DPW Spotlight Interview: Mitch Egeberg

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. To enter to win Mitch's painting "Four Zinnias" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Mitch's DPW Gallery Page:

I have always in one way or another been involved in art. In grade school, I was the go to person for posters. In high school, I was always drawing and sketching outside of art classes. In undergraduate school I earned a degree in art education while paying my way by hand lettering trucks, signs and billboards. My graduate degree focused on portrait drawing and for twenty of the thirty-nine years I taught art, I owned a custom framing business.

I feel the art I make today has developed and evolved from the many art experiences I have had. I especially enjoy working with composition, color and interlocking shapes of ground and object.

Four Zinnias
(click to view)

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

Tell us about how you started painting.

I have always had an interest in making art. Painting was my chosen medium, as a child, when in college and while teaching. When I retired, I enjoyed the challenge and complexity of working with oil paints.

Did you have any starts and stops in your career?

Yes, almost every week. I painted and drew while working on my master’s degree and teaching. In the mid-eighties, I plateaued out after having a solo show at a local gallery. In the mid-nineties, I started a custom picture frame shop and worked with that while teaching. After retiring from teaching, I sold the picture framing business and started painting.

Egg & Plant
(click to view)

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? 

Having worked with the following: graphite, charcoal, pen and ink, pastels, watercolor, acrylic, serigraph, etching, lithograph, and ceramics, oil paint seems to feel most comfortable. Oil Painting is going to keep me busy for quite a while.

Who or what inspires you most?

Maggie Siner and David Shelvino are the top two contemporary artists I find most inspiring. Carol Marine has inspired me to take up daily painting. The what that inspires me would be expressive colorful brushwork in a still life, landscape or figurative piece.

Sweet and Sour
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you? 

I live in Nebraska so it looks like football, baseball, basketball and solitaire.

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

I always try to have a fairly regular schedule with a good balance of easel time and a fun bucket list.

Green Checks and Cherries
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I set up a still life and study it for two or three days, sketching it several times until I have a good composition. If the still life doesn’t inspire, it gets changed, especially after wiping out several efforts.

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

I attend life-drawing sessions at a local art center. Visiting and sharing work with the other artists makes me think and freshen up work.

Being retired and able to travel with my wife is a great way to prevent burnout. When we travel we visit art galleries, art museums and festivals. Some trips have even been planned just to visit a special show.

Attending workshops is also helpful in staying fresh. Through the years I have been able to attend workshops given by Maggie Siner, David Shelvino, Lisa Daria, Karen O’Neal, Mark Nelson, Sarah Sedwick, and Angus Wilson.

Plate of Fruit
(click to view)

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

I am working on what I feel is the hardest part of painting and that is to simplify the subject and use more direct brushstrokes. When I catch myself spending time trying to get things just right, it’s better to quit and start over. I want paintings that look fresh. More time on a painting doesn’t make it fresh.

What makes you happiest about your art?

When it’s not cute, pretty, sentimental or overworked. I want my art to be honest with a hint of whimsy.

Cherry Drink
(click to view)

Thanks, Mitch!

© 2019 Sophie Marine