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How To
December 2011 Mike Neilson – Bold, Sensitive and Versitile
November 2011 Demonstration: “Brass With Blue Flow”
October 2011 Drawing Inside Out
September 2011 Composing and Decomposing
July 2011 A Different Perspective - Rusty Jones
June 2011 Fundamental Lesson Pt. 2
May 2011 Fundamental Lesson Pt. 1
April 2011 Too Loose Lautrec?
March 2011 Interconectedness
February 2011 Aerial Perspective Pt. 2
January 2011 Aerial Perspective
December 2010 Beyond the Boundries
September 2010 Painting the Plan
July & August 2010
"Trees" Part One - Part Two
June 2010 "Structures in Oil"
May 2010 "Structures"
April 2010 "One of a Kind"
March 2010 "Nocturnes"
February 2010 "Let it Snow"
January 2010 Sweet Mystery: Part Two
December 2009 Sweet Mystery: Part One
November 2009 Organizing Chaos
October 2009 Saving the Best for Last
September 2009 Letting the Paint Work for You
August 2009 Watercolor: Teaching the Unteachable
June 2009 "Sketchbooks"
April 2009 "East Meets West"
Feb 2009 “Establishing a Focal Point”
Jan 2009 “Craftsmanship”
Dec 2008 “Another Approach”
Nov 2008 “The Incidence of Angle”
Oct 2008 “Back to the Basics”
Sept 2008 “As Clear as Mud”
Aug 2008 “Compartmentalizing Your Washes”
June 2008 “Lemons to Lemonade”
May 2008 “Las Flores de la Mancha”
March 2008 “Narrative Painting”
Art of the Sketchbook
June 2009 "Sketchbooks"
Musings
August 2011 Conversion of a Purist
April 2010 "One of a Kind"
April 2008 “Who’s Responsible?”
The Business of Art
November 2010 Marketing For Artists Part 2: Web Based Marketing
October 2010 Marketing For Artists Part One
Oct. & Nov 2010
Marketing for Artists
Part 1 Part 2
Art History
March 2010 "Nocturnes"
July 2008 “En Plein Air Painting – Then and Now”
Feb. 2008 “Harvey Dunn and Dean Cornwell – Some insights into their working methods”
Jan 2008 “The Golden Age of Illustration”
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One of a Kind
Right off the bat, I told my wife, Max, if this ever becomes a job, I’m going to quit. After twenty-seven years of painting, I’m having as much fun now as I had at the beginning. I’ve never been starved for inspiration, nor have I had what they call “artist’s block”.
I attribute this to several factors:
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I’ve always painted what excited me on any given day.
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I’ve always wanted to paint it “all”; landscapes, portraits, figures, still lifes, florals and historical pieces.
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I’m remained an incurable romantic.
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I’ve painted from Florida to Alaska, and in developed and third world countries.
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My ongoing love affair with my sketchbooks. I’ve got dozens of them, full of paintings and drawings, from all around the world. I also have a stack of sketchbooks, with paintings and drawings done in bars, clubs, cafes, and concerts.
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I worked hard to get proficient in three different mediums, resulting in signature memberships in the National Watercolor Society, the Pastel Society of America and the Oil Painters of America.
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Finally: I’ve never let myself become too comfortable with any given subject matter or technique. I’ve always forced myself to evolve, and take on new challenges.
Now, I have to confess, the choice of this approach to my art, like all choices, has garnered some trade-offs - especially in the growth of my career.
How was I to know that folks in the art world, and galleries in particular, really prefer to have their artists in the smallest identifiable “box” possible? They love crap like, “Eric Michaels? Oh, yes, the artist that paints the kitty cats on the pianos”. It’s easy, comfortable, recognizable and certainly easier to market. They get a bit edgy when it comes to an artist with a variety of subject matter, several mediums and a style that changes as it evolves.
For a number of contemporary artists, the mere mention of their name conjures up a particular subject matter, a clever application of paint, or some aspect of their work that has always been consistent and easily recognizable. Or they will model their paintings after the signature approach of a famous deceased artist: i.e.: Sorolla’s women in white dresses, with parasols, walking on a beach, or Wyeth type watercolors etc. I call this the “better idea” syndrome. The artist finds a unique formula and they ride it to success. Some of my close artist friends have done this, and have faired very well. I don’t make them wrong. There’s plenty of room out there for everybody.
Although the “better idea syndrome” can prove to be the fast track to success, I’ve noticed, there are some inherent problems. Some of my good friends who have employed this approach for years have grown a bit weary of producing virtually the same painting over and over. Their product has produced fame, wealth and a fabulous lifestyle, but the carousel is spinning, and they can’t get off. I wish I had a nickel for each time one of them has told me how much they wish they could paint something else.
The point is this: There are a lot of superb artists out there with fabulous techniques, and attractive “better ideas”. Beware of being seduced into wanting to be just like them. Be an artist, not an artisan. You were born with a unique artistic voice. No one will ever see the world through your eyes. No one will ever experience “what is” the way you do. Your distinctive contribution to the world of art enriches all of us for all time. You were born an original – don’t end up a copy. Take what you can from past and present masters, and amalgamate that into your own inimitable expression. Paint it “all”, and have fun!
Happy painting!
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