DPW Spotlight Interview: Christa Friedl

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

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

From Christa's DPW Gallery:

Living part of the year in Europe (Vienna) and part in the US (Florida) I try to express the beauty that I see around me. I like plein-air painting most. The colors, the atmosphere are exceptional when painting on location. Each painting is a new opportunity to explore and learn and is like a new journey. It is very meditative, a peaceful time, a time of deep concentration. It is also alone time and nothing seems as important as the motive I am focusing on. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started drawing at an early age, and it was always my favorite subject in school. At the age of seven, I won an art contest. My painting was exhibited in the Vienna City Hall and an article about me was written in a well-known Austrian newspaper. Since that time, I desired to become an artist.

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

I wish I could have persuaded my parents to send me to the University of Arts in Vienna to get a Fine Arts degree. Instead, I studied economics and ended up owning a business with my husband. But I never stopped improving my skills in drawing and painting and took art classes in the evening at the college. Since 2005, I am a full-time artist and since two years, I have my own studio in downtown Vienna. My studio has become quite popular and has given me much joy.

Coconuts
(click to view)

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

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I have experimented with nearly every medium and each has its own charm.

Which ones have “stuck” and which ones have fallen away?

My two preferred mediums are watercolor and oils.  Both mediums are ideal to paint plein air, which I really enjoy. I love watercolor for its looseness, spontaneity, and transparency. For me, it is a very spontaneous medium. Many times I have had to react quickly and impulsively, without thinking too much about details, in order to create wonderful results.  When painting with oils, I like the buttery consistency and luminosity, the blending  of colors, and the shiny finish.

Cafe Schwarzenberg in Vienna
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I definitely look forward to exploring mixed media on different surfaces.

Who or what inspires you most?

There are a lot of artists I admire, especially the impressionists. Above all, Monet, but also John Singer Sargent who was excellent in both of my favorite mediums. I have a high regard for Sergei Bongart for his rich colors and emotional brushstrokes in landscapes, still lifes, and portraits.

Sardine
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Procrastination is rarely an issue for me but time management is always a battle.

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

My best time is in the morning, so I get up early and start each new day with painting.  Believe me, that is the best way to start a new day. When the weather is fine, I go out for plein air painting; otherwise, I paint in my studio in the morning. In the afternoon, I teach some art classes at my studio.

Long Shadows
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I get my inspiration by going out into nature to do some painting or sketching. When I am outdoors and nature surrounds me, all my senses (visual, audible perception, sense of smell) are awake and that affects a painting. I get all these impressions from nature, and it is an ongoing process that I want to express in my paintings. Copying nature is not my goal. Catching the special moment of the day, the light, and the color I see is what I want to relate to my audience.  

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

I enjoy reading the many art books I have. Visiting art museums is also a great inspiration. Across the street from my studio is the famous Castle Belvedere. In its museum is a permanent show of some of my favorite painters, including a few paintings by Monet. Therefore, I am just five minutes away from enjoying some of the most interesting and beautiful art.

At Rest
(click to view)

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

I want to observe more intensely, get totally connected with the subject, and slow down the painting process a little bit.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Of course, I am excited when the viewer connects with my art and I get positive responses, but above all, I love the creative process when I get the rhythm in a painting and the brushstrokes come by themselves without too many cognitive interruptions.

Thanks, Christa!

© 2017 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Lynne French

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

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

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Some of my earliest memories at four or five years old are of hours spent painting and drawing with my Aunt, a professional artist.

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

I have painted continuously throughout my life except for a break of a few years following the birth of my daughter.

Rocky Mountains
(click to view)

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

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?  

I have used almost all traditional mediums and have experimented most with watercolor on tissue paper.

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

The use of watercolor on gessoed tissue paper has evolved into a technique based on an ancient Zen Buddhist meditation ritual, that I frequently use.

Provence Courtyard

(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I am intrigued by alcohol ink and egg tempera, and look forward to experimenting with them.

Who or what inspires you most?

I am most inspired by the early California impressionists, most specifically The Society of Six... August Gay and Seldon Gile, and by the varied California landscape itself.

Zen Inspired Poppies & Pansies Watercolor on Tissue
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Procrastination is chaos for me.  :}

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

My income is derived from painting, so nothing more than necessity (and enjoyment) motivates me to find time to paint.

