DPW Spotlight Interview: Andy Sewell

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

To enter to win Andy's painting, "Colorful Cosmos" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Andy's DPW Gallery page:

I have been an artist and loved to draw all my life. After studying art, architecture and graphic design in college, I graduated from the University of Idaho (USA) in 1989. From there I worked as a graphic designer for fifteen years. I never quit painting on the side. I love watercolor painting from loose flowing washes to tightly rendered details. And now the more I paint in oils, the more I grow very fond of oil painting as well as its buttery blending and the option for texture.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started in college. My first year of college, I wanted to take a watercolor class and my dad would not let me so the following year I started to study architecture. I had to take art classes for architecture so that's how I got my foot in the door and I really enjoyed watercolor from the get-go.

Colorful Cosmos
(click to see original image)

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

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

I started painting watercolors in college in 1987 and never really quit. In the late 90s, I started gearing up to try to sell my work at 'Art In the Park' type shows and that's what got me really painting a lot more. In 2003, I went full-time as an artist and have been going strong since then. I just started oil painting within the last two years and the more I do it the more really like it. I'm sure it will be a lot of what I do in the future.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

When I was in college I did take one class that introduced me to some acrylic painting but I preferred watercolor a lot more. I also took a silkscreening class. Another term I took serigraph and I liked that a lot. There also was a time where I made some t-shirts. I really respect serigraphs; I think they are misunderstood and not respected as much as they should be. I wished I would've taken and learn more about other forms of printmaking when I was in college because I think printmaking is a really neat medium as well. For example, when you print on nice cotton paper you can then go back and watercolor over it.

Slippery When Wet
(click to see original image)

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

Watercolor has definitely stuck and I think it has made me more of the artist I am today than anything else. I am really glad I learned to start painting with watercolor because I think it teaches you a great foundation for whatever medium you pick up from there. I really enjoy the spontaneity of it and the challenge of trying to control it with its washes and how there's almost an outside force involved and painting with you. It's really a great medium but I also think that oils will stick because there's just a lot of things about oils that I'm finding are practical and really more flexible and forgiving.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

Oil painting is so new to me and I'm excited to explore more of what it can do. I want to explore and see what I can do with texture, glazing and just all the different options it gives you. Whether you paint one painting in a couple hours via plein air while it's wet or you let it dry overnight and paint that way, there's still a lot for me to learn in oil painting.

Who or what inspires you most?

I love God and he inspires me and guides more than anything else with his Holy Spirit and his beautiful creation. I am compelled to give him all the glory and credit for this. Once, I did a painting inspired by God. It was an image of gumball machines in the sky as though there's an endless supply and the label on the gumball machines were all different. Some of the labels were love, peace, joy, hope, healing, freedom, goodness, and kindness. They represented all that God has for us if we just become aware of that and look up, we position ourselves to receive from him all of his good stuff. I think too many people think that God is not good, but I hope my art can help people see that he really is good and he wants to bless us.

Untitled
(click to see original image)

One time, when I was in prayer I imagined a picture from God that I want to paint someday, but I haven't been able to yet.  I need to get models and somebody who looks kind of like the traditional Jesus because he's going to be in the painting. The gist of the painting is Jesus driving an old rusty truck down a dirt country road. Jesus is also in the back of the truck having an ice cream cone and playing with a bunch of kids. The message for the painting would be that we are his kids and we're happy to let Jesus drive and guide our life. We enjoy joking around as we sit in the back of his restored old truck munching on good stuff and having a really good time together, safe with him.

What does procrastination look like for you?

I guess one of the main things procrastination is to me is not shipping orders out as fast as I should. I would much rather paint a new painting then package one up to ship. Shipping out things is kind of boring. It would be cool to be kind a like Amazon or these big hotdog companies that can ship out within a day or two but when it's just one guy doing everything, it's kind of tricky sometimes.

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

I like to eat and selling art helps me do that. I like to stay living in my house and paying my bills and because this is what I do to pay the bills and buy food, I am motivated to keep painting and framing. I also find that it seems like I am just made to paint and when I do I'm happy. When I have a day or two or even a week goes by where I don't get the paint, I start to get irritated because I'm just not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So, I think I can only go so long without painting/creating; it is just something I love to do and I have to do it.

