DPW Spotlight Interview: Cindy Haase

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

To enter to win Cindy Haase's painting, "Dash of Pepper," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Cindy's DPW Gallery page:

My art education has been self-directed studying with some of the best in the medium of colored pencil and pastel. I serve as the national president of the Colored Pencil Society of America, and am a member of Impressionists Society of America, Missouri Valley Impressionists Society, and the Pastel Society of Colorado.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I walked into the little studio I shared with my painting partner and she was painting this huge canvas in oil with a big paintbrush. I suddenly felt envious. I put away my pastels, got out some old tubes of paint, a scruffy brush and began in December 2010.

Dash of Pepper
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the home page announcing Cindy's interview.

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

My goal was to go to college after high school and study art, but my first big stop was falling in love, marriage and two little baby boys. Then there was the care and feeding of the boys, so I worked in the corporate world for about 25 years. When I left my corporate job, I had no confidence in any of my artistic skills so rather than go back to drawing and painting, I started a decorative wood painting business, then managed a quilt shop and taught classes in quilting. After making dozens of small traditional art quilts, I began to explore art quilting and that's when my artistic sensibilities started to kick in. That was 2002.

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 took a year-long drawing class in 2002, which really helped my confidence and began exploring colored pencil on my own. My first five years back into my art, I worked only in colored pencil, took classes from some of the best CP artists, taught CP classes myself, and got involved in a the wonderful community of CP artists. I have been on the national board of the Colored Pencil Society of America since 2006 and have served as the president for the last year and a half... even though I don't work in colored pencil anymore.

Cat Nap
(click here to see original image)

In 2007, I began to dabble in pastels which was my first love as a little girl. (A neighbor had given me a box of pastels and some art books and I spent hours in my room creating.) A friend of mine was taking studio classes with master pastelist, Deborah Bays, who lives here in Denver. Deb is fluent in atmospheric realism and the light/shadow (chiaroscuro) approach to still life. I studied with her for 2.5 years and am indebted to her for the concepts she taught me. She not only taught me how to wield my pastels, but much of what she taught me has transferred to my oil painting.

Quang Ho is also a masterful Denver-based artist and I have several of his dvd's which have filled in any of the oil painting questions about the light/shadow approach. In this approach to painting everything is either in the light or the dark... so simple. It's also not so much about painting the objects but the structures created by the lights and shadows... again, simple. Yet, it is very challenging to put in practice.

So much of your beautiful work actually appears to be glowing! How do you do that?

That's an awesome compliment, but I'm not really sure. I paint mostly on Gessobord panels and anything bigger than a 6 x 6" is rare. I consciously minimize my use of white to mix colors, trying to express the light and shadow with pure color. Red is my favorite color and I like it best when it jumps off the painting surface and into your face. I learned a great deal about color mixing, temperature and saturation from my colored pencil "career," and even more about the quality of light from my pastel studies with Deb Bays.

Strawberries and Cream
(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 fight procrastination every day, but having a studio away from home helped. Sadly, my studio mate and I made the decision to give up the studio after two years for financial and other reasons this month. So for now, I have my oil painting "studio" set up in the dining room right next to the bank of north windows. It will stay out all the time, unless the President is coming to dinner.

I also have a black painting apron with a red chipotle pepper on the front. When the apron goes on, it is time to paint. Money is also a motivating factor.... no money... no fun stuff.

Vintage Bottle and Tea Roses
(click here to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I gravitate to fruits and vegetables as my painting subjects. The thought occasionally runs through my head to paint something else, but then I think about famous artists like Monet who painted the same thing over and over. There is always something new to be discovered, even if it an apple or a pear. Instead of different subject matter, I usually look for a different approach to expressing my artistic vision, like exaggerating edges, or scratching into wet/dry paint.

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

I love to look at good art and follow dozens of talented artists on Facebook, always looking at how they handle edges or light, or a particularly difficult passage in their paintings. Also interesting to me is when a fabulous painting touches me: what is it that I'm responding to and how do I incorporate that quality into my own art? I've always been a "learner" (I could have been a professional student if I had the money!), so the constant challenge of learning new things keeps me motivated and my art fresh.

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

I love the philosophy of Quang Ho about the different levels of seeing. I'm heavily paraphrasing here. At first, you are just so darned happy to be able to make your brush turn out a decent representation of an apple... that would be first level. Then you move beyond the literal interpretation to "What is there to say about this apple?" and how do to go about expressing that. The third level is.... well, I haven't gotten there yet. I'm still at the second level and happy to be so.

Pepper and Jug
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

I grew up in a family with a father who was quite authoritative. My interpretation, most probably not his intention, was that what I had to say was not that brilliant. I think he was trying to instill humility. For me, art is my personal language... I am free to see and communicate whatever I want. It's a conversation between my insides and the outside world, whoever is interested in joining the conversation.

Thanks, Cindy!

