Thursday, March 27, 2014

DPW Spotlight Interview: Kim Testone

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

To enter to win Kim's painting, "Glass of Coke" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Kim's DPW Gallery page:

Kim Testone is a Central Florida artist and former art magazine editor and journalist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drawing from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration from Savannah College of Art and Design. As a painter, she is primarily self-taught, crediting her technique to the scrutiny of various instructional books, magazine articles, and online videos. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Although I graduated with a degree in art in 2000, I only began painting about a year and a half ago. I had only learned to use acrylics in college, and I hated the work I had produced, so I stopped painting almost entirely for more than a decade. Eventually, I got a job working in the arts, and after several years of talking to hundreds of artists and looking at thousands of paintings, I really came to a point where I thought, life is short, and I want to learn to paint. I also learned, after looking at so many other artists’ works, that I wanted to work realistically and that I wanted to try oils. So I bought a bunch of books, read a bunch of magazines and watched several hundred Youtube videos.

Glass of Coke
(click to see original image)

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

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

I don’t think the first painting career ever got started, if you could even call it that. After college, I didn’t have any idea what it meant to be a painter. Not only did I have no technique, I had nothing to say in my work. I did a few random pet portraits for people over the years, but I never painted anything from myself. I very much consider painting to be a new career for me.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

At some point, I tried everything – photography, acrylics, pastels, watercolor, gouache. In college, and probably for a few years afterward, I tried doing abstract work, expressionism, illustration. I just kept trying to find my place, as I was so desperate to create and so disappointed when I couldn’t make anything of substance.

Green Tea Bag
(click to see original image)

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

I really think I’ve found my place, working in realist painting and in oils. But I had to make a commitment to it, because I think it’s easy to keep wanting to try everything. So little by little, I began giving my other supplies away to take away the temptation – first my manual Nikon camera (which I had used for black and white photography) to a friend, then my pastels, watercolors and gouache to my nephew and nieces. It was cathartic, actually. I did keep the acrylics, as I think I could learn to work with them with proper training and experimentation.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I’ll definitely keep with realist painting, but I’d like to put some time into working with acrylics the right way, not the way I learned in college. There are some really wonderful acrylic artists creating amazing realist work with a bit of a graphic quality, like Erin Cone and Mel Leipzig. But they are able to manipulate the acrylics in ways that I never could. So I’d like to give it a try again, see if it would help me learn to simplify some of the shapes in my larger works especially.

Secret Identity
(click to see original image)

Who or what inspires you most?

As a realist painter, I try to look for the normal little things in life, the things that are colorful, or make me feel at peace, or remind me of something special. My larger works, which I don’t post to Daily Paintworks, are currently of baseball stadium concession stands and crowds, because my husband and I go to lots of Spring Training games and when I was working a really demanding job, that was one of the few places where I really felt at peace. And I tried to capture these little peaceful introspective moments of the concession stand workers and crowds in my paintings. But the small works I post to Daily Paintworks help me develop my technique and boost my confidence so I can pursue my larger pieces.

What does procrastination look like for you?

I’m not intentionally a procrastinator, but I often do try to do too much in a day, and so that affects my painting.

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

One thing that helps is to remember a writing by Carol Marine that I found on Daily Paintworks when I first began painting, way before I signed up to be a member on the site. She talked about how, before she began painting, she spent all her time cleaning and had the cleanest house in her neighborhood, but was depressed until she began painting, and then her cleaning took more of a back seat. So when I look around the house and think about all of the other things I could be doing, I try to keep my priorities straight and think, the dishes can wait, I need to make time to paint.

Watching the Team Practice
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I think I’m subtly obsessed with Americans’ fascination with food and confections. They become almost objects of adoration, decorated just so. And packaging, I am really interested in the marketing and packaging of food as well. So I think that’s pretty evident in my small pieces, but maybe that’s why my larger series is focused on concession stands now; they have people in the paintings but surrounded by all of this packaging and food, until it becomes a kind of weird landscape of plastic colors and textures. It’s comforting, in a way, because it’s what we’re used to in contemporary society. Ironically, though, I have a bunch of food allergies and can’t actually eat anything I paint. Sigh.

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

Right now, I think my brain and artistic voice are ahead of my skill as a painter. I have so many ideas about painting series I want to develop. But I think that doing the small paintings keeps me more disciplined, so that I continue to develop my skill regularly and can create bigger paintings at a greater skill level, too. I enjoy looking at the first few pieces I did in late 2012 and compare them to how I paint now and actually feel like I am making progress.

