DPW Spotlight Interview: Barbara Jaenicke

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

To enter to win Barbara Jaenicke's painting, "Happy as Sunflowers," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Barbara's DPW gallery page:

I teach weekly pastel classes in the Atlanta area and also travel to teach workshops around the country. I’m a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies Master Circle and a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Although I did have a grandmother who was an artist, my motivation developed simply from my own love of drawing. I didn't have any natural talent -- no friends or family members ever commented during my early childhood that I showed promise as an artist. As a preteen I loved to curl up on the couch and draw, usually copying anything that had pretty image printed on it. As I eventually became somewhat skilled at drawing, I began taking a painting class at a small gallery/art school in Bordentown, NJ, as well as every elective art class I could in school. I was an art major in college, but focused my career toward advertising/art direction.

Happy as Sunflowers
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

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

After college, I worked long hours in advertising as an art director and didn't have much time for fine art. Many years later, after a career switch into more of a corporate setting which had less creative focus, I longed to have art back in my life, and began taking classes in drawing and painting. A few years later, the small company I for which I worked downsized, and I found myself happily with more time to devote to art! I was at a point shortly thereafter in which I was ready to start teaching art and showing/selling my work, so the timing worked well.

Harvest Farm
(click here to see original image)

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?

Going way back to my school days, I suppose I used a variety of mediums, such as graphite, pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic and oil. But getting back into it years later, I started with drawing to brush up on my skills, and then progressed to pastel, with the plan of soon moving into oil. For some reason, pastel stuck for quite awhile.

I made some false starts several times to move into oil, but kept going back to pastel. I guess because I love to draw, pastel was just a very comfortable medium for me. However, in the past few years, I've been spending roughly equal amounts of time in pastel and oil, and enjoy them both. I still feel like pastel is my "first language" of art, but feel like I'm finally becoming a bit more "fluent" in oil. My goal is to become equally skilled.

Many of your paintings capture a mood of reverie, as if we're seeing what someone else might have, if they sat down for a spell and relaxed. Can you describe what you're drawn to and what you choose to paint?

For my landscape work, I like to paint locations in which I'd want to spend a lot of time. Even though I currently live in the suburbs, I'd much rather live out in the country. That's where I feel most comfortable. I don't often paint grand vistas, but usually more intimate sections of quiet places.

Afternoon Glow
(click here to see original image)

I like the challenge of painting something simple and basic, and creating something very special with it using what I call my "artistic bag of tricks" in which I interpret the scene by manipulating color, edges, contrast, composition, etc. I approach my still life work this same way, using only basic still life props, but attempting to create a magical moment through the interpretation of those items.

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

Procrastination happens for me when I have trouble deciding what to do with a particular painting. I keep myself well stocked with reference photos, and since I paint often on location, I have plenty of plein air studies from which to work. But sometimes deciding how to interpret a particular subject matter becomes my stumbling block. However, I give myself deadlines and do all that I can to stick to them. However, since I have an eight year-old, interruptions are typically more the problem than procrastination.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

For my studio work, I plan my paintings by doing compositional thumbnails and value sketches to work through what I want to say with the painting. When I'm stumped, I pour through examples of other artist's work either by going though my art magazines and books, or by visiting the websites of my favorite artists to see how they interpreted similar subject matter. I never copy other artists' work, but this process just tends to jumpstart my own ideas.

Sand Dune Shadows
(click here to see original image)

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

I do sometimes go through slumps when I seem to paint one mediocre painting after another (with the occasional "really bad" painting mixed in), which is of course discouraging. But I've been at this long enough to know that it's temporary and I just need to work through it. By staying engaged with the multitude of resources out there for artists (organizations, publications, websites, etc.), I try to view great artwork continuously, which is always inspiring to me and I never tire of it.

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

For the past couple of years, I've really stepped up my time spent painting on location. For me, plein air painting has helped me stretch my painting skills in a way that probably wouldn't have happened otherwise. I've learned to really SEE things in artwork that you don't experience working only from a photograph. And by having a time limit forced upon you by the changing light, I've learned to increase my painting speed, which has enhanced my ability to determine more quickly and concisely what I want to say with a painting.

