/02/2024

A series of figure drawing samples for my class. From gesture studies to 10 minutes, poses found on Line of Action. #figuredrawing #figurativeart #artteacher

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 08/01/2024

“Sleep, Ethical Hedonist” in process, oil painting on collaged pages from army training manuals. #oilpaint #collage #contemporaryart

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 22/12/2023

portrait study, oil paint on paper

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 08/12/2023

Bison Study—mixed media on paper.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 10/11/2023

Working title- “Friedl Dicker-Brandeis Considers Two Luzon Bleeding Hearts While Flanked by Horrors” or maybe “…Flanked by Realities” Oil on canvas with collage and mixed media.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 12/10/2023

I've been trying to find my way back to art as therapeutic expression, not just an intellectual one. Friedl Dicker-Brandeis is the mother of art therapy, so I thought I'd do a portrait of her. First an expressive line study- she often had students try that- then develop a painting on top. 1 hr in...

a value study painting of a woman with her hand on an object in front of her.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 10/10/2023

Two paintings where I combined lessons from the Walter T. Foster how to make art book series into a single images. #practice #painting #artprocess #oilpainting

I painting of two dog portraits floating at odd angles around a verdant landscape.

a painting of a trio of eye studies, floating on a yellow desert landscape.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 08/10/2023

Working through the loss of a dear friend with this painting. As a teacher, I tend to focus on the technical aspects of artmaking and undervalue the therapeutic value of art. Here is the process in order, followed by details of the final. It did make me feel a bit better to get something out.

loose paintings of two pairs of hands with coins

Painting of the diagram of a coin trick surrounded by Lego patent drawings.

Painting of a diagram of a coin trick with collage, texture, and airbrushed gridwork

Painting of a diagram of a coin trick with collage, texture, and airbrushed gridwork, now obscured by a shipwreck.

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 13/09/2023

Example for my class- a study of an extinct family of the Weevil, trapped in Cretaceous period amber. Mixed media on paper, 2023 Keywords: art, painting, bugs, history, mesophyletidae, art teacher

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 23/08/2023

A handful of landscapes painted this year. They are oil paint on wood, and all views from the same spot (give or take 20 feet) of California high desert. Keywords: fine art, sunset, sunrise, contemporary art, artist, painter

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 16/08/2023

The images here are from a mixed-media study looking towards the refinery from the alley behind my studio. keywords: painting, mixed media, oil painting, plein air, industrial, abstract painting, fine art, contemporary art, oil refinery, el segundo

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Neal Von Flue @creativitydiagram.com · 08/08/2023

Recent painting: "Mustang", mixed media on reinforced cardboard. The lower left corner includes a collage of my father playing army in his backyard as a kid, on top of a lenticular 3D photo we made of my old GI Joes in my back yard as a kid.

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