DPW Spotlight Interview: Barbara Jaenicke

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. 

To enter to win Barbara Jaenicke's painting, "Happy as Sunflowers," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Barbara's DPW gallery page:

I teach weekly pastel classes in the Atlanta area and also travel to teach workshops around the country. I’m a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies Master Circle and a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Although I did have a grandmother who was an artist, my motivation developed simply from my own love of drawing. I didn't have any natural talent -- no friends or family members ever commented during my early childhood that I showed promise as an artist. As a preteen I loved to curl up on the couch and draw, usually copying anything that had pretty image printed on it. As I eventually became somewhat skilled at drawing, I began taking a painting class at a small gallery/art school in Bordentown, NJ, as well as every elective art class I could in school. I was an art major in college, but focused my career toward advertising/art direction.

Happy as Sunflowers
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

After college, I worked long hours in advertising as an art director and didn't have much time for fine art. Many years later, after a career switch into more of a corporate setting which had less creative focus, I longed to have art back in my life, and began taking classes in drawing and painting. A few years later, the small company I for which I worked downsized, and I found myself happily with more time to devote to art! I was at a point shortly thereafter in which I was ready to start teaching art and showing/selling my work, so the timing worked well.

Harvest Farm
(click here to see original image)

What mediums and genres have you experimented with? Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away? Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

Going way back to my school days, I suppose I used a variety of mediums, such as graphite, pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic and oil. But getting back into it years later, I started with drawing to brush up on my skills, and then progressed to pastel, with the plan of soon moving into oil. For some reason, pastel stuck for quite awhile.

I made some false starts several times to move into oil, but kept going back to pastel. I guess because I love to draw, pastel was just a very comfortable medium for me. However, in the past few years, I've been spending roughly equal amounts of time in pastel and oil, and enjoy them both. I still feel like pastel is my "first language" of art, but feel like I'm finally becoming a bit more "fluent" in oil. My goal is to become equally skilled.

Many of your paintings capture a mood of reverie, as if we're seeing what someone else might have, if they sat down for a spell and relaxed. Can you describe what you're drawn to and what you choose to paint?

For my landscape work, I like to paint locations in which I'd want to spend a lot of time. Even though I currently live in the suburbs, I'd much rather live out in the country. That's where I feel most comfortable. I don't often paint grand vistas, but usually more intimate sections of quiet places.

Afternoon Glow
(click here to see original image)

I like the challenge of painting something simple and basic, and creating something very special with it using what I call my "artistic bag of tricks" in which I interpret the scene by manipulating color, edges, contrast, composition, etc. I approach my still life work this same way, using only basic still life props, but attempting to create a magical moment through the interpretation of those items.

What does procrastination look like for you? What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

Procrastination happens for me when I have trouble deciding what to do with a particular painting. I keep myself well stocked with reference photos, and since I paint often on location, I have plenty of plein air studies from which to work. But sometimes deciding how to interpret a particular subject matter becomes my stumbling block. However, I give myself deadlines and do all that I can to stick to them. However, since I have an eight year-old, interruptions are typically more the problem than procrastination.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

For my studio work, I plan my paintings by doing compositional thumbnails and value sketches to work through what I want to say with the painting. When I'm stumped, I pour through examples of other artist's work either by going though my art magazines and books, or by visiting the websites of my favorite artists to see how they interpreted similar subject matter. I never copy other artists' work, but this process just tends to jumpstart my own ideas.

Sand Dune Shadows
(click here to see original image)

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I do sometimes go through slumps when I seem to paint one mediocre painting after another (with the occasional "really bad" painting mixed in), which is of course discouraging. But I've been at this long enough to know that it's temporary and I just need to work through it. By staying engaged with the multitude of resources out there for artists (organizations, publications, websites, etc.), I try to view great artwork continuously, which is always inspiring to me and I never tire of it.

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

For the past couple of years, I've really stepped up my time spent painting on location. For me, plein air painting has helped me stretch my painting skills in a way that probably wouldn't have happened otherwise. I've learned to really SEE things in artwork that you don't experience working only from a photograph. And by having a time limit forced upon you by the changing light, I've learned to increase my painting speed, which has enhanced my ability to determine more quickly and concisely what I want to say with a painting.

