DPW Spotlight Interview: Mike Etie

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

To enter to win Mike's painting, "El Capitan West Texas," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Mike's DPW Gallery page:

I have been painting seriously since 1996. I live in Austin and have my studio and gallery there. It is a beautiful studio with skylight and track lighting which gives me plenty of natural or artificial light as I need to paint. I work primarily in pastels and occasionally oil. My subjects are primarily landscapes from many trips to the Texas hill country and the mountains of New Mexico. I love to be in the Santa Fe area where the light is pure and scenery is spectacular.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I have always enjoyed drawing and fooling around with color. Not until 1996, after selling my business, did I decide to get more serious about art. I just felt a strong desire, almost a need, to follow my creative nature into fine art. I also love to play golf. Golf is an opportunity to get out into nature. Like Sam Snead said "a walk in the park with three other guys." So I set my goals to be a single digit handicap golfer and an artist who sells paintings. Since then my handicap is 4.3 last year and I have sold over 150 paintings since 1998.

El Capitan West Texas
(click here to see original image)

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

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

I have been pretty diligent about progressing with my art, but like any serious endeavor it has not been a straight line going up in the right direction. I also believe one must seek a balance in life. I have times when my art is not flowing easily; I have to struggle to produce. When I am having difficulty in my studio, I will sometimes go to the driving range or work on my short game at the golf course. I consider those two activities, golf and art, the same because one serves the other.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Experimentation equals creativity. I have worked in pastels, oil pastels, oils, acrylics, and watercolors. I keep coming back to pastels. I think it has to do with my enjoyment of drawing. Familiarity with the medium allows me to experiment with subjects, surfaces, size, and color. It is important for me to immerse myself in the process and not focus on the results. Experimentation initiates the process. When I am experimenting, my expectations are lower and the experience is more fun. Too many artists worry about the finished product and not the process.

Sky Study
(click here to see original image)

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

I love being an oil painter and a pastellist. I have sold oils but I would have to say I am a pastellist. There are differences between pastels and oils that are obvious: brush no brush, mixing colors and fixed color in each stick, use of a medium or not, and pastels are framed in glass not oils. I still do both. I am getting better with oils, but I will always be a pastellist.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I would like to work more with watercolors and ink. The idea of mixed media is intriguing to me. Once a base is established, then creativity kicks in. A structure created from watercolor and ink would be a very interesting place to start.

Below Old Baldy
(click here to see original image)

What can you tell us about your greatest influences and how you developed your style?

All my life I have loved to study and practice. I go to lots of museums, have many periodical subscriptions and have a good art book collection. French Impressionism formed my love of art and painting. But when I found the Taos artists, I got really turned on to being an artist. Edgar Payne, Maynard Dixon, Nicolai Fechin, Ernest Blumschein, and Oscar Berninghaus, all of these artists became known for their use of impressionists technique and American subjects. All of these painters shared a love for innovation and adventure. These artist were trailblazers in every possible way.

What does procrastination look like for you?

Procrastination is driven by a desire to have a finished product. I don't focus on that, I focus on the process which is its own endeavor and has its own rewards. Like the saying, "there are no ends, only means." As long as I am moving, doing, thinking, planning, and organizing, I am not procrastinating. Procrastination comes from fear, fear of failure.

Storm Coming, Taos NM
(click here to see original image)

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I don't really employ any techniques per se. I enjoy my life. Doing art is a part of that life. Just like golf, family and business... art happens. What else do I have to do?

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Albert Handel has a rule about finding a place to paint. He says, never drive more than 30 minutes from home, when you arrive never walk more than 100 yards, when you start painting look for subjects 360 degrees around you. I try to paint subjects from my world, from scenes that are familiar. I try to remember, good photographs don't always make for good paintings and there maybe many good paintings in one photograph. I ask myself why I am drawn to an image; I want to know what is interesting to me. Other artists inspire me to investigate their motifs. I am interested in Milt Kobayashi right now. He is featured in a show at Gallery on Shoal Creek.