Front Porch Petunias
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

When I look back over the course of several months, or a year, or several years, I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment when I see noticeable improvements in my art and realize that the hard work is showing positive results.

Thanks, Barbara!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Robin J. Mitchell

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

To enter to win Robin J. Mitchell's painting, "No. 515 - The Church Green," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Robin's DPW gallery page:

I really try to do a small painting every day, but sometimes life comes between my easel and paints. I normally paint in water-soluble oils, but also love watercolour and gouache.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started to paint when I was in my early teens. I had a pan set of watercolours from my Mom that I used; for paper I used ‘stamp collecting’ paper. I painted the watercolours really thickly as I didn’t really understand how they worked. I was painting!  Never took art classes in high school, but somehow still continued to paint and draw.

I started an accounting degree at college, which is where I found an entire section of the college devoted entirely to art. I forgot about the business degree and applied to a general arts program, they taught everything from paper making, book-making, sculpture, print-making, life drawing and painting. I was hooked after finishing this one year program, then studied the three year program in Illustration. An entire world opened up to me. I was in love with drawing and painting.

No. 515 - The Church Green
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

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

I don’t think there has ever been a time since college that I have not painted. I always had a studio set up in my house for me to paint. Ten years ago, my father-in-law helped me build custom furniture for my studio. I now have a room over the garage of our house where I'm able to paint daily.

I've been very lucky to have had a career in art. I've worked as a designer magazine publisher, painted animation backgrounds for Saturday morning cartoons and been a matte painter for sixteen years. I won a Gemini Award for Special Effects for a made-for-TV movie (the Canadian Version of an Emmy Award).

No. 507 - Fence Decoration
(click here to see original image)

For the past four years, I've painted almost every day. Most of them are small and the challenge of creating one every night is a way of learning, by striving to create a better painting than the day before.

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 painted for years in watercolour and gouache and loved both of the mediums. One day at the local art store, I found water mixable oils, tried some and was hooked. The versatility and ease of being able to stop and start painting was amazing, with minimal clean-up and smell. I have since altered my palette and now most of my oils are oil-based and use orange-scented mineral spirits to clean up.

I love oils, you can truly do anything with then; if you don’t like what is on the board or canvas – just wipe if off. The colours are great and brush stokes are easy to incorporate into your work. I love a painting that looks like a painting. I still love watercolours and gouache, but oils at the moment are what I love.

No. 489 - Sunshine in the Market
(click here to see original image)

There's such a beautiful, true sunlight in your paintings. What have you learned over the years that's made it possible for you to capture such an elusive quality?

I love sunlight - strange, as I live in Toronto, Canada, where the days in winter without sun can be many. I love the shadows that are created by sunlight and the colours found in them. I've been introduced to some great new colours at a Dreama Tolle Perry workshop and have found they have added a entirely new dimension to my work. I've tried to enhance the sunlight and shadows as much as possible.

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

I'm lucky not to be crippled by procrastination. I truly love to paint and spend hours in my studio working. If I'm away, I miss it so much and can’t wait to get back to it. I've found the best time for me to paint is at night when my wife and daughter are asleep, the house is quiet, and I can focus entirely on what I'm doing.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

This is a really hard thing to explain, something always seems to catch my eye when looking at a photograph or in everyday life. I walk though a forest green space most days and find the light and shadows give me great ideas. Seeing something while driving in the car, objects in the house or garden.

No. 491 - Watching the World Go By!
(click here to see original image)

Sometimes the simplest thing when combined with a great composition and lighting, turns into a great painting. If you look at a collection of my paintings the subjects matter seems to be all over the place, it make things interesting

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

I took a workshop this summer from Dreama Tolle Perry. I've admired her work for a long time; her colour and brush work have always inspired me. Her introduction of new colours and techniques have boosted my painting lately. I also visit other people's blogs and galleries on the internet, such as Edward B Gordon, Carol Marine and Karin Jurick. I study their work and how they have solved composition, colour, light and shadow as well as subject matter. One can learn a great deal from seeing what others have done.