Pansy Trio
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I alluded to this earlier, I am definitely inspired by God and his creation, beauty and goodness. Also, the things around me and things I love.

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

Recently, I partook in an event where thirty artists painted thirty paintings in thirty days and sold them for thirty bucks which was neat. It made me work faster, looser and without getting too involved in thinking about what I'm painting. I could be more spontaneous and paint something that I wanted to try but didn't know if it would turn out very well. I really like the idea of giving myself a deadline or having to paint something small in a short period of time. You can experiment and if it's a mistake, it's not a big one. You are willing to risk things because there's not so much at risk.

Misty Morning Bull
(click to see original image)

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

I'm always learning how to be more disciplined and more diligent. Can you ever quit learning that kind of stuff? I'm always learning more how to market my work and sell it. Creative new ways to sell work is always something I'm interested in. As I said, I'm new to oil painting so I'm still learning that medium. I want to get better at not being so tight and meticulous but instead looser, fresher and more impressionistic with bigger brushes, lost lines and freshness.

What makes you happiest about your art?

What really makes me happy is following God, knowing him and doing what I believe he made me to do. I believe everybody has gifts and talents that they are made to express. When they find that and walk into it, that's what makes one happy. I am also happy that I can create things that make other people blessed and happy. I love the idea of people getting up in the morning, looking at a painting or picture that I made and making their day a brighter day. That's really a cool thing.

Thanks, Andy!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Don Stewart

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

To enter to win Don's painting, "Two Hues of Green" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Don's DPW Gallery page:

Don has created an astounding amount of art in his life. For over twenty years, it's been for the illustration field and nearly one hundred of his paintings have been published as book covers for clients like HarperCollins, Macmillan, Moody Press, Pocket Books and Scholastic. Countless paintings have also been in magazines, advertising, children's books and textbooks. In addition, Don is a pioneer of digital painting methods and those, along with his digital paintings, have been featured in the last five consecutive editions of The Painter Wow! Book.

Since 2006, Don has devoted himself to creating works of fine art and that's what you'll find in this gallery. Everything here is painted from life, not photographs. He works in oils and is equally accomplished at painting people, landscapes and still lifes. Much of his fine art has been exhibited and is held in private collections.

Currently, Don divides his time between fine art, illustration and teaching. In addition, he hosts the ArtistChronicle channel on YouTube and writes the ArtistChronicle eNewsletter. He received his BFA degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and currently lives in that city, which is centrally located in North Carolina's picturesque heartland.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

About 30 years ago, I earned a BFA degree with a concentration in painting. I remember that it was my junior year when I determined what my major would be. Up to that point I had narrowed it down to music, psychology or painting. I didn't really excel at music and somehow I got the mistaken notion that I'd have to experiment on helpless little pigeons for a psychology degree - which didn't appeal to me at all.

At that time, I was taking an introductory drawing course, and so, decided to put my skills to the test. One evening, I made my way up the art building stairs to a classroom that was empty, except for its easels and still life set ups. I positioned my 18 x 24 inch newsprint pad onto an easel and with vine charcoal and kneaded eraser in hand, attempted to copy the still life before me. About two hours later, I emerged from the room - victorious! I had a knack for this drawing thing, it seemed. From that point on, I worked hard to hone those drawing and painting skills.

Two Hues of Green
(click to see original image)

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

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

Does an over twenty year stint freelancing as an illustrator count? Prior to that, fresh out of college, I worked briefly as a mechanical artist at a printing company. Then for four years as a preproduction illustrator at an advertising agency. It was only about seven years ago that I returned to Fine art and my painting career.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Over the years I've experimented with many mediums. Egg tempera, gouache, watercolor, acrylics and oil to name a few. As an illustrator, most of my paintings were airbrushed acrylics with colored pencil. Any illustration work I do currently is digital and rendered on the computer.

No Shade for Chickens
(click to see original image)

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

My favorite fine art medium is, and always has been, oil. As for genre, I haven't ever ventured too far from a representational style of painting. And I've usually stuck with traditional subject matter - still life, landscapes and people.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I'm planning to explore gouache in the near future as a way to expand and improve my oil painting technique. I plan to begin using it for color studies, too.

Surrounded
(click to see original image)

Who or what inspires you most?

I'd have to say that seeing the work of masterful artists inspires me the most. How can any representational artist ponder the paintings of John Singer Sargent or Richard Schmid, say, and not be inspired?