Hiking Lake Tahoe
(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 constantly compare my current work against my past work, I compare against other artists, I look for trends in my work, and I push myself to understand art that is inexplicable. I stay open and loose in my style and approach to learning. I like to surprise myself by changing my preferences.

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

I have been interested in real life as abstraction in line and mass. The work of Wolf Kahn, Richard Diebenkorn, Hans Hoffman are examples of artists who I would like to understand. The ability to see in a different way and share that vision is what has me searching right now.

What makes you happiest about your art?

It makes me happy for other people to like my work and want to own it!

Thanks, Mike!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Carol Carmichael

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

To enter to win Carol's painting, "White Face" 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 always loved to draw but have translated that into a love of oil painting after working with some excellent teachers. I strive to capture the viewers interest through color, brushwork and light. I paint what makes me happy and some of those things are animals, people, and still life. I am definitely a work in progress and thank God every day that I get the opportunity to paint. 

I received a BA in art education and taught art at the high school level for four years before retiring to raise three sons. My sons are officially raised now so I paint most every day. I live in Vestavia Hills, Alabama with my husband Dan. 

My work is represented in Loretta Goodwin gallery in Birmingham, AL, DK gallery in Marietta, GA and Heidi's Interiors in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I have always loved to draw, but did not start painting until about twelve years ago. I found a local oil painter that I admired and took classes from her. Margie Phelps was the artist. I liked how loose and colorful her work was. When I first began painting, I really tried to draw with the paint. It took a while for me to evolve from drawing a painting to painting a painting. I was one of those students, like so many, who want to learn everything in a day. I wanted to paint like my teacher in a week. I learned it is a long and wonderful process that develops over time, with lots of hard work. It makes me happy to think that I am nowhere close to where I may end up as a painter. No ceiling!

White Face
(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?

When I first began painting, I tried to paint pretty often because I had so much that I wanted to learn. But I had times in the first seven or so years of my painting journey that I took long periods off. I am one of those who has been inspired by daily painters. I guess my art trinity would be Jurick, Marine and Huang. Their work influenced and inspired me to paint more often and, as a result, my style and confidence improved. It makes sense that the more you do something, the better you become.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I was an art education major in college so we had to minor in either sculpture, print making or painting. I went to a small liberal arts school and there was only one painting instructor and he was into geometric abstraction. I was not, so I became a printmaking minor. I have experimented with metal etching, lithograph and linoleum prints. It was a pretty good fit for me because of my love of drawing. I have not done any print making since teaching my high school students which was many moons ago.

Kendal
(click here to see original image)

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

I started out primarily painting still life from live set ups. I think that is an excellent way to learn basic skills. I moved into doing figures and animals from there. The one genre I have not studied much is landscape. I include landscape in with a lot of my figures and animals, but I do not really know what I am doing. I only know a few basics about landscape. I just moved on to some new property that has a beautiful creek running in front of it so I have a great, new prop.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I would love to learn more about clay works. I have some experience with the potter's wheel and think I would be more interested in slab work and design. I think it would be interesting to learn about glazes and firing methods.

Dreamy
(click here to see original image)

Did you always want and know you were going to be an artist?

No. Ain't life grand? I always got some attention for my drawing skills, but never really fathomed myself selling artwork. Before learning to paint, I did sketches of people for family and some friends. This has been such a pleasant surprise and I am grateful to have a talent that I can share with others that brings them and ME pleasure.

What does procrastination look like for you?

I have always worked in an area of my home so house work and the like are always an easy distraction. I am also easily distracted by the computer. Squirrels too!

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I am at my best late morning to early afternoon. I work my schedule around this period. I have huge admiration for folks who manage to fit painting in before or after another job. I have taken advantage of this period in my life; I do not have a lot of obstacles in the way. I know that could change any day.

