Thursday, May 28, 2020

DPW Spotlight Interview: Barbara Benedetti Newton

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

From Barbara's DPW Gallery Page:

"The [pastel and oil] landscapes by Barbara Benedetti Newton are suffused with gossamer colors....In these paintings she plays with the paint, sometimes feathering it out, at other times carefully defining each element of the landscape. Look for the bursts of color in many of the paintings, bursts like subtle fireworks that are powerfully effective."

Review 3/21/14, The Seattle Times, Nancy Worssam

(click to read more from Barbara's bio)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I have been drawing as long as I can remember. As a child, I was apparently fascinated with women in fancy clothes because that is what I remember drawing. I have an example of that from age six.

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

After high school I became a hairdresser to support myself through art school. I was then employed by a major Seattle Department Store as a Fashion Illustrator. When I married and moved to a working farm on Vashon Island near Seattle, I took a twenty year sabbatical from making art to support the farm and raise our two children.

Ginger Pot
(click to view)

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

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Fashion illustration in those days was mostly pen and ink. After my sabbatical, in 1990 I discovered colored pencil and worked exclusively in that medium for a decade creating still life drawings. I co-authored Colored Pencil Solution Book. When I tired of the medium, I switched my subject to landscapes and worked in pastel for the next decade and wrote Art Answers: Pastel Drawing. I work in a medium until I begin to get bored. I’m currently working primarily in oil.

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

I have experience in and have taught pen and ink, colored pencil, watercolor, mixed media, pastel and oil. I use acrylic as under-paintings only so I would say acrylic doesn’t suit me for finished work.

Loved Ones
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I don’t hear any other mediums calling me right now though encaustic always sounds interesting.

Who or what inspires you most?

I am a fan of Ingrid Christensen, Tibor Nagey, and Colley Whisson. Watching Colley paint makes me jump up and run to my easel.

Cedar River Picnic
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I don’t procrastinate but I do re-invent. I love rearranging my studio, organizing my art database and switching mediums for a fresh start. These days I switch between pastel and oil.

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

I don’t thrive (and neither does my work) on long days in the studio. If I can paint a couple hours a day I’m happy.

Yellow Mug with Lemon
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

For me in the past, the medium seemed to dictate the subject. I couldn’t imagine creating a landscape in colored pencil and with pastel I intuitively gravitated to landscape. Oil paint has been the exception and I’m happy with almost any subject.

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

I paint when I feel like painting, not as if it is a job or an obligation. That is why I cut my gallery representation from six to three and I no longer enter competitions. Changing the size of my work helps. Painting really big or very small is stimulating.

Infatuation
(click to view)

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

I’m interested in the value and temperature of paint to lead the viewer into and around a scene. Nuanced color and value is exciting and simplification of a scene is my current challenge.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I am happiest when I paint with abandon, make confident choices of hue, value and temperature and walk away from the easel while the scene is fresh.

Thanks, Barbara!

© 2020 Sophie Marine

Thursday, May 21, 2020

DPW Spotlight Interview: Maria Morris

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

From Maria's DPW Gallery Page:

Hi! I’m a portrait painter who has sold almost two hundred paintings in the past twenty-five years. Although portraits are my first love, I’m currently obsessed with florals and landscapes!

I took several years off my art because I didn't believe in art as my true calling. Since then, God has assured me that He has created me to create and that He has a plan for my art that goes beyond what I can imagine. I offer an online painting course and giclee prints on Etsy.

Painting Workshop                            Etsy Shop

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

When my family of ten would have drawing contests, I would win even though I was the youngest. I would draw or paint every day growing up and took art classes at a visual arts high school in the D.C. area. I later majored in art.

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

After college, I lived in Paraguay for several years, where my husband was a pastor. I painted and sold over one-hundred and fifty watercolors, mostly portraits, during our time overseas. But, after having children, we experienced violence and trauma overseas, so we came back to the States. I went through a time of PTSD and raising my two kids that made it hard to paint. I also didn't know how to market my paintings here in the States. So when my kids were around ten, I started a family photography business because there was a demand for photographic portraiture. I learned a lot about business and customer service, but I didn't paint during those seven years either.