Painting and posting one everyday keeps things fresh as well. You learn from every painting you do, and hopefully the one you do tomorrow will be better than today’s. The mistakes you did today, you'll hopefully avoid tomorrow.

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

I am trying to put the brush on the canvas and make one stoke with the paint and leave it. This is a method that for me is quite hard, as I like to mess with what I have placed down on the canvas and find you lose the quality of colour and spontinaity of the brushwork.

No. 505 - Summer Hay
(click here to see original image)

Mixing the right value and colour on you palette is critical and I am trying to accomplish this. Get the right colour and value and then place just that on the canvas in the right place and leave it. Sounds easy but it is something I'm trying put into practice. If I stick to this, the painting turns out really well.

What makes you happiest about your art?

Painting makes me happy. Finishing a painting and seeing that it has great darks and great light areas, the colours are bright and lively, and you feel great posting it the next day - that makes me happy. I love to paint!

Thanks, Robin!

© 21012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Nan Johnson

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

To enter to win Nan Johnson's painting, "Coleus," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Nan's DPW gallery page:

Mainly self-taught, Nan "sees" her subjects as a grouping of shapes, each with their own color and shade. It is by combining these that she creates a visual that has been called "unique" or "evocative." Her work is currently held in private collections all over the country.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I started drawing in early childhood and that stayed with me throughout my school years. My dad and I would watch Jon Gnagy on TV together and Dad would explain shading and positive/negative spaces. He would also give me pointers on perspective. Often he would take a blank 8x10 paper, put a dot on it and tell me to draw the room, using that dot as my vanishing point. Years later in high school, I picked up a brush and just started to paint.

Coleus
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

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

Plenty. When my dad died and again a few years later when my mom died; I was suddenly on my own -- with debts! College ended at that point and I went out into the working world with a different view. Things had changed. About 6 years ago, I again picked up the brushes and paints for the umpteenth time and don't intend to put them down again.

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 worked with regular sketch pencil and charcoal in my younger days and liked it. With painting, I actually started with house paint, makeup, anything I could get my hands on to create with. Then my parents bought me my first oil paint kit and I worked quite a bit with them, but I disliked the fumes and cleanup. Tried acrylics a few years ago and have been "stuck" on them since. But I would like to try my hand at watercolors one of these days.

Big Yellow Taxi
(click here to see original image)

You have quite a range: florals, portraits, still lives, landscapes and city scenes; some of them highly detailed. Which such a cornucopia to choose from, how do you go about deciding upon a subject, particularly ones that seem to require a real time and energy commitment?

Ah, good question! I've been told by art critics and teachers that I should focus on a subject matter. Do only still lifes, or florals, or whatever, but not be all over the place. Well believe it or not, I am focused - but not on a specific subject matter.

I see shapes of color, and shades of color, and patterns of color - rather than a subject. And that is what I am drawn to and what I paint. Patterns fascinate me, whether it's a staircase with lights dancing on the wall or an intricate city scene full of activity. It's the patterns of shapes, colors and lights that catches my attention and creates an emotion that I try to capture. As with the piece Coleus above - the pattern in the leaves is what caught my eye as I walked out the front door one morning. A few photos later and I had a new art piece to do!

Birthday Candles
(click here to see original image)

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

I'm not sure it's procrastination that I experience. Actually, the opposite is true - pushing myself to paint when I'm not in the frame of mind to paint. With a full time day job that is separate from my art, there are some evenings that my mind can't look at the canvas. And when I push during those times, I get frustrated with the outcome. I've learned to do other art-related things (website, review of other artist's work, watch art videos) during those "down" times, which helps me to re-energize. Sometimes just taking an evening to organize things helps me to get a "fresh" start the next day.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I don't pick my ideas so much as they pick me. I always have a camera with me and take lots of photos. I work in NYC, so there is always much to look at and be inspired by. But I can get the same inspiration driving down a country road. When I capture a moment with the camera, I know I will return to that moment again when it's time to paint it - be it tomorrow, next week, month or year.