Mapquest
(click here to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I keep a camera close by on trips or sometimes go out specifically to take photos. I am inspired by how light hits objects, people, animals, land, etc. I am pretty obnoxious to be with at the beach because I do not relax at all. I get quietly angry when people get in my camera angle. Many times the way I decide what I want to paint is what shapes or light jump out at me from looking at my thumbnail photos on the computer. I love still life too and always paint those from a live set up. I am usually inspired my what is in season.

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

I have a bit of attention deficit disorder when it comes to painting and I think that is one reason I don't get burned out. I paint whatever catches my attention that day unless I have to work on a commission. Some might say that I should narrow down my field of subject matter, but I am a believer in doing whatever brings you happiness. I have been fortunate in painting what many want to buy, for the most part. I love to take workshops from artists that I admire. That definitely keeps things fresh and increases my knowledge and skill.

Birds of a Feather
(click here to see original image)

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

I have recently built a studio and would like to begin teaching. I plan to get out all my notes from various workshops and think about what was the most beneficial to me. I do not want to waste anyone's time so I have lots of studying up and organizing to do.

What makes you happiest?

A lot of my work makes others feel pleasure. It feels so great when your work evokes emotion from onlookers. Especially happiness, because you can never have too much of that!

Thanks, Carol!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Graham Berry

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

To enter to win Graham Berry's painting, "Lazing in the Park," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Graham's DPW Gallery page:

Graham Berry was born in Bolton, Lancashire, England. Graham studied Graphic Design at Blackpool College of Art, he later studied Illustration at Wimbledon College of Art. After graduating in 1971 he was employed as an Illustrator/visualiser at a small design studio in Soho, London. 

In 1976, Graham decided to go 'freelance' and has gone on to have a very successful career as an Illustrator, winning a DADA award for his Illustrations and also featuring in several Association of Illustrators annuals. 

In 1990, Graham moved back 'up North' to the Fylde coast, where he now lives with his wife, Pauline. Graham has had to move with the times and all his commercial illustration is now done digitally. It was this fact and the downturn in the economy which allowed time for Graham to return to his first love, painting and drawing.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I've always loved to draw and paint. My talent, such as it is, was inherited from my mother, who was a very gifted artist. A teacher at junior school told my mother that when I left school, I should go to art college. So I never really thought about doing anything else but going to art college. When I finally got to art college, I loved it. Although the course was for Graphic design, we were encouraged to draw as much as possible. When I completed my diploma I moved to London to do a post graduate course specializing in illustration. After completing my course, I stayed in London and was employed as an illustrator/visualizer in a small design studio in Soho.

Lazing in the Park
(click here to see original image)

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

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

I've never considered myself a painter. Although I've drawn and painted most days for the past 40 years, it was as an illustrator. Any painting I did in my spare time were done to promote my illustration career. Only since I went 100% digital with my illustration work, can I separate myself as a painter. I consider the start of my painting only 2 years ago. My digital illustration is done in my downstairs office and my paintings are done in a spare bedroom upstairs, two totally separate places, both physically and mentally, which is very important to me.

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 have used most media, including Gouache, acrylic, oil, colored pencil, scratchboard, airbrush, woodcut, and pastel. Most of these have been mainly in my illustration work. Over the years, I have gradually specialized in watercolor, although some of my largest commissions were oil portraits. One of which was a racehorse owner and his two winning horses, measuring 40" x 60"! I do hope to produce more oil paintings this summer. I aim also to paint more outside instead of just from photos and sketches.

Old Boat, Sunderland Point
(click here to see original image)

You have an incredibly consistent style. How did you come about it?

I suppose my consistent style owes a lot to my experience as an illustrator, working from art director's briefs, tight deadlines, etc. You have to be able to produce work that is consistent with what is in your portfolio or your work will be rejected. Now as a painter, if a painting is not something I am happy with I will rip it up and start afresh. Somedays, I feel I'll never paint anything decent, but you've just got to work through it.