© 2013 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Carol Nelson

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

To enter to win Carol Nelson's painting, "Gemstone 11," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Carol's DPW Gallery page:

I have been painting for about 12 years. My formal art education was in the form of workshops taken from nationally known artists. Now I teach other artists my mixed media techniques in Colorado and around the country.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I was an art major many years ago, but my degree is in a scientific field – I wanted a career where I knew I could support myself. Art was on the back burner for years, until one day, a chance encounter in Hobby Lobby lead me to pick up a copy of Maxine Masterfield’s book, Painting the Spirit of Nature. Looking through the book I was enthralled. I bought all the supplies suggested in the book, and that began my painting career.

Gemstone 11
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the home page announcing Carol's interview.

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

No, once I started painting in 1998, it has been full steam ahead. As a matter of fact, the pace of my art career, which is now a full time (plus) job, has only quickened with each passing year.

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 first started out with pouring inks and watercolor. Then, because I hated matting and framing under glass, I switched to oils and acrylics. Acrylics naturally lead to mixed media because of all the mediums and other materials that can be incorporated into an acrylic painting.

Batik Poppies
(click here to see original image)

Encaustics is something I’ve always wanted to try – it’s a natural progression for a mixed media painter I think.

I love the rich, jewel-tones of both your abstracts and still lifes. What can you tell us about how you are either pulled to create representational art or something more nebulous?

I love both representational and abstract art. I find the most satisfaction for my creative drive, however, in abstract work. I find it much more challenging to create a work of art that, in the beginning of the creative process, I have no idea how it is “supposed” to look.

The rich jewel tones of my work are the result of painting with layers of Golden fluid acrylics, which are very transparent, yet with high pigment content.

Frosty Morning
(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?

Procrastination is Pinterest (lol). Reading volumes of email, Facebook, Youtube, and other computer activity can suck up a whole day. It seems like I’m always working under a deadline – an upcoming show, class, workshop, or other reason to have work available, and that’s a great motivator.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Lots of things inspire me to be creative. Seeing the work of other artists is one, discovering a new technique or material is another. I love experimenting and trying new things – acrylics are MADE for that kind of thing.

Watchful Eyes
(click here to see original image)

My greatest ideas come in the early morning when I’m in bed halfway awake, although sometimes they’re not so great after I’ve had my coffee.

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

I teach classes in the fall, and workshops all year round. I’m always searching for new things, new techniques, new materials to share with my students.

Often times, a walk through Home Depot will reveal some new thing I can use in a painting. Or, as referenced earlier, browsing on Pinterest is a world of discovery. I just discovered the art of nkisi, from the African Congo tribes using rusty nails – can’t wait to try that on one of my assemblages.

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

I am investigating pouring acrylics – creating art without a brush. I would like to try being less controlled in some of my abstract work.

My Painting on the Cover of the Blick Catalog
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

Art makes my life filled with purpose. I am always busy. It’s very gratifying to hear wonderful comments from people all over the world about my work. Knowing that my work inspires other artists to expand their artistic vision is the best.

Thanks, Carol!

© 2013 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Nora Bergman

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

To enter to win Nora Bergman's painting, "St. John's Bridge," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Nora's DPW Gallery page:

I'm an artist/mom living out my dreams in Clatskanie, Oregon with my husband and three young boys. Originally from Minnesota, I studied Interior Design and Art at North Dakota State University.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I've been very creative my entire life. I was always doodling, sewing, painting things onto my clothes, making the posters for school – just always crafty. I was the kid who got calligraphy kits and drawing supplies as gifts and loved it. My favorite teachers were the ones that incorporated art into learning, and my seventh grade art teacher taught me all I've ever needed to know about drawing in perspective. I enjoyed school and did well, but didn't really think I had the gumption to make 'art' a career, so I eventually landed in an interior design program. I would finish the drafting and designing part of a project as quickly as possible in order to get to my favorite part, the design rendering.

St. John's Bridge
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the home page announcing Nora's interview.

Throughout my education, I've taken many art and art/color theory courses, but never a painting class. After graduation from college, I avoided the design world and started down a rather random work path including youth ministry, floral design and picture framing. About fifteen years ago, I moved to the west coast and one of my friends suggested I try painting a mural on another friend's dining room wall. One painting led to another, and I essentially learned how to paint on bathroom and bedroom walls and living room ceilings.

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

Painting murals was only ever a part-time occupation for me, but I happily painted what other people wanted, thinking of fine art as a 'maybe someday' option. I knew I didn't have the inspiration or motivation, and, frankly, was terrified that I wasn't good enough.
In 2004, I married my amazing husband, Alan, and within the following seven years, we added three little boys to our family. Painting was random and rare for me during that time, but I did start my blog then, mostly just to have an online place to document all the work I had done up to that point.