What does procrastination look like for you?

First, please excuse me while I take a break and brew a cup of yerba mate. I might add a little cocao powder and honey for a flavorful variation. Have you ever tried yerba mate? Are you a coffee or tea person? What about herbal tea? Why, yes, I do have time to chat a bit. I'll answer this question later.

Valerie's View from 59
(click to see original image)

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

Knowing that I'll be sharing my art through things like blogging, eNewsletters and Daily Paintworks helps motivate me to make time for it.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Ideas come from things I see around me.

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

I'm a perpetual student and am always looking for ways to improve my art.

Tangerines and Blue
(click to see original image)

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

Currently, I'm honing my drawing skills and am working towards being able to draw more from memory and imagination, rather than from observation, only.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Doing it! Creating it! I love to create things out of nothing. Oil painting is my favorite way, by far, to do that.

Thanks, Don!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Brandi Bowman

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

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

From Brandi's DPW Gallery page:

Brandi's paintings and prints reflect what she loves, simple beauty. With a BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design, she continues her artistic study everyday through painting, print, drawing and technology. Inspired by nature, children and fellow artists, Brandi is always experimenting, learning and creating works to share her vision with anyone who is willing to stop and appreciate the simple things.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Painting used to intimidate me. In college, I fell in love with printmaking, primarily black and white, and didn't really care for my painting courses. It wasn't until after college that I really started to explore painting on my own.

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

Many. I used to go months between painting which always made it hard to start up again. I would get really frustrated, but then I started following Carol Marine and her daily paintings which inspired me to try painting on a more regular basis. It was hard at first, but after a while it just became part of my day, and the practice continues to make me a better painter.

Buddies
(click to see original image)

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

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Charcoal, pen and ink, a wide variety of printmaking techniques, watercolor, acrylic, oil, mixed media, photography and some graphic design. I love to play around and combine things. I love still life and figure studies, and lately, portrait painting. Floral and landscape are always in there too. I have touched on abstract elements in my work, but haven't fully explored them.

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

Oil painting is the main one that has stuck. I don't use acrylic unless I am working with kids. I only use photography for reference right now and I love printmaking, but it is tough to do at home without a press.

Boat Drinks
(click to see original image)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I would love to try some pottery and jewelry making. Abstract painting has always intrigued me, so I would love to explore that further and see how I could incorporate it into my work.

Who or what inspires you most?

Children inspire me the most I think. I have a 6 year old daughter and watching her explore and play with art energizes me and helps me take things less seriously. And kids are so open, when you ask them to make a silly face it is instant, there is no thought behind it just pure joy and silliness. I love to have kids play dress up with hats and masks to see what they transform into. I get my best reference photos for portraits that way. I also get a lot from nature and other artists. I love to go to the bookstore and get all the new art mags, a coffee and sit and look at what is currently happening in the art world.

The Girls
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I have a home studio, which is good and bad. Good, because I can work at any hour and don't have to leave the house. Bad, because I have many distractions with family, house, yard, dog, etc. I really have to make painting a priority and think of it more like a regular job, but that is hard for me sometimes.

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

I have set a goal of ten paintings a week. I work small, so I can usually get two done per day. It is working so far.

The Artist
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

It is always different but seems to reflect the time of year. If I see flowers at the farmers market, I grab some and do a series of florals. After apple picking this year I did apple studies. I always have wine around, so wine paintings frequently happen. Recently, I did a series of portraits based on the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico around Halloween time.

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

I try to change things up when I can. I am always looking for new color combinations or new subject matter. I will even listen to different music while I paint. It is amazing how that can affect your paintings.

Isabel
(click to see original image)

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

I recently started writing short tutorials about how I paint. This is really teaching me a great deal about how to communicate my thought process to others.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I love the almost meditative state you enter into while producing a work of art. To lose yourself in the process of creating something is wonderful. And when someone else connects with one of my paintings and it makes them feel something or reminds them of a certain person or time in their life, that makes me happy.