In Case of Chocolate Emergency
(click to see original image)

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

I believe I will always be learning something new, but I suppose the things that I am learning most are: 1) Keep the painting formula as simple as possible; 2) focus more on lighting and composition; 3) take better photos of my paintings; and 4)forgive myself when I ruin a piece and move on. A couple of months ago, someone recommended a really excellent book to me as well, “Problem Solving for Oil Painters,” by Gregg Kreutz. It was exactly what I needed at this stage of my painting, and I’d highly recommend it for anyone who wants to take their work to the next level. I’m still working my way through it!

What makes you happiest about your art?

I think we all go through life searching for something that is completely our own, and painting is that for me. I like being at a point in my life where I feel like I am ready to become a painter. Even if I had learned to use oils in college, I would not have known what to paint, not really. While I think everyone hopes their art impacts the world in some small way, I’ll be happy if my paintings just encourage my nephew and nieces and collectors to open their eyes and notice things they may not have noticed before. That’s would be a pretty good legacy, I think.

Thanks, Kim!

© 2014 Sophie Catalina Marine Cruse

Thursday, March 20, 2014

DPW Spotlight Interview: Janet Graham

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

To enter to win Janet's painting, "Blue Tit" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Janet's DPW Gallery page:

Hello and welcome to my gallery. I am an artist based in Brisbane, Australia.

My journey into the world of art began in 2002 after I had this underlying desire to create art. Deep down I have always wanted to paint and draw - even as a child, I used to love drawing animals.

I have dabbled in quite a few mediums over the years, but my favorite mediums are oils, acrylics and pencil (graphite). I don’t think I will ever settle on just one medium as each medium has its own unique characteristics that suits different subjects. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Deep down, I have always wanted to paint and draw. Even as a child, I used to love drawing animals but I never pursued art past primary school. It was only in 2002, when I had this underlying desire to create art, that I enrolled in a six weeks drawing course and my journey into the world of art began. Although I did a few art courses between 2003 and 2006, it wasn’t until 2007 that I found a regular art class to attend and realized that art was what I was meant to be doing.

Blue Tit
(click to see original image)

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

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

I would say I only seriously started pursuing art as a career in 2012. I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I have experimented with quite a few mediums over the years: pencil, pastels, watercolors, gouache, oils, acrylics, colored pencil and ink. As for genres, I have painted wildlife, landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, and I have even done a few pencil portraits.

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

Acrylics, oils and pencils are still my favorite mediums. Lately, I have been playing around with watercolors, which I haven’t touched in years. Pastels have fallen away - mainly because of the dust generated from them as well as the difficulty in sharpening pastel pencils for the finer fur details. It is so much easier to paint fur and feathers with the pointed tip of a brush.

Painting wildlife is still my favorite subject but I also enjoy painting landscapes, seascapes and still lifes.

Tiger
(click to see original image)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I am having fun exploring watercolor again. It is funny how I seem to have come full circle. I first started out painting with watercolors, but got very frustrated with the medium and decided to try others. I’m enjoying the freedom that watercolors offer and it is much more fun exploring the medium now that I have so much more experience.

I also want to paint more oil seascapes this year, as I have always been fascinated by the sea and the sea is literally a fifteen minute drive away from me.

Who or what inspires you most?

I would say nature/wildlife inspires me the most and is what I love painting.

European Eagle Owl
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I wouldn’t say it is so much procrastination, but more having to make a decision on what to paint first. I usually have quite a few paintings planned in advance. I find I sometimes delay starting a new painting as I can’t always decide which one to start first.

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

I am working at making art my career, so I have set a goal of painting a certain number of paintings each week. It doesn’t always work out as planned due to the administration side of running my own business which can take up a fair chunk of my time. My best time to paint is during the day so I try to leave most of the administration tasks to the evening.

Leopard Cub
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I paint a lot of wildlife and I would love to say that I always work from my own reference photos but that is just not practical. When I can, I use my own references but, for the most part, I rely on some very generous photographers that allow artists to use their photos as reference and I am exceedingly grateful to them. I still will only paint what I am drawn to, so I can spend hours in the evening surfing the internet for reference photos that I am allowed to use. I literally have hundreds of reference photos that I can draw upon so I am never short of ideas for paintings.