Front Porch Petunias
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

When I look back over the course of several months, or a year, or several years, I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment when I see noticeable improvements in my art and realize that the hard work is showing positive results.

Thanks, Barbara!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Robin J. Mitchell

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. 

To enter to win Robin J. Mitchell's painting, "No. 515 - The Church Green," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Robin's DPW gallery page:

I really try to do a small painting every day, but sometimes life comes between my easel and paints. I normally paint in water-soluble oils, but also love watercolour and gouache.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started to paint when I was in my early teens. I had a pan set of watercolours from my Mom that I used; for paper I used ‘stamp collecting’ paper. I painted the watercolours really thickly as I didn’t really understand how they worked. I was painting!  Never took art classes in high school, but somehow still continued to paint and draw.

I started an accounting degree at college, which is where I found an entire section of the college devoted entirely to art. I forgot about the business degree and applied to a general arts program, they taught everything from paper making, book-making, sculpture, print-making, life drawing and painting. I was hooked after finishing this one year program, then studied the three year program in Illustration. An entire world opened up to me. I was in love with drawing and painting.

No. 515 - The Church Green
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

I don’t think there has ever been a time since college that I have not painted. I always had a studio set up in my house for me to paint. Ten years ago, my father-in-law helped me build custom furniture for my studio. I now have a room over the garage of our house where I'm able to paint daily.

I've been very lucky to have had a career in art. I've worked as a designer magazine publisher, painted animation backgrounds for Saturday morning cartoons and been a matte painter for sixteen years. I won a Gemini Award for Special Effects for a made-for-TV movie (the Canadian Version of an Emmy Award).

No. 507 - Fence Decoration
(click here to see original image)

For the past four years, I've painted almost every day. Most of them are small and the challenge of creating one every night is a way of learning, by striving to create a better painting than the day before.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with? Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away? Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I painted for years in watercolour and gouache and loved both of the mediums. One day at the local art store, I found water mixable oils, tried some and was hooked. The versatility and ease of being able to stop and start painting was amazing, with minimal clean-up and smell. I have since altered my palette and now most of my oils are oil-based and use orange-scented mineral spirits to clean up.

I love oils, you can truly do anything with then; if you don’t like what is on the board or canvas – just wipe if off. The colours are great and brush stokes are easy to incorporate into your work. I love a painting that looks like a painting. I still love watercolours and gouache, but oils at the moment are what I love.

No. 489 - Sunshine in the Market
(click here to see original image)

There's such a beautiful, true sunlight in your paintings. What have you learned over the years that's made it possible for you to capture such an elusive quality?

I love sunlight - strange, as I live in Toronto, Canada, where the days in winter without sun can be many. I love the shadows that are created by sunlight and the colours found in them. I've been introduced to some great new colours at a Dreama Tolle Perry workshop and have found they have added a entirely new dimension to my work. I've tried to enhance the sunlight and shadows as much as possible.

What does procrastination look like for you? What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I'm lucky not to be crippled by procrastination. I truly love to paint and spend hours in my studio working. If I'm away, I miss it so much and can’t wait to get back to it. I've found the best time for me to paint is at night when my wife and daughter are asleep, the house is quiet, and I can focus entirely on what I'm doing.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

This is a really hard thing to explain, something always seems to catch my eye when looking at a photograph or in everyday life. I walk though a forest green space most days and find the light and shadows give me great ideas. Seeing something while driving in the car, objects in the house or garden.

No. 491 - Watching the World Go By!
(click here to see original image)

Sometimes the simplest thing when combined with a great composition and lighting, turns into a great painting. If you look at a collection of my paintings the subjects matter seems to be all over the place, it make things interesting

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I took a workshop this summer from Dreama Tolle Perry. I've admired her work for a long time; her colour and brush work have always inspired me. Her introduction of new colours and techniques have boosted my painting lately. I also visit other people's blogs and galleries on the internet, such as Edward B Gordon, Carol Marine and Karin Jurick. I study their work and how they have solved composition, colour, light and shadow as well as subject matter. One can learn a great deal from seeing what others have done.

Painting and posting one everyday keeps things fresh as well. You learn from every painting you do, and hopefully the one you do tomorrow will be better than today’s. The mistakes you did today, you'll hopefully avoid tomorrow.