Thanks, Brandi!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Ande Hall

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

To enter to win Ande' painting, "Chilly Crabapple Chickadees" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Ande's DPW Gallery page:

I am a (mostly) retired veterinarian now exploring the world of art. I love experimenting with new media and techniques. Not surprisingly, I end up painting animals a lot! I donate 5% of my art income to IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), the world's oldest and largest wildlife conservation organization. Prints of my art are available through my Etsy shop: AndeHallFineArt https://www.etsy.com/shop/AndeHallFineArt?ref=si_shop Please visit my facebook page: Ande Hall Fine Art. https://www.facebook.com/AndeHallFineArt

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

In 2008, I sold my house and veterinary clinic in Santa Fe and moved to rural Kansas to marry a wonderful man. Exploring art was a big part of my new life. For three years, I did ceramics at the small college where my husband worked. Surface design was my favorite part of the process, and most of my pots were elaborately decorated. When we moved to a bigger town with a bigger college in the fall of 2011, I decided to take a painting course. I had always wanted to try painting. After two decades of wandering through galleries in Santa Fe, muttering to myself, "I want to do that!!" it was time to take action.

Chilly Crabapple Chickadees
(click to see original image)

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

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

Yes! I first started painting in September of 2011, then five months later my husband came home and announced that he had been offered yet another job, at yet a bigger college in an even bigger town. We had only just moved eight months earlier! So, painting walls and ceilings replaced painting canvases for a while. We have moved twice in two years, and we have renovated three old houses. I began painting pictures again in January 2013.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I have done mostly acrylic, acrylic collage and oil pastels. I have tried oils only a few times. I would like to do more with oils, but I paint in the basement, and the ventilation is poor.

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

See above.

Cloudy California Quail
(click to see original image)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I want to try watercolors, and inks. Also encaustic. When I did ceramics, I really loved wet clay sgrafitto, and I have been trying to figure out ways to do something similar with painting. I did buy some clayboards, but I haven't used them yet (fear of wasting expensive art supplies).

Who or what inspires you most?

Early twentieth century artists fascinate me the most. I discovered that the little college where I did ceramics had an unlimited interlibrary loan system. I ordered truckloads of art books and devoured them. Before that time I really was totally ignorant about art history. My favorite painters are Klee and Kandinsky (and I like Klimt, too). But inspiration comes from basically everything I see and think about. I jokingly refer to myself as suffering from "Obsessive Creative Disorder". But it's only half joking!

Floral Reef Angelfish
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

It looks like a computer. Seriously, I think being an artist does require a huge amount of discipline. That was one thing I did like about veterinary medicine. Procrastination was simply not an option. Your patients show up, you treat them.

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

As I said, I have really only been doing this for less than a year, and I am really struggling with self discipline. My biggest time waster is internet surfing.

White Ibis
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Ideas for paintings generally bombard my consciousness throughout the day. Particularly, when I am riding my bike or walking. Also when I am trying to go to sleep. I have spiral notebooks all over the place where I sketch out ideas.

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

I don't think I am qualified to answer this question yet.

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

EVERYTHING! I really don't know where to begin, because I am still so new to art! I spend a lot of time looking at art, my own and others, and trying to analyze why I like it, or don't like it. I think a lot about how art interacts with people.

Sumatran Rhino
(click to see original image)

Have you had any surprises or unforeseen events in your art career?

I had a big surprise a couple of months ago when a buyer contacted me asking if I would ship to Hong Kong. He said he wanted five of my original oil pastels to use them for "packaging designs". I had no idea what he meant, but I figured that if he purchased the paintings he could do what he wished with them. I now know that this is not true; that purchasing an original does NOT automatically confer reproduction rights.

So, I said yes and he emailed me images of oil pastel packages with my paintings on them (as well as a tiny image of me!) Then I understood, it was an art supplies manufacturer. It is definitely NOT a fine art supplier; their website is clearly targeting kids and hobby arts and crafts. At first, I couldn't decide if I should feel honored or embarrassed. I quickly decided that it was totally awesome that my paintings would be on oil pastel packages all over China.

As soon as I let my friends know, I was bombarded with chastisements for failing to ask for royalties, etc. I spent a day feeling like an idiot, then decided that I didn't care. It was still cool to see my art on boxes of pastels. And he did promise to send me some pastels.

What makes you happiest about your art?

When people tell me that they are moved or touched by something I have created, it is very rewarding.

Also, there is something truly thrilling about having an idea, then developing it into a finished product. For me, there is a huge difference between seeing something "in my mind's eye", and seeing it in real life.