For the landscapes/seascapes that I do, I also use reference photos but I use a lot more artistic license – I will change things around, combine different elements from different reference photos and will even change the season. I love painting spring and autumn – they are so much more colorful to paint.

As for still lifes, I like to work from my own set ups, but I just don’t have enough hours in the day. They have been put on the back burner for now.

How Cute Am I
(click to see original image)

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

It is bit hard to explain, but unless I feel a connection to what I am painting it just does not work and I struggle to complete the painting. So, I have learnt to paint only what I am drawn to and that connection is then reflected in the final painting.

As to avoiding burn out, I paint a variety of subject matters and use a few different mediums which keeps things interesting. When I feel myself getting tired of painting detail, I will swap to watercolours and paint a looser watercolour landscape, or I will paint a landscape or seascape in acrylic or oils. After a few landscapes, I am ready to go back to painting detail and can’t wait to start my next wildlife painting.

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

Everything - I don’t think I will ever stop learning as there is so much to learn. I just wish there were more hours in the day.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I love to paint and I am happiest when I am painting so I am really grateful to be able to pursue a career that I love.

Thanks, Janet!

© 2014 Sophie Catalina Marine

Thursday, March 13, 2014

DPW Spotlight Interview: Jordan Avery Foster

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

To enter to win Jordan's painting, "Three Pears" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Jordan's DPW Gallery page:

Hi, My name is Jordan Avery Foster. I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. At age 14 I was involved in a five car collision, which left me bed bound for a year. When I recovered I found out I had a condition known as Interstitial Cystitis.

I was accepted into The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with an artist award but due to the health complications, I was not able to continue. After returning to Florida I began attending classes at The University of North Florida and after some struggles, graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

My work has been exhibited nationally in juried competitions at Harvard University, Princeton University, and Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. I have also been commissioned by museums and hospitals. Recently I was featured in an article in the Lake George Mirror, while doing a residency at Shelley's International Gallery of Fine Art in Bolton Landing NY. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

One of the first things I remember is painting a mural on my bedroom wall. My mom is an artist and always encouraged me to be creative and express myself.

Three Pears
(click to see original image)

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

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

Yes, I moved to Philadelphia to pursue my career and get my degree, but had to leave because of health issues. I feel like my career has taken a lot of twists and turns. I was painting more expressionistic, emotional work up until the last year or so, when I began painting small still lifes to increase my skills.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I paint with acrylics mostly, but I love watercolor, pencil and pen and ink as well. About a year ago, I started working primarily with open acrylics and began using glazing mediums which helped me blend and layer my paint.

Cherries in a Teacup
(click to see original image)

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

I still use regular acrylics, because the opens sometimes are too transparent. I love the Golden glazing medium. I love street scenes (something that tells a story)... two examples are "Hats" and "Birdies".

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I also love painting and drawing self portraits and portraits, which I've gotten away from, but hope to get back to. I would also like to start working more in oils.

Sake House
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Procrastination for me usually comes in the form of a blank canvas. I have so many ideas I want to carry out, but at times get overwhelmed and put off sitting down in front of my work area.

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

I've learned that no matter what I have to keep painting. I make it a priority, even when I'm frustrated, I make sure I paint for several hours a day.

I Enjoy Being a Girl #3
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I'm always thinking about ideas for paintings. There are several series I'm working on. Right now, mostly still lifes and street scenes.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging? Who or what inspires you most?

My inspiration may come from something I'm experiencing emotionally or may be built up from a movie I've watched. You never know when or where inspiration is going to come from, but I think the most important thing is to keep painting. Sometimes I do get burned out on my still lifes, but I try to keep it fresh by mixing it up. For example, my perfume bottle series is an escape for me. I also know that constantly practicing keeps me focused and is important.

Red Apple and Grapes
(click to see original image)

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

I'm always looking to improve my skills and broaden the range of what I can do. I want to keep growing as an artist and explore a more diverse body of work.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I enjoy it when I I feel like a painting has gone well... the technique, composition, etc. It's also exciting to me when I make a painting that I feel captures a vision I have or an emotion I'm going through.

Thanks, Jordan!

© 2014 Sophie Catalina Marine

Thursday, March 6, 2014

DPW Spotlight Interview: Patti Vincent

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

To enter to win Patti's painting, "Fresh Picked" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Patti's DPW Gallery page:

Hi! Thank you for visiting my gallery. About ten years ago, I started taking oil painting classes and workshops in and around Washington, DC because I wanted oil paintings for my home. Problem solved!