Autumn Bench
(click here to see original image)

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

I did the online challenges for a while, and still do some of them. But for a while, I did every challenge I could find every month. I burned out. In hind sight (which I believe is always 20/20), I realized it had become about the quantity and not the quality.

I stopped the "To Be Painted" formal list; now I just go with what is in my heart and my mind for the "next" work. Sometimes, a simple comment or question from a follower of my work sparks a new piece. You just never know where the next inspiration will come from - love that!

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

Marketing! That is my weak point now. Not that that means I learned every technique of art and am a master! No - no. I'm never done learning - there is always a new approach, a new inspiration, a new method. But I realized recently that I do not promote my work or myself very much and I need to come out of the shadows myself. So much to learn!

Azalea
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

The simple act of creating. I love to see a blank canvas come alive!

Thanks, Nan!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Jo MacKenzie

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

To enter to win Jo MacKenzie's painting, "Tiny Table 3," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Jo's DPW Gallery page:

I want to learn as much as I can. If I am not learning, then the day doesn't feel complete. I live in a very rural area so this web site gives me a place to "play" with others. My goal is to keep it fun and take artistic risks.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I first started painting when I saw an exhibit by Susan Abbott about 15 years ago. I wrote her a fan letter and it turned out that she lived only about four miles away. She was willing to meet with me and answer about 70 questions (I still have the list) and she showed me how to set up a watercolor palette and get started. There is no doubt about it, she "lit the fuse." I began painting full time about six years ago, after leaving a career as a Special Educator.

Tiny Table 3
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

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

In a word… many. I have had Chronic Fatigue syndrome since the early 90's and a serious cancer that required treatment for a year. I am considered disabled, but I don't feel I am when I paint. I do practice what I call exquisite self care. That means taking care of myself at a high level, but that has also seriously limited my ability to be out in the "real world." I have to be careful not to do too much or I will pay the price.

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 jokingly say watercolor is my first love… I write its name in all my notebooks and kiss it behind the school yard fence. I really do love it like a girl in love for the first time. I just want to learn as much as I can. I don't know about layering or masking fluid or many technical things - I just work on dry paper, wet-into-wet most of the time.

Egg Shell Peony
(click here to see original image)

There's such a cheery, bright, I'm willing to try painting anything! exuberance that comes across in your work. How would you describe your approach to selecting compositions and the "feel" you're going for?

I was using the phrase "just do it"way before Nike picked it up. I have limited energy and time on this earth, so I make the most of every moment I have to work at getting better at the craft of painting. I'm happiest when I am challenged and don't think I can succeed. Just being able to try at something makes me feel more alive.

Air Pogo 2
(click here to see original image)

I have often said I love the feeling of almost getting to the to the top of a mountain or reaching a goal even more than reaching the goal itself. I think there is a metaphor for chronic illness in there somewhere, but I don't want to think about it.

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

I do not have the ability to procrastinate. I've had health issues off and on for more years than I can count and never know if I will lose the ability to do what I love, so I wake up ready to work everyday. I can feel the clock ticking, that is all the motivation I need. Besides when I am deep in the process of painting I do not notice physical discomforts for a period of time, so it is an oasis of sorts.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I'm a magpie. When I see others doing something and I'm sure I'll never be able to do it, that is enough to get me thinking, "Maybe you can... why don't you try... maybe if…?" and that won't stop until I start to tackle whatever I have seen someone else do so masterfully. But mostly, I'm fascinated with how color, shape and value can make a form suddenly appear as if by magic.

Main Street
(click here to see original image)

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

My motto "Never giving upping." I don't know if this sentence will make sense, but: I can't not paint. That would be like asking a dog not to wag its tail. Not possible.

I have noticed that I am working at a stronger pace since getting high speed internet a year ago and joining DPW. The feedback and friendships have made me work more and gain better skills.

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

Those darn neutrals. I am just starting to use them mindfully.