At age fifty, I am starting over painting full time and I could not be happier. Although I have regrets about not painting for so many years, I'm also grateful that I am free to dive into my calling as an artist.

Baby Ranunculus
(click to view)
Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Maria's interview.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I painted watercolor for many years, learned oil painting two years ago, and then settled on gouache on canvas. I don't really follow a genre. I'm just naturally a modern realist with fauvist colors.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I have played with resin, painting on wood, inks, paper art, and digital art, so now is the time to focus on gouache. My exploration comes in subject matter and refining my skill.

Who or what inspires you most?

God's creation inspires me the most. Light, color, children's faces, flowers, mountains and water. 

Jenny Lake
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I'm done procrastinating! I'm making up for lost time by painting boldly, without fear. Fear is what leaves us paralyzed and procrastinating. But, "art takes courage" (Henri Matisse) and being an artist means not being afraid to fail.

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

First, I needed to believe that I am called to be an artist. To accept, embrace and execute that calling. When I am convinced that art is a priority, I have no problem making time for art. I also make it easy on myself by having a functional art space and easy process. I teach a five-step process to fail-proof painting in my online painting course that I follow with each painting. It involves a quick way to cover the white of the canvas with strong form and color that guide me through the rest of the process.

Pike Place Market
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I go to beautiful places at beautiful times of the day and use my photography skills to capture great composition. I later paint from the photographs I am most excited about.

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

I have a passion for realizing the God-given potential within me. I'm not currently at the skill level I want to be, so challenging myself keeps me engaged. And if I am excited and engaged in a painting, others will get excited about it.

Glory Clouds
(click to view)

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

I am learning so much as an artist and creative entrepreneur right now. A few things I'm learning are:

The more I paint, the more I want to paint.
The more I paint, the better I get at it.
The more I paint, the more God blesses my business.

My art isn't all about me. It's about magnifying the beauty of the Lord. It's about blessing others and bringing joy.

The better I am -- physically, emotionally and spiritually -- the better my art is. Art is a manifestation of the soul of the artist.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I derive the greatest happiness when my art brings joy, love and/or comfort to people.

When a print makes the perfect gift for a special day.
When a floral brings life and joy to a home and reminds them of a special day or place.
When a portrait brings tears to a mother's eyes.
When that portrait brings comfort after one of the family members has passed.

Spring in Seattle
(click to view)
Thanks, Maria!

© 2020 Sophie Marine

Thursday, May 14, 2020

DPW Spotlight Interview: Nicole Nappi

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

From Nicole's DPW Gallery Page:

Many years ago I was accepted to attend the Art Institute of Chicago.  Instead, and last minute, I changed my mind and enlisted in the US Navy.  Well, life happened as it does, months became years... and there was no time for art. In 2016, after 30 years, I found my way back to the canvas and began painting again.

Although I've had no formal art education, with today's technology, I've taken full advantage of online courses and tutorials offered by some talented and knowledgable artists over the past few years as I develop my own style. My favorite medium is acrylic, but I'm starting to dabble in gouache and think this may become a close second!

I've recently started with daily paintings and have found joy in creating smaller pieces. If I'm not working on a daily painting, then I'm working on a larger painting or learning new techniques, but I make sure to paint something every day. Not out of necessity, but out of the enjoyment and peace it provides me.

I feel privileged to share my work with all of the talented artists in this group and thank you for stopping by.

Red Pitcher
(click to view)

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

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I loved art class as a kid. I fooled around with watercolors and acrylics in high school, but didn’t get serious about it until many years later after my children had grown up and left home. One night several years ago, I attended a "Paint and Sip" with my daughter and as they say, "that’s all she wrote!" The next day, I went out and purchased some paints, a couple of how-to books, and enrolled in online art classes. A couple of years later, I began selling my work. First at local art/craft fairs and then online. Today, painting is my full time passion and I can honestly say it’s given me real happiness when others enjoy what I have to offer.