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

If I don't feel like painting, I will stretch 5 or 6 watercolor sheets and do the initial pencil drawings. That way, when I do feel more like painting, I can go straight at it. I must admit though, I am very self disciplined and if I need to get a painting done I will do it whether I feel like it or not.

Cotswold Sunshine
(click here to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I'm always on the look out for images that will make interesting paintings. I try to take my camera with me at all times, just in case I see something that appeals. Other times, I will go to a specific place or event with the intention of getting material for painting; usually I will do a series of paintings from those photos or sketches. At the moment, I am trying to include figures in my paintings. Figures always bring a painting to life and provide a narrative to the scene. I also look at other artist's work for inspiration, although I've only recently joined Daily Paintworks, the work I see on here is very inspiring.

Nuevo San Ramon
(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?

Burn out does happen occasionally. If I feel it is happening, I concentrate on drawing and attend life drawing classes once a week. Recently, having read 'Expressive Figure Drawing' by Bill Buchman, I spent a month just going through the exercises in the book; it really changed the way I approached life drawing. Sometimes it is a good idea to get out of your comfort zone.

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

Every painting I produce adds to my knowledge of what works or doesn't work. I've got quite a lot of painting books by contemporary artists discussing methods and materials; I devour them. I've also bookmarked hundreds of painter's websites. I read about their experiences and of course look at their work. It was in doing this that led me to first see Carol Marine's work and watch her Artbytes. That then led me to becoming a member of Daily Paintworks.

Going 'Cockling'
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

Well the first thing is I just love painting, always have, but like most artists, I'm never really happy with my work. I'm always full of self doubt and self criticism. It can also be a very solitary life, so it is always good to hear positive feedback from other artists. It also makes me happy that someone likes my work enough to buy it and put it on their wall, that is the ultimate seal of approval.

Thanks, Graham!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Ria Hills

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


To enter to win Ria Hills' painting, "Nautilus," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Ria's DPW Gallery page:

In 2006, I set a goal to complete a painting a day making small works more affordable to collectors. What I discovered through the process was improvement in my work through discipline and the joy of painting simple subjects. Although I do not complete a painting each day, I devote a few hours a day to working in my studio.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

For the longest time, I wanted to be an artist. I've been painting on and off since I was a teenager. I lived on Long Island, NY at the time. As soon I got my driver's license, I spent many weekends in NYC at art museums. I'd go home and copy paintings I liked to see if I could do the same.

I started taking my path seriously after being introduced to a sculptor/painter by the name of Alfred Van Loen. I visited him in his home where the walls were filled with paintings from artist friends. This man spent most of his time creating and was able to make a living from it. This is the life I want, I thought. His best advice to me was: never stop drawing.  A very common bit of advice and I still adhere to it.

Nautilus
(click here to see original image)

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

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

I have had many interruptions in my painting career. Work, family obligations, procrastination. When I was twenty-four, my husband and I started a family. During that time I took occasional commissions but my main focus was my children. I greatly admire painters who raise a family and also continue with their art. I didn't think it was possible at the time.

About twenty years ago, a friend of mine was writing a children's book and asked me to draw the illustrations. We decided that pastel would be a great medium for it. Prior to this, I had worked mostly in pen and ink for a number of years. I fell in love with the vivid color and the direct contact of pastels at this time.

In 2006, I joined the online daily painting community and as a result, I started selling my work on a regular basis. Being a professional painter has always been a goal and it has finally been realized.
My stops at times lasted for years. Now, it's just a matter of days until I get back to studio work. Although I don't complete a painting a day, I spend everyday doing something related to my art.

Blue Boat
(click here to see original image)

What mediums and genres have you experimented with? Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

For much of my life, I have bounced from one medium to another. I've worked with watercolor, acrylics and oils. I had a clay period. Someday, I would really enjoy sculpting.

Before I became a daily painter, a lot of my work was surreal. Although I enjoy building on a concept, I don't feel that I have the time to pursue this genre partly because the paintings would be larger than what I usually paint and the planning takes longer.