The other big one is "Ego." How not to let my heart rise or fall if I have a good painting day. I tell myself just showing up and participating is all I am responsible for. But I do sleep better when painting goes better.

Color Kitty Face
(click here to see original image)

When painting goes badly, I put my arms up in the surrender position, walk away from the easel and often mutter, "Jo Mackenzie: maker of chocolate chip cookies and petter of dogs," and then, after a while I feel better...

What makes you happiest about your art?

Being lucky enough to do it. I sometimes place the paper against my face or put a brush against my cheek and just feel those textures like a kiss. I told you.... it's puppy love.

Thanks, Jo!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: David Forks

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

To enter to win David Forks' painting, "Sundown in the Valley," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From David's DPW Gallery page:

I have gotten a late start at it, but it has been my life long dream to paint for a living. I started painting daily in late 2008. Now that my children have grown and I have become a grandfather, the time to make that dream a reality is here. I am mainly a landscape painter and love the Texas Hill Country and the Trans Pecos, but will paint just about anything.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I have wanted to be a painter my entire life and was confident that one day I would make it happen. After 30 years, I was still saying one day I will become a painter. The loss of my oldest brother to cancer was a wake up call and provided the impetus for me do things I always wanted. I began in 2007 mainly as a weekend warrior, then in October 2008 I started my blog, started painting everyday and haven't stopped since.

Sundown in the Valley
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

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

Yes, I had always painted a little. Sometimes a few paintings in a year and sometimes a painting every few years. Before I started painting in 2007, I had gone through nearly a decade of almost no painting at all.

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 started with watercolor when I was very young, then switched to acrylic for years while I rarely painted. When I became dedicated to painting in 2007, I again switched to oil. I still enjoy painting in acrylic on occasion and may experiment with mixed media acrylic/oil and possibly watercolor and pastel.

Early April
(click here to see original image)

You capture such beautiful, sun-drenched, wide open Southwestern vistas in your work. First, how do you find your settings? And secondly, how do you go about framing your compositions when you have so much "there" to choose from?

Thank you! I have spent years making trips through the Texas Hill country and the trans Pecos, including the Big Bend region; staring at the scenery, becoming immersed in it, taking photographs, sketching, making thumbnails and painting.

Finding my scenes is just a matter of getting out there and opening my eyes to what is there... I usually just focus on what caught my attention in the first place to determine how to frame it.

Bluebonnets(click here to see original image)

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

Procrastination for me looks like unfinished or ugly paintings that need more work, but sit untouched 'til I become inspired or get an idea of how to complete them.

I am good at prioritizing but I can never get enough time to paint. I try to get on the easel as early as I can and paint for a couple hours every day, before I have to leave for work. My creative energy is high in the mornings. Sometimes I will attempt to start and finish a painting in that time or I may work on several in one morning. On weekends, I try to paint for at least 3 or 4 hours each day.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I browse through my sketches, thumbnails and photographs to come up with ideas. I also get ideas when driving; just seeing the landscape in front of me inspires me.

Cactus and Rock
(click here to see original image)

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

I keep my art fresh by painting fast and loose with a big brush. I often paint out detail if I think a piece is getting an overworked look.

I don't get to paint near enough as it is, so I have not had to contend with burnout yet. The thought of my next painting experience is always exciting and greatly anticipated.

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

Wow... more like what am I NOT learning about right now? I am so new to this that I am still learning everything. It's been said before that artists need two lives, one to learn their craft -- in my case how to paint -- and the next to apply what they learned in the first.

What makes you happiest about your art?

The process itself makes me happiest. Pure and simple there is nothing I would rather do than paint. When a painting is working, it is such an energy and endorphin rush that it feels like lightning coming off the end of your brush. It can be quite intuitive when you are in a zone and a very peaceful and harmonious experience.

On the River
(click here to see original image)

Secondly, seeing my progress so far is exciting to me. I know I have far to go and I have lofty expectations for myself, but feel confident that good things will happen for me if I remain patient and persistent.