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

I am trying to put the brush on the canvas and make one stoke with the paint and leave it. This is a method that for me is quite hard, as I like to mess with what I have placed down on the canvas and find you lose the quality of colour and spontinaity of the brushwork.

No. 505 - Summer Hay
(click here to see original image)

Mixing the right value and colour on you palette is critical and I am trying to accomplish this. Get the right colour and value and then place just that on the canvas in the right place and leave it. Sounds easy but it is something I'm trying put into practice. If I stick to this, the painting turns out really well.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Painting makes me happy. Finishing a painting and seeing that it has great darks and great light areas, the colours are bright and lively, and you feel great posting it the next day - that makes me happy. I love to paint!

Thanks, Robin!

© 21012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Nan Johnson

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. 

To enter to win Nan Johnson's painting, "Coleus," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Nan's DPW gallery page:

Mainly self-taught, Nan "sees" her subjects as a grouping of shapes, each with their own color and shade. It is by combining these that she creates a visual that has been called "unique" or "evocative." Her work is currently held in private collections all over the country.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started drawing in early childhood and that stayed with me throughout my school years. My dad and I would watch Jon Gnagy on TV together and Dad would explain shading and positive/negative spaces. He would also give me pointers on perspective. Often he would take a blank 8x10 paper, put a dot on it and tell me to draw the room, using that dot as my vanishing point. Years later in high school, I picked up a brush and just started to paint.

Coleus
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

Plenty. When my dad died and again a few years later when my mom died; I was suddenly on my own -- with debts! College ended at that point and I went out into the working world with a different view. Things had changed. About 6 years ago, I again picked up the brushes and paints for the umpteenth time and don't intend to put them down again.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with? Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away? Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I worked with regular sketch pencil and charcoal in my younger days and liked it. With painting, I actually started with house paint, makeup, anything I could get my hands on to create with. Then my parents bought me my first oil paint kit and I worked quite a bit with them, but I disliked the fumes and cleanup. Tried acrylics a few years ago and have been "stuck" on them since. But I would like to try my hand at watercolors one of these days.

Big Yellow Taxi
(click here to see original image)

You have quite a range: florals, portraits, still lives, landscapes and city scenes; some of them highly detailed. Which such a cornucopia to choose from, how do you go about deciding upon a subject, particularly ones that seem to require a real time and energy commitment?

Ah, good question! I've been told by art critics and teachers that I should focus on a subject matter. Do only still lifes, or florals, or whatever, but not be all over the place. Well believe it or not, I am focused - but not on a specific subject matter.

I see shapes of color, and shades of color, and patterns of color - rather than a subject. And that is what I am drawn to and what I paint. Patterns fascinate me, whether it's a staircase with lights dancing on the wall or an intricate city scene full of activity. It's the patterns of shapes, colors and lights that catches my attention and creates an emotion that I try to capture. As with the piece Coleus above - the pattern in the leaves is what caught my eye as I walked out the front door one morning. A few photos later and I had a new art piece to do!

Birthday Candles
(click here to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you? What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I'm not sure it's procrastination that I experience. Actually, the opposite is true - pushing myself to paint when I'm not in the frame of mind to paint. With a full time day job that is separate from my art, there are some evenings that my mind can't look at the canvas. And when I push during those times, I get frustrated with the outcome. I've learned to do other art-related things (website, review of other artist's work, watch art videos) during those "down" times, which helps me to re-energize. Sometimes just taking an evening to organize things helps me to get a "fresh" start the next day.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I don't pick my ideas so much as they pick me. I always have a camera with me and take lots of photos. I work in NYC, so there is always much to look at and be inspired by. But I can get the same inspiration driving down a country road. When I capture a moment with the camera, I know I will return to that moment again when it's time to paint it - be it tomorrow, next week, month or year.

Autumn Bench
(click here to see original image)

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I did the online challenges for a while, and still do some of them. But for a while, I did every challenge I could find every month. I burned out. In hind sight (which I believe is always 20/20), I realized it had become about the quantity and not the quality.

I stopped the "To Be Painted" formal list; now I just go with what is in my heart and my mind for the "next" work. Sometimes, a simple comment or question from a follower of my work sparks a new piece. You just never know where the next inspiration will come from - love that!