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’ve played a little with charcoal, pastels, watercolors, oils, acrylics and gouache. My favorite is acrylic because of its versatility and fast dry time. Most of my work is done with acrylics. I’ve recently started exploring design gouache and love it’s creamy, opaque nature, as well as its ability to be reworked after drying. I’m also looking forward to painting en plein air this summer with art friends.

Egret
(click to view)

Who or what inspires you most?

I belong to a couple of online art groups filled with some incredibly talented artists. Seeing their work every day inspires me to keep painting. I also love painting from the old masters. Two of my favorites are Martin Johnson Heade (still life) and Frits Thaulow (water and landscape). There is so much to learn from artists of today and the past. I love learning and I’m always trying to improve my work by being open-minded to new ideas and techniques.

What does procrastination look like for you?

Sitting on the couch with my iPad searching and saving reference photos! This is exactly how I procrastinate. When I get into this groove, I change it up and do things such as varnish paintings, prep canvases, order supplies, or practice techniques. I also watch a lot of painting videos, continually learning. I’ve learned that procrastination is part of my cycle or method, and it affords me time to complete other things that need to get done. Sometime it provides me with new ideas and challenges.

Winter on the Farm
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Ah, the million dollar question! I find that I am always thinking of what I’m going to paint next. I paint what appeals to me at the moment, and that can be anything! Sometimes I will paint seasonal paintings, but mostly I paint things that I tell myself "I can’t paint." I love to challenge myself and I’m my biggest critic. I’m hardly ever satisfied and I strive to become better.

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

By constantly learning and trying to get better. Being enrolled in online painting classes. When I’m working on a difficult painting, I’ll usually have another one or two I’m painting at the same time. I find this keeps me painting at times when I would otherwise give up if I got stuck. I can just put that painting to the side, work on something else, and come back to it a different day. Painting provides me inner peace. I cannot imagine it ever getting boring or mundane.

When Life Gives You Lemons
(click to view)

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

Color mastery, values and painting with cool and warm tones. As with any endeavor, to truly become proficient one must learn all that they can. I am always trying to improve myself for myself.

What makes you happiest about your art?

The process of painting makes me happy. It’s my center, my therapy, my happy place. Making other people happy with my work is an even better feeling. Knowing that I created something that brings joy to someone else is very rewarding. That truly makes my soul soar.

Follow the Leader
(click to view)

Thanks, Nicole!

© 2020 Sophie Marine

Thursday, May 7, 2020

DPW Spotlight Interview: Melinda Patrick

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

From Melinda's DPW Gallery Page:

"I saw. I liked. I painted. That about sums it up. That's how and why I paint."

Melinda Patrick began developing her art when she was a very young child. Her paintings are her vision of the places she loves, the colorful cityscapes and ordinary people that catch her eye. Melinda received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. While in public school, she attended the scholarship class at the Houston Museum of Fine Art. In addition to painting, Melinda is an illustrator and has worked most of her life as a graphic and web designer for small studios and Fortune 500 companies. She lives in a pine forest near her native Houston.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

My grandfather was an artist and put a brush in my hand by the time I was five. He gave me tempera and newsprint and had me paint things I saw. When I was in third grade, the teacher had us each draw the State of Texas and my drawing really looked like it. I didn’t realize how well I drew it till that teacher gushed over my drawing. That gave me the confidence and desire to create more art.

My art teachers in public school gave me a lot of attention and promoted my art in my schools and art competitions. I started to believe that I should have an art career.

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

Yes. When my kids came along it was too hard for me to be a mom and a painter. They took front and center in my life. When I divorced, I had to get a “real” job to support us. Then, while I was working as a graphic designer in Product Marketing at Compaq Computer Corp., I made friends with one of the Marketing Managers who not only worked a high pressure job, had kids but he managed to carve out time to paint. I told myself that if he can do all that, I can surely do it all too. So I did. I got a table top easel, small canvases and paints and painted every night on my dining table. And I’m still painting.