Thanks, Ande!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Celine Yong

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

To enter to win Celine's painting, "Peace at Noon" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Celine's DPW Gallery page:

I have a life long passion in drawing and painting. Painting is a joy. I am self taught in art. Since 2004, I have been painting as a partial commitment on every weekend. It's about time for me to go on to next level of painting. I am mostly inspired by beautiful nature for landscape painting with my favorite medium, pastel. But I do enjoy working with watercolor and oil as well.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Making art was always in my heart. I admired artists who create a world with their art. I have been inspired by many creative artists in history. I wished art come would into my life. But starting art was not an easy option for me. I did not have any courage to break out from the intimidation of practicality. While working in odd jobs for many years (more than 10 years actually) and being under stressful conditions, I began thinking what I really wanted to accomplish under my name. After that, I decided to make friends with art because I thought painting was the only thing I liked. So, in 2004, I started to paint on the weekends.

Peace at Noon
(click to see original image)

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

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

Lack of courage and insufficient personal economy were some of the obstacles I faced in making art. When I look back at what I did in the past, time spent running around in the mundane seems so meaningless to me. Thinking of this, as a human being I feel I have a responsibility to make my life meaningful. That is what gets me started again when I face stops and obstacles in my art.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

At an early age, watercolor was the only medium available to me. Around 2004, I started looking for other materials to use. I found pastel which had such luminous and spontaneous color, and were easy to handle compared to other mediums such as oil paint. I love all aspects of pastel: the lightness and sparkling effect. I believe pastel is perfect for landscape and helps to create any kind of mood. I also want to work in watercolor and oil.

Forest of Summer
(click to see original image)

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

At first, I stuck to portraits in photo realism. You need an actual person for modeling except for painting self portrait. I could not afford to secure as many models as I needed and soon discovered that kind of system did not work for me. Sometime later, I found myself inclined to impressionist painting and I moved to landscape. Even though my main subject is landscape, I could see myself someday approaching portraits again, this time with a more impressive manner. I used pastel more than 10 years, for now I alternate oil and pastel.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

Usually, I am into landscape, but I wish I could explore a mystical mood so that the viewer can expand their imagination through my art.

Passing By
(click to see original image)

Who or what inspires you most?

Beautiful nature inspires me always. There are so many places to be explored still. As for contemporary artists, I admire pastelists like Elizabeth Mawry and Susan Ogilvie.

What does procrastination look like for you?

When I find myself procrastinating, I feel guilty. I can not tolerate time being wasted. However, I need to take some time out to be inspired.

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

I admire expressionist style and am always trying to develop it into my own individual style.

Eastern Fall
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

To get a painting idea, I refer to photos I took myself while walking, or hiking, etc. But I don't paint every mountain and valley literally. I call upon my artistic license so that some imaginative variation may be reflected into my work. I really love to paint outside as long as time allows.

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

To keep my art fresh, I change some of my painting manners and techniques. For example, I might change from a soft image to a vibrant subject or from landscape to still life or garden flowers. In that way, I think I will escape from some of the boring repetitiveness that one can fall into. Some times, I browse other artists' works in different genres from my own. Looking at old masters' works and reading about their lives and passion helps me regain my energy to paint.

Dream of Forest 2
(click to see original image)

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

As an artist, I think the art world has some mysteriousness to it. Generally, what you expect would be successful turns out be mediocre or a failure. Failure, to me, means that my art is not satisfying. Reaching for the viewer's heart, moving someone's thoughts, is like learning conversational skills. I communicate with the world with my voice, what I use is visual method. When I pour out spirit and soul into it, the skill will be valuable. The more I paint, the more I learn about life.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Looking at my work, if my hands have not failed me. That makes me smile and happy.

Thanks, Celine!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Nancy Paris Pruden

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

To enter to win Nancy's painting, "Sonoma at Sunset" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Nancy's DPW Gallery page:

I got a scholarship in the 5th grade along with twenty other students in elementary schools across Ft. Worth, Texas. The scholarship was art instruction twice a week and I was in the program through high school. So by the time I got to college, I knew I wanted to be a professional artist.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started painting at a very early age, maybe ten. I was having a lot of trouble in school because I couldn't read and nobody understood dyslexia in the 50's. Naturally I felt stupid, my ego was shot, but my dear Mother encouraged me to draw and paint. By 5th grade, I finally got some help with reading but art was my refuge.