Thanks, David!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Sarah Sedwick

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

To enter to win Sarah Sedwick's painting, "Apple Bowl with Apple Blossoms," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Sarah's DPW Gallery page:

My real passion is putting brush to pigment, paint to canvas. I got my BFA at MICA (in Baltimore) and now live in Eugene, Oregon. My recent work has been mainly still lives and nudes, all painted direct from life, no photos.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I’ve been into art as long as I can remember. I was ten years old the first time I tried oil paint. I’m not saying it was love at first sight – it seemed like kind of a stinky complicated mess back then. Also, I almost got trampled by my first live model - a horse!

Apple Bowl with Apple Blossoms
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

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

After I graduated from art school, I went through a period of intense self-doubt during which I did almost NO art for about seven years. I can't believe it, but it's true. What did I do with myself during all that time? I waitressed, worked in a bookstore, watered plants in office buildings (yes, that’s a real job), fell in love and got married.

We settled here in Oregon five years ago, and I just knew it was time to begin painting again. Now I can’t imagine going through another dry spell of that length, though it did take me six months to get back in the studio after my daughter was born in ‘09.

Peppers and Wedges
(click here to see original image)

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?

Throughout childhood I was a serious felt-tip pen fanatic. I filled countless drawing pads with black and white drawings (of princesses). Later I went through a long phase with pen and ink and gouache. I used all kinds of different colored pens, pencils, sticks - whatever was around - in my sketchbooks during college. Sketchbooking is the one artistic practice that I really want to get back into. Lately all my art time is focused on painting, but one day I will be toting that black-covered sketchbook everywhere with me again.

Your work is an intriguing mixture of very fine, but vibrant still lifes and direct, but relaxed nudes. What can you tell us about what you are drawn to capturing in paint?

Thanks for saying so! I do feel that they are different bodies of work, but painting figures refuels my passion for still life when I get into ruts. I’m always surprised by how much of my still life practice is applicable to painting the nudes. I don’t experience much difference between painting a bowl of apples and, ahem, round parts of the female anatomy – aside from mixing flesh tones, which is pure fun.

Kai
(click here to see original image)

In still life I’m usually trying to capture a certain quality of light, or a color combination that is really inspiring me that day. I also love working with shadows as part of a composition.  When I paint the figure, I try for drama – dark darks, lost edges - and I always get a thrill from capturing a facial likeness.

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

Procrastination for me, at its worst, can be summed up in one word: the internet! I have some healthier forms of procrastination, though: maintaining my Etsy shop, research (aka stalking other artists’ blogs), and running. At least when I’m running I can theoretically be brainstorming painting ideas, though I’m usually just jamming to music and checking out what the other runners are wearing.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Most of my paintings aren’t narrative, and they I don’t usually intend them to represent grander themes. (You won’t find an ‘Assumption of the Virgin’ on my website.) If the persimmons are ready to be picked over at my mom’s, I’m excited about painting persimmons. And I know I’m not the only DPW artist to seek inspiration in the produce department!

Irises on a Low Table
(click here to see original image)

Often, I’ll add elements to a still life based on color combinations I want to try. I’ll never stop being fascinated by what color can do to manipulate the whole mood of a piece.

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

When I feel burned out, I go to the thrift store! Honestly, a day spent browsing for new things to paint sends me back to the studio excited. New fabrics and colored-paper backgrounds are also great that way.

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

I’m learning about teaching, for one, which is a universe of newness for me! I’ve taught some small workshops, and learned a ton about myself as an artist doing it. (Maybe I should have been paying them!)

I’m also constantly learning new things about blogging, marketing, creating my “brand” and reaching out to my colleagues and collectors on the internet – and locally! I’m an artist, and I love to hide out in my studio - but putting myself ‘out there’ has been really rewarding.

The Red Rasta
(click here to see original image)

What makes you happiest about your art?

There’s nothing like finding that ‘zone’ of perfect concentration. When I’m there, I seriously feel like a rockstar. Of course, that high may not last through my first look at a painting after a night’s sleep, but in the moment of creation, it’s pretty sublime.