I live in Dayton, OH with my Air Force husband and two cats. They are a constant source of life drawings and paintings. In the Fall of 2013, I began a Bachelors of Fine Art program at Wright State University in Dayton, OH. I am loving it!

My profile photograph was taken in Salida, CO. Two and a half more years with the Air Force and Salida will be home. Studio already purchased!

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I first started painting while living near Washington, DC because I wanted more oil paintings in my house. A good friend of mine encouraged me to sign up for lessons. A decade later, mission accomplished. The DC area is filled with great artists and art schools. Not to mention all the inspiration to be found at the National Gallery of Art. I could drive from my house to the NGA in fifteen minutes.

Fresh Picked
(click to see original image)

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

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

I have been taking lessons or workshops for years but really ramped up my painting in 2011 when I learned about daily painting. My favorite art quote is, "the best teacher is the very act of painting," by Joaquin Sorolla. I firmly believe that the only way to get better is to practice. Whether you are talking about painting or tennis. Then, in the Fall of 2013, I enrolled in a Bachelors of Fine Art program. I am currently a full time student taking eighteen credit hours.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I am still learning how to oil paint, my only medium to date. I've traveled all the way to New Zealand to plein air paint but I am still most comfortable painting in my studio from a still life set up or a reference photo of an animal. My cats and the sunlight are constant sources of inspiration.


Swimming Lessons
(click to see original image)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I painted a lot of plein air prior to taking up daily painting and working towards my BFA. I look forward to getting out of my studio and seeing how plein air goes after all this inside practice over the past couple years and when my BFA program is complete. It will be interesting to see what has changed in my comfort level and ability to simplify the landscape.

Who or what inspires you most?

Seeing Albrecht Durer's painting, Young Hare, 1502 watercolor, in my art history class as being described as "a masterpiece of observational art" was my most recent inspiration. My cats, dogs I meet on the street, bunny rabbits in the yard, all inspire me. So it was very inspiring to see an old master paint a rabbit. Carol Marine, Joshua Been, Lisa Daria, and Dan Schultz are my current day inspirations. Just name a few.

House Guest
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Procrastination hits me when I don't have any good ideas for a still life or my reference photos for a pet portrait commission aren't quite as good as I would like them. I stall for fear of failure. I am not a big procrastinator because I feel much more confident if I give myself as much time as possible to complete a project. It always ends up better if I know I have time to start over as many times as needed.

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

To make sure that I have time for my art, I get up in the morning and get going. Even if it is a Saturday and my husband is still in bed. I keep my studio well stocked with paint and panels. My studio is right off of the kitchen so I can't miss it. Mostly, I just do it (thanks Niki).

That Cat
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

My ideas for paintings usually come from things that I see. My cats are always laying in the sunshine and that light always gets my attention. There is a bird feeder right outside the window by our kitchen table. The cats sit on the window sill and watch the birds, creating another inspirational moment. We have a tabby and a tuxedo. I think I want a white cat next.

Recently, I've taken a lot of reference photos of the early morning light hitting the snow covered yards and the old growth trees in our neighborhood. That orange/pink glow is just amazing. I've also taken ones at dusk when the old street lights are on and the the snow covered yards along the street are glowing. So basically, my surroundings are constantly sparking my imagination. Photos that my friends post of their pets are also great sources of ideas.

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

I've been trying to keep my painting strokes to a minimum by trying to get the value and color correct from the start. I think that makes for very fresh painting.

Sweet Cheeks
(click to see original image)

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

I am currently learning so much as an artist. I took fifteen credit hours last semester (photography, 3D foundations, drawing, art history, and themes in visual cultures) when I started my Bachelors of Fine Arts program at Wright State University. This semester I am taking eighteen credit hours (2D foundations, art history, Michelangelo, drawing, figure sculpture, and painting).

So, I am taking that daily practice idea into drawing, art history and painting plus all those other classes several times per week. It is all tied together and I think my overall understanding of art is multiplying daily. I am having so much fun and learning so much.

What makes you happiest about your art?

When I get truly positive feedback from a pet portrait client. That melts my heart. When my husband walks into my studio and says, "wow!" When a painting comes together because I took the time to think it out and get it right the first time. When I look at my finished painting and feel that it is indeed finished, especially if it was done with as few strokes as possible. Those are some of my favorites. All of those events make me truly happy about my art.

Thanks, Patti!

© 2014 Sophie Catalina Marine