Sonoma at Sunset
(click to see original image)

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

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

Painting and teaching painting is now my life, but while I was single and then when my children were young I made my living doing illustration and commercial art. My first job after college, I worked as a designer and illustrator for Montag Stationary in Atlanta. In the early 70's, I moved to Houston and started freelancing for Advertising agencies and by the 80's I moved into designing contemporary Texas-style Christmas cards. I sold that company to Nu-Art out of Chicago and thought, "At Last! It's time to Paint!" I still consider painting like desert and become anxious if I don't paint just about every day.

Lake Travis, Austin
(click to see original image)

What mediums and genres have you experimented with? Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

I started out with water color and acrylic but quickly moved to oil. There is nothing like the versatility of oil and I love the saturated color.

Initially, I did portraits but felt I was too tight. Then, I moved into still life and found painting from life invaluable. However, in the last few years landscapes have also occupied much of my time. I don't know if I will ever be good at landscapes but feel that plein air work really pushes me.

Home Grown Oranges
(click to see original image)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

Texture is something that interests me.

Who or what inspires you most?

Right now I admire Fechin, Quang Ho, and Richard Schmid. However, Sorolla and Sargent continue to knock me out for their elegance of brushwork and design.

Etretat, France with Boats
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Who can be procrastinating when "Time's a Wasting!"

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

Naturally, as an artist, I will never be good enough, but as a teacher, all these years of painting have helped. I have a small art school with a great studio in Houston and teach three days a week during the school year. There is nothing like showing instead of telling a student how to do something, so I am painting while teaching. However, I believe you should not make anyone paint the way you do, so I try to help each artist find their own style.

Hay Bales, Fields of Gold
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings? How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

In the summer, I take groups on painting trips to Europe and Mexico. The small paintings I put on Daily Paintworks are plein air paintings from these trips. Because I had so many years as an illustrator, I can draw, but to paint is something else again.

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

I have always loved drapery studies as a time honored discipline and it's great that they are something I can set up in my studio. They really are just abstract shapes so they have a contemporary feel. I will be having a show of these drapery studies in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico sometime next year.

Thanks, Nancy!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Nikita Sonavadekar

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

To enter to win Nikita's painting, "Marina in Reddington Shores" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing her interview.

From Nikita's DPW Gallery page:

My name is Nikita Sonavadekar and I love to paint. I am also a mother of two living with my loving husband in sunny Florida, USA. My goal is to be able to paint everyday, right now I paint as often as I can.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Love of art has always been there since childhood. At the age of 12, I took up a class for oil painting from a lady conducting a group class. All we did the first day was paint mountains and stop for a whole week. I didn't understand why I had to stop for it to dry, all I wanted to do was just keep painting. Needless to say, I never went back. As a teenager, I stuck with watercolor as a painting medium. In 2008, I started my journey of oils. I was couple of years shy from turning 40 and realized that I had never given up my yearning to learn oil painting. I was ready to embark on this journey.

Marina in Reddington Shores
(click to see original image)

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

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

I went to school for applied arts. So painting was just a hobby, until last year. When I was on vacation with my family and was painting as usual at the hotel pool side, two different individuals said they were interested in buying my work. That was my start. Earlier this year, I started my blog and began sharing my art with the world. I feel blessed to be part of this (almost) daily painting movement.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Mediums other than oil have been watercolor, ink and pen, and poster color. I feel at home with contemporary impressionist style, so with the oil medium, which I love, I am constantly experimenting with color harmony, value and my brushwork, and subject matter.

GMC Truck
(click to see original image)

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

OMG! Hands down oil, I do not know why I waited this long, but as I say there is always a good reason for it. Painting process is always meditative; mixing your oil paint and letting you brush strokes translate your ideas and the vision is very exhilarating. Also sketching more to improve. Other mediums will have to wait.

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

Maybe pastels and clay for pottery.

Who or what inspires you most?

All past and present impressionist artists always inspire me. Inspiration comes from so many sources. I would love to do more plein-air painting, because that is the closest you can get with nature. Light, color and challenging subject matter can be inspirational.