What is freeing about daily painting is that I need to complete a painting in a matter of days. There's not much time for rumination.

Pastel has become my main medium and it's here to stay. I love working with oils, but I don't feel that I can offer the quality of work that I do with pastels. At least, not yet. I plan to work in oils more in the near future.

As far as genres go, I love them all. I would love to explore abstract landscape painting, but there's only so much time in a day.

Artesa Vineyards & Winery, Napa CA
(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 mentioned this awful word already, didn't I? Procrastination has had many faces. It was my favorite pastime until I started selling work on a regular basis. Some days procrastination looked like a monitor and keyboard, then it took the form of incessantly cleaning and rearranging the studio. Other days, I just thought too much about what to paint rather than painting it. For the most part, I've overcome this demon. These days I have more deadlines to meet, which I love. As a result, the length of my procrastination is much shorter than it was in the past.

Making time for art is my top priority. The word "schedule" comes to mind. I can become seriously side tracked and overwhelmed with life stuff. The more I schedule things that need to get done (and actually do them), the more time I have for painting.

How do you handle criticism (from yourself or others) and how do you use it to propel you forward with your art?

I'm my worst critic. I'm extremely harsh on myself and I didn't always take it very well from others. I think I've gained a bit more humility over the years. At least I hope I have. Self criticism once kept me from growing as a painter. As I've become older, I've learned to separate from my ego and look at my work with a more objective eye rather than throwing in the towel.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

It varies. For my surreal work, I see images in my head. Some are inspired by music, others by dreams. I either write them down or make a quick sketch. I'd like to get back to completing the process by painting these images. I'm working towards spending more time in the studio so I can.

Some of my paintings are inspired by the subjects themselves. The shape of a piece of fruit, the visual stimulation of unusual pairing of objects, the humor in a formal arrangement of food. Ninety-five percent of the time, the painting looks better than the object. Once I remember this, it's easier to just grab anything, arrange it if it's paired with other stuff and then just get to painting. It's the process and progress of the piece that makes me happiest.

Blue and Orange
(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 hope that my work stays fresh by continually challenging myself. I want each new piece to be better than the previous one. I keep saying to myself, I'm pleased with this but I can do better by struggling a bit more each time.

In the distant past, more paintings were trashed than not. I'm improving, so the odds of trashing a painting these days are unlikely. I learn from my "mistakes" rather than allowing my mistakes to set me back.

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

I'm learning to step out of my comfort zone in my work and also as an artist trying to make her business grow. I've also learned that success is not only for other people, which I once believed.

Scout and Benny
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

Besides the actual process, it's that people want to hang it on their walls. I receive wonderful emails from people who have purchased my work and they always make me smile.

I really appreciate them. They have provided encouragement and helped me pay my bills, which I'll always be grateful for.

Thanks, Ria!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Christopher Clark

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

To enter to win Christopher Clark's painting, "Lake Tahoe Stream," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Christopher's DPW Gallery page:

His travels, inspiration, and education have taken him all around the world, including Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, and Mexico. His award-winning paintings have been collected and shown in private and corporate collections around the world.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I've been doing art my whole life since I was a kid. I used to watch Bob Ross on TV and mimic what he was doing, but with crayons.

Lake Tahoe Stream
(click here to see original image)

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

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

I have had periods of my life where I've focused on either art or music. For the longest time, I chose one or the other, for a few years at a time. Just over two years ago I made the decision to focus almost all my attention on my artwork, and have been pursuing it very passionately since then.

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?

When I started studying art seriously I began with mostly pencil, doing super-meticulous, photo-quality rendered drawings. I was kinda scared to do anything with color for a long time. I ventured forth into color using pastels and chalks, still clinging to the pencil-style art I was comfortable with.

I then made the decision to start painting in acrylics, which opened my world up to the versatility of the paint medium, and experimented a ton with mixed mediums and textures, painting on wood, etc. because you can pretty much paint on anything with acrylic. I finally settled on the more classical approach of oil on canvas, as I started studying old masters and so many of their timeless techniques, and this is my current preferred medium. I do still like to do value studies and sketching in charcoal.