In 2011, our family experienced a sudden loss that was heart-breaking, and for me, life-altering. It was as if God gave me a little shake and said, “Are you seriously going to let fear continue to stop you from really living?” All those trite cliches about seizing the day, living in the moment, you only have today, well, suddenly they were oh-so-real. A switch was flipped in me, and I haven't looked back.

Whatever Befall
(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?

I painted strictly with acrylics up until last year, and still enjoy using them. When my 'someday' became 'today', I went to my friend, the internet, to learn about oil paints. After a time, I stumbled onto Daily Paintworks and the art-blogging community. Right around this time, the ArtBytes were introduced, and Carol Marine became my teacher. I literally took her supply list to the Utrecht store in Portland and filled my basket. I nearly went crazy at first, trying to keep mud from appearing on my board, but every attempt brought small successes and things learned.

Since I haven't even been at the oils for a full year, I'm really looking forward to the continued learning and improving, to someday feeling like I actually know what I'm doing. And, to figuring out if I'm cleaning my brushes the right way!

I just love your scenes of a quiet, rural life. What can you tell us about how you find painterly inspiration, whether it's tools, a window latch or a grain silo?

Hmmm, I guess it's because it's what I know. I'm a farmer's daughter and the descendant of extremely resourceful souls - a junker at heart - so I see beauty in those things. Fields of crops, rural architecture, small town life, a tool that's been held in someone's hand over the course of decades -- I don't just see these as things, I see the people that came before us, I see their hard work, their dedication, their struggle, their legacy. I suppose I'm subconsciously trying to preserve a bit of it, to capture my own memories and experiences in a way that is interesting and unique. On the other hand, I'm secretly obsessed with urban areas and the way people live in large cities, for much the same reasons. I haven't experienced it myself, but if I do, I'm sure it'll show up in my art.

Old Glory
(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?

Well, for the first time in my entire life, that word doesn't really apply to me! I've been the queen of procrastinators in the past, but I've never before felt a sense of urgency and excitement like I do now. I feel like a late arrival to the daily painting party, so I'm trying to catch up! I have so much to learn, so much I want to paint, and I'm a full-time mom, so my time is precious. But, having all these responsibilities is an advantage -- I accomplish much, much more when my schedule is full.

Right now, what seems to be working is to paint first thing in the morning. For those who know me even a little, this is shocking! I've been a night owl for 39 years, and suddenly, I can't wait to get up in the morning to start a new day of painting. The more frequently I paint, the faster I achieve the results I want and the sooner I can give my full attention back to my family and the other chores of the day.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I paint from my photographs and have learned to take my camera whenever I leave the house. Also, I take photos of my still-life setups and paint everything from my computer monitor. It's easier for me to 'see' the composition when I get it on the screen – I can crop, re-crop, manipulate it all until it's just how I like it. This is the part that can hold me up – deciding what to paint. But, I'm getting faster and the more frequently I paint, the less I submit to the need to choose that 'just-right, super-special' composition or subject matter. Just get on to the work! Time's a wastin'!

Phone Book
(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?

Since I've only been at this for less than a year, I haven't really had a chance to get burned out. I certainly have off days, where I can try painting all day and end up with nothing but extreme frustration, but I'm learning to fall forward. To not let the mistakes of today stay with me tomorrow, to move on, on to the next! No looking back! That's been the really freeing part of daily painting in a small format. Often, I'm thinking of what to paint next before I'm done with what I'm working on. I don't get too attached to my work.

I also change my subject matter frequently – still-life, landscape, car, I'm kind of all over the place. I do the same with my style; some days I want to see the details, others, I get a little loosey-goosey and just roll with it. I suppose when I'm at this for a few years I might settle into a narrower focus, but, I doubt it. That doesn't really feel like me.

Oregon Winter
(click here to see original image)

Of course, I'm not naive enough to think this crazy enthusiasm I have now will never wane, but hopefully if it does, daily painting will be a well-established habit, a natural part of my everyday life. When I do struggle, I take a break, get some sleep, do something completely different. I have a gazillion art-bloggers on my Google Reader, so flipping through the blogs on my phone before bed, seeing the new paintings posted on DPW each night, seeing what others have done each day really spurs me on. The community of this all is really, really encouraging.

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

Everything! Mostly, I'm learning that baby steps are better than no steps. If I can't do it all, or I can't do it all exactly the way I want to right away, don't freak out. Just paint! My to-do list of things to paint, things to learn about painting, or the internet or websites or marketing, etc, is exceedingly long, as I'm sure it is for most people, so I'm learning to take these other things one small baby step at a time and just really put my main focus on the art itself.

Reflecting Elm
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

When the completed painting in my head actually shows up on the panel!

The act of creating is just so rewarding to me, and when someone spends their hard-earned money on my work, well, that's just awesome, but the feeling that I'm actually living the life God intended for me is most satisfying.

Thanks, Nora!

© 2013 Jennifer Newcomb Marine