Onion Vinaigrette
(click to view)

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

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

As I mentioned, my grandfather started me in tempera and later introduced me to chalk and oil pastels. I set up a studio area in my parents’ garage and drew with the pastels every night, mostly portraits of famous people. My junior high school art teacher saw my portraits and arranged for a P.E. student to come to the art room for me to create a portrait in chalk pastels. Then she put me in a booth at the annual school celebration (Roundup, it was called) and we sold portraits on the fly for $1 each. She also taught us how to make batiks. Loved that but not enough to keep it up.

My grandfather also provided me with canvas and oils and I loved them. I gave acrylics a try (it was the 60’s and Liquitex was the only available brand back then) and I hated them. I used oils all the way through college till I started to paint again. At that point I switched to acrylic only because I didn’t want the smell of oils in my cramped space.

After college I got very interested in printmaking. I created some etchings in college but continuing was out of the question since I had no access to the equipment needed after college. I did some screen printing and block printing instead and loved it.

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

Acrylic has changed a lot and is now in my blood. I enjoy other media but acrylics on canvas are my go-to passion. I’ve done a little block printing in the last few years along with painting with gouache on paper and look forward to working with that media more. I’ve done a lot of pen and ink drawings. I love to do those but they seem to always take a back seat with me.

Side by Side
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I’ve had a bunch of scratchboard in a drawer for a few years and one of these days I’m going to pull it out and see what I can do with it. I want to do more in gouache, ink and block printing but I always seem to get tangled back into the acrylic web. My secret desire is to work with colored pencils. No secret anymore.

Who or what inspires you most?

I’m inspired by art by other artists such as Edward Hopper, William Buffet and Jack Vettriano. And I’m inspired by things I see around me. When I travel I take thousands of photos of things I want to paint. I review those photos over and over and over again, deciding if the image would work well for painting and if so, should I change the imagery up or paint it just as I see it. When I’m painting something I think I will love, I’m inspired to get it finished so I can see the finished painting. I’m impatient to see it.

Red Ribbon
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

If I feel the need to procrastinate, I push the art aside and do other things I need/want to do. Housework, web design, vector design (I create an original design for my annual Christmas card in Adobe Illustrator), knitting. The longer I avoid painting, the more the creative juices build up and I get to a point where I am very ready to paint again.

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

I used to schedule studio time every day. I spent the first two to three hours alone in the studio. Then I did the other things I needed to do and usually went back into the studio. Now I spend afternoons in the studio and often evenings as well. I always keep a space for a home studio so I can paint any time I want.

Bright Blue and a Boat
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I constantly go through my photos and photos I find from other sources to decide what I want to paint. It’s a running process that never stops. I look at art from artists that I admire. I have favorite genres of subject matter and I tend to rotate them: cityscapes, beach scenes, vintage boats, neon signs, pelicans. I accept commissions and they get easier to do every time I do one.

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

I paint what I want to paint as a rule. And when I feel like my work isn’t fresh or interesting, I take a step back. I stay out of the studio and clear my mind till I go back in with a new attitude.

Your work will always be good if you paint from your heart and if I don’t feel it in my heart, I don’t paint it. Unless it’s a commission. But people who want a commission piece always come to me because my work speaks to what they want in their painting.

Sunflower Brunch
(click to view)

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

I recently downsized my home. My studio went from 144 square feet to 40 square feet. I learned that space doesn’t really matter if you really want to create. I went to San Francisco Art Institute and one of the most important things I learned there is that you can create art anywhere with anything. Art comes from the heart and that will always make great art.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Finishing a new painting. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

I like to paint what I would like to hang on my walls. When I started to paint again while working at Compaq, I had just designed a house and we were building it. I wanted my art all over the walls so I painted art to hang in my house. My kids would come over and say “Mom I want that.” So they took what they wanted and I painted more. Now I’m an art-lending-library for them.

I hung some of the paintings on my office wall at work and people would come by to see what’s new and I enjoyed hearing what they had to say. I participated in art shows and loved the interaction with people looking at the art. People that see my art always want to talk about it and that’s always fun.

Short answer to the question: I love the interaction with people that it spurs. And I like to look at it.

Friedrich Nietzsche said “We have art so that we shall not die of reality.”

Thanks, Melinda!

© 2020 Sophie Marine