Boat Buddies
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Not something I would like to really think about. Always working on getting my priorities straight. So many roles one plays in life. Raising a family is my first priority, so juggling life plays a role. I aim to be positive while seeing what needs to be achieved in 24 hours. If things fall through cracks so be it. Is that procrastination? I like to look at my how much my glass is full and being happy with it.

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

Juggling my priorities. Just like eating and sleeping, there is also time for painting now. Having a supportive family plus planning ahead (in my mind) always helps.

Let's Celebrate!!
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Time is always a factor in deciding what I can paint. Live props and plein-air require more planning and usually daylight; even though painting from photographs is not my first choice, most of the time I find myself working from them. While traveling I am always encouraging my husband also to take pictures as they become my reference material. Friends have contributed to my photo collection. Limited time means browsing through it and connecting with one any given day.

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

Being positive about my art and being focused on my journey. The painting process is also like getting in a meditation stage, because you focus on what you want to say and achieve and because of the amount of concentration it takes. Meditation brings a certain calmness in your active mind. Any positive comment, feedback, and sale of a painting always helps. I respect the burnout feeling, because I know there is a shift happening within. I strive to paint often.

Soaking Up the Sun
(click to see original image)

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

Persistence.

What makes you happiest about your art?

The process of painting and my finished work of art.

Thanks, Nikita!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Dwight Smith

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

To enter to win Dwight's painting, "Spoon Holder with Egg" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Dwight's DPW Gallery page:

Inspired by the still life paintings of Wayne Thiebauld, and the collective works of Edward Hopper, this native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, now residing on Florida's West Coast, has been an active watercolor artist since he earned his BFA degree in 1980 from the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio.

Dwight finds inspiration for his paintings from his faith in God and his relationship with Jesus Christ, who allows him to see art in ordinary objects that make up our lives everyday. Dwight's paintings and illustrations are in a realist style and most have a narrative story to tell.

When he isn't painting watercolors or creating pen and ink illustrations, Dwight enjoys life with his wife, step son, and Bandit the Boxer.

Original watercolor paintings and pen & ink illustrations are also available in greeting cards and note cards at: http://www.zazzle.com/dsmithoriginalart

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I began painting in junior high school. I painted landscapes mostly using acrylic paint. Always in the realist style. I always enjoyed painting and knew that was what I wanted to do.

Spoon Holder with Egg
(click to see original image)

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

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

Years ago I walked into an art gallery with a portfolio, got representation, and started selling. Life happens and a lot of time passed without painting anything. My wife encouraged me to paint. Once an artist, always an artist is what she says. Along came our first computer and my first web site was born. I really got excited about the possibility of world wide exposure.

Good Location
(click to see original image)

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I love exploring all the possibilities of watercolor but I also enjoy pen & ink from time to time.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away? Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

After art school, I spent time at an ad agency and realized very quickly this wasn't for me. I shifted to watercolors (self taught, by the way; never being formally trained in art school with this medium) because I liked the look and feel of it on paper. After college, I threw out all other mediums to paint with. Literally, I threw them out. I love watercolors.

Balance and Grace
(click to see original image)

Who or what inspires you?

My family inspires me. Food inspires me a great deal. My dog. I inherited being a foodie from my parents.

I use food as main themes in my still life watercolors. I like humor mixed in. Why does everything have to be so serious? Also, light and shadow. I think every artist says that inspires them, and it is true.

What does procrastination look like for you? What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

It isn't self procrastination that keeps me from painting. It 's life and all the other small stuff that keeps me from painting. That's frustrating. No specific technique, nothing is written in stone. I grab whatever time I can to paint. My wife says whether five minutes or an hour, it all counts.

The Spaten Nest
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Ideas come from my surroundings and how I was raised. My family and I brainstorm a lot. I grew up on the east coast of Maryland near the Atlantic Ocean. My parents, brother and I would fish, clam, garden, and even drive to the surrounding states just to get good food and or eat. My parents would hear of an orchard hours from where we lived and we would drive there just for that. Food was very important. I realized not too long that food was going to be my main theme in most of my work.

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

'Fresh' to me is not becoming a 'themed artist'. I can't paint the same topic over and over again.

Milk and Cookies
(click to see original image)

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

I am more relaxed now than thirty years ago. In the past, it seemed to be how accurate I could come to replicating an object. Now, I feel it is spiritual. It's fun and freeing to be able to put an idea on paper.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Comments from viewers. A sale :) My wife says, seeing art in card form. She loves greeting cards. :)

Thanks, Dwight!