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

Marketing! That is my weak point now. Not that that means I learned every technique of art and am a master! No - no. I'm never done learning - there is always a new approach, a new inspiration, a new method. But I realized recently that I do not promote my work or myself very much and I need to come out of the shadows myself. So much to learn!

Azalea
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

The simple act of creating. I love to see a blank canvas come alive!

Thanks, Nan!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Jo MacKenzie

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. 

To enter to win Jo MacKenzie's painting, "Tiny Table 3," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Jo's DPW Gallery page:

I want to learn as much as I can. If I am not learning, then the day doesn't feel complete. I live in a very rural area so this web site gives me a place to "play" with others. My goal is to keep it fun and take artistic risks.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I first started painting when I saw an exhibit by Susan Abbott about 15 years ago. I wrote her a fan letter and it turned out that she lived only about four miles away. She was willing to meet with me and answer about 70 questions (I still have the list) and she showed me how to set up a watercolor palette and get started. There is no doubt about it, she "lit the fuse." I began painting full time about six years ago, after leaving a career as a Special Educator.

Tiny Table 3
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career? 

In a word… many. I have had Chronic Fatigue syndrome since the early 90's and a serious cancer that required treatment for a year. I am considered disabled, but I don't feel I am when I paint. I do practice what I call exquisite self care. That means taking care of myself at a high level, but that has also seriously limited my ability to be out in the "real world." I have to be careful not to do too much or I will pay the price.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with? Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away? Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I jokingly say watercolor is my first love… I write its name in all my notebooks and kiss it behind the school yard fence. I really do love it like a girl in love for the first time. I just want to learn as much as I can. I don't know about layering or masking fluid or many technical things - I just work on dry paper, wet-into-wet most of the time.

Egg Shell Peony
(click here to see original image)

There's such a cheery, bright, I'm willing to try painting anything! exuberance that comes across in your work. How would you describe your approach to selecting compositions and the "feel" you're going for?

I was using the phrase "just do it"way before Nike picked it up. I have limited energy and time on this earth, so I make the most of every moment I have to work at getting better at the craft of painting. I'm happiest when I am challenged and don't think I can succeed. Just being able to try at something makes me feel more alive.

Air Pogo 2
(click here to see original image)

I have often said I love the feeling of almost getting to the to the top of a mountain or reaching a goal even more than reaching the goal itself. I think there is a metaphor for chronic illness in there somewhere, but I don't want to think about it.

What does procrastination look like for you? What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I do not have the ability to procrastinate. I've had health issues off and on for more years than I can count and never know if I will lose the ability to do what I love, so I wake up ready to work everyday. I can feel the clock ticking, that is all the motivation I need. Besides when I am deep in the process of painting I do not notice physical discomforts for a period of time, so it is an oasis of sorts.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I'm a magpie. When I see others doing something and I'm sure I'll never be able to do it, that is enough to get me thinking, "Maybe you can... why don't you try... maybe if…?" and that won't stop until I start to tackle whatever I have seen someone else do so masterfully. But mostly, I'm fascinated with how color, shape and value can make a form suddenly appear as if by magic.

Main Street
(click here to see original image)

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

My motto "Never giving upping." I don't know if this sentence will make sense, but: I can't not paint. That would be like asking a dog not to wag its tail. Not possible.

I have noticed that I am working at a stronger pace since getting high speed internet a year ago and joining DPW. The feedback and friendships have made me work more and gain better skills.

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

Those darn neutrals. I am just starting to use them mindfully.

The other big one is "Ego." How not to let my heart rise or fall if I have a good painting day. I tell myself just showing up and participating is all I am responsible for. But I do sleep better when painting goes better.

Color Kitty Face
(click here to see original image)

When painting goes badly, I put my arms up in the surrender position, walk away from the easel and often mutter, "Jo Mackenzie: maker of chocolate chip cookies and petter of dogs," and then, after a while I feel better...

What makes you happiest about your art?

Being lucky enough to do it. I sometimes place the paper against my face or put a brush against my cheek and just feel those textures like a kiss. I told you.... it's puppy love.

Thanks, Jo!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine