From Kent's DPW Gallery:Waxahachie resident and native Texan Kent Brewer cannot remember a time when art wasn't a part of his life. But it wasn't until he decided to join a local group of plein air painters in the summer of 2007 that he began to paint more consistently. A few years later he decided to try his hand at oils, retiring the watercolors after a 30-year run. "Switching to oils, combined with painting outdoors, was life-changing for me, as-far-as quality and quantity of work. Not to mention that it allowed me to plug-in to the community of artists that call this area home." (click to read more)
Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.
Painting was one aspect of my education in commercial art. Once I decided to take the plunge (investing in paint and brushes) I was in it for the long haul.
Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?
I have had a few. My paintings were “occasional” for a few years. I would get inspired for a few months and then it would subside. It truly fell off in 1990 when I lost my little girl in a traffic accident. I had little desire to do anything art related for about 10 years. It eventually came back to me. But it wasn’t until I joined a local art association in 2009 that I began painting on a regular basis, especially en plein air.
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| Shaped By Wind (click to view) Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Kent's interview. |
What mediums and genres have you experimented with?
Watercolor, pastel, pen and ink, colored pencil, charcoal and oils.
Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?
Watercolors have completely fallen away since I started using oils in 2010. I love their forgiveness. Watercolors were far too challenging for my liking, even though I did them for 30 years.
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| No. 268 - Townes (click to view) |
Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?
I think I will keep on exploring oils. Maybe pastels on occasion since they have similar technical approaches.
Who or what inspires you most?
Contrasts inspire me the most. Lights against darks, warms next to cools. When I see these elements in nature or man-made objects, I get inspired.
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| Downhill Dogleg (click to view) |
What does procrastination look like for you?
Procrastination, for me, is probably more of a lack of confidence, or not being sure of myself that I can “pull it off” as subject matter, so I stand there and question myself. But really, there is no reason to procrastinate if you love creating something awesome. Procrastination is for paying bills.
What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?
My technique is to continue to have success and to continue to grow as an artist. I know that if I don’t grow, I might regress. And having a studio with everything I need at hand doesn’t hurt.
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| No. 235 Camp Misery (click to view) |
How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?
As in my answer to what inspires me, I try to find subjects that have a lot of contrasts. I get my studio ideas from personal photos that I have taken.
How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?
I think you keep things fresh by following a process that has led to some success in previous works. Whatever has worked for you in the past gives you confidence to keep on creating more. Burnout, for me, happens when I’m not properly planning a painting from concept to finish. At this point I tend to lose my way and get bored.
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| Roadside Recliner No. 179 (click to view) |
What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?
I’m learning that I have a long way to go to be where I want to be. But, I can see mostly progress so that's a good thing.
What makes you happiest about your art?
I think there is something kind of special about finishing a painting that didn’t exist in history until the moment you signed it, knowing that at that moment and going forward, you would hate for something to happen to it. Creating something from nothing makes me happy.
Thanks, Kent!
© 2018 Sophie Marine
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