California Paso Robles Hills
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I take frequent road trips to paint different locations, and also am inspired by visits to museums,
art online, and in books.

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

Landscape painting is endlessly engaging for me because it is ever changing, and the difference within of an hour painting outside can change the look of a scene immensely.

Hollyhock Cottage
(click to view)

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

To have fun with painting, and know that, to a great degree, the rule is there are no rules.  :}

What makes you happiest about your art?

It makes me very happy when people are pleased with my work, and it also makes me very happy that I have been fortunate enough to paint professionally for so long.

Thanks, Lynne!

© 2017 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Fred Bell

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

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

From Fred's DPW Gallery:

Fred Bell has been painting for many years. He is a graduate of the Cape School of Art and studied with the famous Henry Hensche for six years. He has had many art shows around the US. He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his cat Jack. He is currently represented by Tim Cobb Fine Arts in Milwaukee, WI. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started painting seriously in my early twenties. All of my friends were artists and so I started making art too. About six months into it, I took a trip to Provincetown, Massachusetts on Cape Cod and it was life changing. I found the Cape School of Art and studied with Henry Hensche. An eastern saying is "When the student is ready the teacher will appear" and that's what happened to me. I knew I was in the right spot and ended up studying with Hensche for six summer sessions, about three months each.

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

Art is a vocation. It's hard to predict whether you will make any money at it, so I have some trouble with the term "career." When I started painting, the idea of selling did not occur to me. I just did it and that's what I did. I hadn't ever been to an art gallery in Milwaukee. It was completely foreign. I went to the art museum here once in a while.

As far as working goes, everyone has times when they don't know what to do. What you're doing seems over with and what to do next is a mystery. Sometimes you have to wait and get bored and sometimes you just have to do something stupid.

Fertile Valley
(click to view)

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

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I've worked with clay, pastels, pen and ink, all kinds of paint and more. Over the years you try a lot of stuff. I've worked extensively in the three big ones: portrait, landscape, still life. I did commercial illustration for a few years. The only thing I haven't explored enough is abstract painting.

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

In the end, painting with oils and acrylics is where I've spent the most time. For a few years, I was represented by an important gallery. I tried to do things the gallery owner liked but ultimately failed. Since giving up gallery representation, I have felt more free to do what I want. Galleries can be stifling, but now I sell on the web and it's working out better. Ultimately, you have to accept who you are and what you are comfortable with and get satisfaction from. Trying to be cool has not worked for me.

The Farm
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I'm doing one small painting a day and I know that is changing as I do them. Anything you do a lot of changes you. I also want to do more experimental, less commercial painting.

Who or what inspires you most?

Other painters. I look around at the web to see others work or go to galleries. When I go to a show I look for things I can use in my own work. I don't think too much about it being good or bad.

Peach
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Procrastination comes when you don't know what to do or how to do it. I used to be upset about putting things off. Now I know, if I don't do something it's because I am not ready. I wait to be ready. I wait for understanding of how to start.

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

Anxiety works well. If I don't paint for a day or two I start to feel depressed. Art is an antidepressant.

Milwaukee County Grounds
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Spontaneously. Ideas come from working. You can sit around forever waiting for a great idea. That doesn't work for me. Also, looking at the work of others.

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

If I start to get too tight then I use bigger brushes. Changing subject matter, buying a new brush, focusing on one aspect like strokes or shapes or color can perk me up.

Friends
(click to view)

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

Marketing.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Selling is a thrill. Better than selling is feeling like you've done a good job. There is no better feeling than doing work that speaks to you, to achieve something new.

Thanks, Fred!

© 2017 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Tom Brown

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

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

From Tom's DPW Gallery:

Tom Brown is a third generation artist. His mother and grandfather were artists and from childhood he never wanted to be anything else. Originally from the Midwest, he has lived in Southern California with his family since the 1980s.

He works in the California Impressionist style. His paintings are known for their bold, confident brushwork that vibrates with energy and strength as they capture the magical light and beauty of the California landscape and other subjects.

Tom Brown has also hosted a popular California TV show teaching his unique method of oil painting en plein air and in the studio.