© 2013 Sophie Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Michael Teel

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

To enter to win Michael's painting, "Happy Painting" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing his interview.

From Michael's DPW Gallery page:

I'm the Creative Director for Progressity, Inc., a marketing company in Charleston, WV. I was born in Brooklyn, NY. but grew up in West Virginia.

I'm a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I've been married to my lovely wife, Elizabeth, for over 18 years. I have four children, two that live with me (Suzanna and Madeline) and two that are adults (Chasity and Michael). I worked in the Washington DC area for over 16 years for a Fortune 500 company as an Art Director/Senior Designer.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

My “re-birth” began about 2 years ago. I’ve always dabbled here and there throughout the years, but when I turn the big 50, I decided it was time to get serious about it. Kind of a “now or never” mindset.

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

As mentioned above, I’ve had an on and off career. I worked for awhile as a free lance illustrator in the Washington, DC area. I’d get the painting bug and have a few months where I would work. Then, feeling satisfied, I’d decide to take a few days off. Before I knew it, it would be a few months off. Once a year I’d take a workshop to get my juices going. That was one of the great values of living near the nation’s capitol, the variety of workshops available.

Happy Painting
(click to see original image)

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

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I was a big watercolor guy for years. Most of my illustration work was watercolor. Very tight rendering though. Not your typical lose, free flowing watercolor style. Most of the freelance work I was doing was for science and educational magazines, so lots of detail work.

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

Well, I’d like to “unstick” the tight, need to be precise type work I used to do. I think I suffer like a lot of new painters do, overworking my paintings. Since starting with oils a few years ago, I’ve gotten better at it. But I have a long way to go. In some ways I feel like I’m starting over, starting from scratch with oils. Trying to paint in a “painterly” manner. I know what I want my work to look like, I’m just working hard to get there.

Field of Flowers
(click to see original image)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I’m always striving for the “less is more” philosophy. I’m a web and print designer by trade, and that’s always been my modus operandi. I just keep plugging away and taking my time as I paint. I think what happens to me as I’m painting is I tend to get lost in the moment and forget my goals of simplicity and definitive brush strokes. Oh well, hopefully I’ll have at least another 30 years to work on that.

Who or what inspires you most?

Well, Carol Marine inspired me to take up the painting a day blog. Though, mine have been more like “painting a day, then one month off blog”. I like to search the internet for other artist’s work. I’m a big fan of some of the illustrators from the Golden Age of Illustration like Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth. I also like the regionalist painters from the mid 20th century.

Bird with Flowers
(click to see original image)

What does procrastination look like for you?

I have a great wife and two lovely daughters at home, so sometimes I use them as an excuse to not paint. Right now I’m getting ready to exhibit some work locally, so I’ve been busy building homemade frames to display my work in. Once I get through this week I’ll be able to start up my blog again, which by the way, I’ve re-titled “Michael Teel’s nearly 2 paintings a week blog”. And, I’m already behind.

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

I have to begin right after I get home from work or right after dinner. Being a Dad, I sometimes need to help with my daughter’s school projects. See, there’s that procrastination thing again.

Evening Rain
(click to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

For my small blog paintings, I’ve been collecting items at second-hand stores and keeping them in my studio. I’ll just grab a few things and start moving them around. I also recently discovered fabric swatch books at the local thrift shop. These books are great for helping with color choices. I just pull the books apart and use them as backdrops or set my items on them. For my larger pieces, I just have ideas come to me as I’m day dreaming or just driving around town with my camera.

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

I like to Google other artists to see the possibilities. I haven’t quite found my “niche” yet, so I’m constantly searching for my way.

Puppy Dog Tails
(click to see original image)

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

Patience and perseverance. I once read an article about a famous artist. She stated in the interview that she “loved having completed the work, but hated the process”. Painting can be an emotional rollercoaster. How I feel about myself as an artist is based on the last painting I just completed. If it turned out nice, I feel great. If it turned out poor, I think I’m not getting anywhere with my work and I need to do something different. Hopefully my ride will be less bumpy as I get better.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Seeing a finished piece and knowing that I did my best. But also knowing that I’ll only get better the more I work.

Thanks, Michael!

© 2013 Sophie Marine