Golden Hay
(click here to see original image)

Many of your paintings are suffused with "the golden hour" light of sunset or sunrise. What can you tell us about the kind of light you're drawn to painting and why?

It's my absolute favorite time of day. In fact, I have a secret fantasy to move to the northern Netherlands or something where during some seasons it's like that 24 hours a day (and I'm moving to Europe this summer, so that fantasy may not be too far fetched).

I think everything looks better during that time of day, as the sun is low and its warm, orange light shines through everything and makes the world translucent. The leaves on a tree glow the most gorgeous green, a grassy field becomes full of dazzling light, and a girl's hair is a halo of gold. Everything looks so magical at that time of day, and I just can't capture it enough. I'll oftentimes add that lighting to my subject even if it isn't there when I'm painting it.

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

Procrastination comes in the form of being drawn to my other passions in life: playing music (I play guitar and sing), and dancing (I do vintage dances from the 1920s and 30s - Jitterbug / Lindy Hop / Swing / Charleston / etc). I'm always torn between these other forms of art, that I don't always get to focus on my painting as much as I'd like. The only way I ensure that I make time for my art is if I choose to stay home and do it, and not go out dancing, or not pick up my guitar and practice all night. But it's a very endearing battle, because I love all of them so much.

The Big Apple
(click here to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I really try to paint things that I see in my daily life, or that I've seen during my travels. I take tons of photos with my phone whenever I'm out somewhere, and sometimes the most random pictures that I snapped from my car window on the freeway become my most popular paintings (not the safest form of artistic expression, I'm sure).

I do love painting places that I've traveled to, because it allows me to relive those beautiful, exotic places again, and share those travels with other people. The most common place I paint is Italy. I've spent time there in the past, and I will be moving there this summer, so expect lots more Italy paintings in the near future. And I can't deny it, people freakin' love paintings of Italy, so it works well for both me and my customers.

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

I only paint things that I love. I had a brief stint in the decor art market, and I can't tell you how fast I got burned out on the idea of painting the same dull poppies or chrysanthemums, or doing the same boring typography designs of the words "Love," "Hope," "Friends," "Laughter," etc. Blech. I still have a connection with the decor market, but I now only supply them with paintings that I love, like landscapes or people or anything else that I get really involved in.

Florence, Italy - The House Next Door
(click here to see original image)

I recommend going out into the world and finding what makes your heart sing, and painting that. Don't paint from other people's photos, don't paint what you think people will buy, but only paint what you love. Because only then will you love to paint it, and only then will people buy it.

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

I'm studying technique as much as possible. Devouring everything written by Andrew Loomis and Richard Schmid, watching every video by Johnnie Liliedahl and Zaoming Whu, etc. I recently took a semester of workshops from Vadim Zanginian in LA. I feel like I do possess a lot of natural spirit for painting, but learning sound technique is the only way to truly have control over every brushstroke you ever make.

Drawing, values, color, edges, composition, linear perspective, aerial perspective, anatomy, color theory, light behavior, shadows... These things have become invaluable to me as an emerging professional artist trying to set myself apart from the ocean of other artists out there. And they will ultimately enable me to most effectively communicate my feelings through my paintings. Rather than stifle or hinder the creative forces as many artists would feel, it sets you free in unimaginable ways to successfully tackle any painting you can envision.

Castelfranco, Florence, Italy VII(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

I have to admit, I'm happy that I'm pretty decent at it (and I hope I don't ever think I'm "great" at it, then I'll have a personal problem). When I have a vision in my head, I'm very confident I can bring it to life in a painting. My art makes people happy, and that makes me happy. Plus I do actually sell paintings, which is a great bonus, I can't deny. But ultimately, it makes me happiest when people look at my art and feel spoken to.

Thanks, Christopher!

© 2013 Jennifer Newcomb Marine