He continues to share his teaching methods through popular workshops, videos and eBooks. Tom is in frequent demand as a lecturer, demonstrator and judge for Art Associations and gallery openings.

A former president of the Orange Art Association, he is a past member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association and Southern California Plein Air Painters Association.

Tom Brown is the winner of numerous awards in oil painting competitions. His work has been represented through prominent galleries nationwide for more than 20 years, and his work has been seen in many major art publications.

His painting style is the subject for an upcoming feature article in Paint&Draw magazine. (click to view gallery)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Like so many others I always saw myself as an artist. But I thought it wasn’t possible to make a living selling in galleries so I began my art career as an advertising artist. During that period I had the tremendous good fortune to work alongside some of the best artists in the business and I learned a lot from each of them. During that time I also continued to paint in my spare time.

Road to Adventure
(click to view)

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

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

I entered a local art fair once and during that day I happened to be discovered by a gallery owner who asked to represent me. That was the start of something grand! Within a month sales were so hot that I was given a one-man show. It virtually sold out on opening day.

I left advertising and began approaching additional galleries to broaden my base. That led to being represented by top galleries in 9 states for 20 years. And of course I eventually began marketing my work online.

I paint every day. I love to get outside and paint directly from nature, and when painting on location I enjoy creating smaller pieces that can be completed in one session. I usually offer these smaller works online at very affordable prices, which is practical to do because I’m very prolific.

Frequently these smaller paintings lead to commissions. Commissions are a major portion of my work. Collectors who purchase smaller paintings often come back soon asking for larger works because they like my style. Many of my collectors continue to return year after year for more of my work.

Because the internet enables us to show our work to the whole world so easily I think there has never been a better time in history to earn a living as an artist.

Path to the Trees
(click to view)

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Virtually all of them. As an advertising artist I learned to work with a wide variety of mediums. We used whatever medium necessary to produce the best results for our clients. And our subjects were dictated by the client’s needs: figures, products, scenics, whatever was requested. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of nearly anything as a subject for art.

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

Oils are my favorite for painting because they are so flexible and easy to use. I usually have a pre-loaded pochade box in the car whenever I go anywhere, just in case I spot something to paint. And I am never without a sketch pad and pencil. I sketch constantly. Anything and everything, including people in public places like airports, coffee shops and restaurants. So watch out if you see me; you may find yourself in my next painting!

Sunlit Flowers
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I’m always open to new mediums, and I’m willing to try anything that seems to have potential for expressing my vision. Some work for me, some don’t suit my style even though they may be perfect for another artist. But I feel it’s important to be open to trying new things in order to continue to grow as an artist.

Who or what inspires you most?

Mary Oliver wrote something that sums it up for me, “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” I find beauty everywhere, in commonplace everyday things as well as scenic grandeur, figures, animals, still lifes, whatever. And I “tell about it” through my art.

Birds on the Roof
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I keep planning to procrastinate, but there’s too much to do.

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

Morning is my best creative time, so that’s my time for art. I’m up and out the door with my paints first thing. I paint in the studio if weather doesn’t cooperate or if I’m working on commissions. Afternoons are reserved for what I call “drone work” that doesn’t require creativity. Chores, errands, bookwork, packing and shipping sold work, etc.

Colorful Still Life with Fruit
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Ideas seem to be everywhere; it’s just a matter of paying attention. I see more things every day than I’ll ever have time to paint.

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

I’m constantly exploring new subjects, materials and other ways to improve. And I share those things in my videos and the workshops I teach. If an artist isn’t trying anything new, they aren’t growing. If it doesn’t stay fresh and exciting it would become a job. For me art isn’t work, it’s more like self-indulgence.

Back Road in the Country
(click to view)

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

I am always looking for anything new that offers possibilities for growth. New mediums, new ways of approaching subjects. I see art as a lifelong adventure, and it’s a constant learning process.

What makes you happiest about your art?

The joy of doing it tops the list. I’m also delighted by the response from collectors, especially when they continue to collect my work year after year. Clearly we share the same vision of the world, and I love that we can connect this way. I also love sharing what I’ve learned with other artists who take my workshops. I find it very rewarding to see them grow in their abilities and enjoyment of art.

Thanks, Tom!

© 2017 Sophie Marine