I also really love hearing feedback from my customers. A woman recently wrote to tell me that her children had made up their own names for all my paintings, and that was priceless! Feeling connected to a community of art-lovers is so great.

Thanks, Sarah!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Karen Margulis

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

To enter to win Karen Margulis' painting, "Maine Landscape with Lupines," go to Daily Paintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Karen Margulis' DPW gallery page:

I've been creating a daily painting since 2005. My work is represented by fine art galleries in the Georgia, North Carolina and Oregon. I'm a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and a Member of Excellence in the Southeastern Pastel Society.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I took art classes in high school, but didn't start painting until my own children were in high school and I found myself with extra time. I started doing a small daily painting and posted it to my blog so that I could improve my painting skills. I have been doing a daily painting for 7 years now!

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

Once I started painting, I haven't stopped. I recently retired from my day job to paint and teach full time. I can't imagine ever stopping now that I've rediscovered art.

Maine Landscape with Lupines
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

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 started with watercolor, but quickly discovered that pastel was my passion. I love the vibrancy and the immediacy of pastels. I have recently started exploring oils and I really do enjoy the texture I can get with paint. I look forward to working to improve my skills with the brush....

Wildflower Pastel
(click here to see original image)

There's such an ethereal, dreamy quality to some of your work, especially your landscapes. Is that a quality you already see when you settle upon a composition, or do you pick a setting and then attempt to gently "steer" a painting in that direction?

Great question! I am drawn to the ethereal quality in the landscapes, so often I do see these things before I start painting. But a lot of the dream-like quality of my work comes from the underpainting techniques I use. I often begin a painting with a loose and drippy underpainting. By starting out with soft edges, I am able to retain the soft quality and only sharpen edges in my focal areas.

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

I am fairly good about getting things done without too much procrastination. Having the daily blog and being a part of Daily Paintworks helps me stay focused on painting. I usually take care of business in the morning and paint after lunch. Keeping a routine makes it easier for me.

Meteor Shower
(click here to see original image)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I have thousands of reference photos that I have taken and when I need a painting idea, I will skim through them until something jumps out at me. Often one painting will inspire ideas for more paintings and a series is born! Other times my paintings are done to illustrate a topic for one of my classes or workshops. I learn much from painting these 'demos'!

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

I like to give myself small painting challenges to keep things interesting. I also give myself permission to experiment with different techniques and mediums. By trying new approaches and new subjects, I keep things fun for me and I also often discover ways to make my usual work even better.

Siamese Cat
(click here to see original image)

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

Since I am exploring the world of oil painting right now, I would say I am learning a lot about color and how to mix the colors I need. With pastels we just have to have the right color stick. I had always heard how learning another medium helps you with your primary medium and I can see now how that is true. This is an exciting time for me!

What makes you happiest about your art?

Easy. I love that I can make someone else happy with my work.

A Sunny Day
(click here to see original image)

One of the great things about Daily Paintworks is that I know who my collectors are and I get to hear their stories. It is so satisfying to have a dialog with my collectors and know that my work has moved them and why. I love sharing both my work as well as teaching; sharing my artwork and my art knowledge is so gratifying...

Thanks, Karen!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine

DPW Spotlight Interview: Brian Cameron

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

To enter to win Brian Cameron's painting, "Surfin' Safari," go to DailyPaintworks and click on the Spotlight Giveaway button in the top-left corner of the website.

From Brian's DPW gallery page:

Brian has been painting full time and showing professionally since 1998. His work has been featured in the magazines Coastal Living and Open Spaces and on Portland's PDXPOSED television program. He  illustrated "Encounters With Small Creatures By The Sea" by Phyllis Knutson, PHD and wrote and illustrated a children's book, "What Woofie Wants."

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

Hmm... can't remember. Wait -- it's coming back.

I was sidetracked for a long time. After heading to college with a small art scholarship in hand, I dropped out to see what life outside of school was like. I worked different jobs and played around and met a few girls and woke up one day married with children!

Surfin' Safari
(click here to see original image)

Enter to win by clicking the "Artist Spotlight and Giveaway" button!

I spent many years in the building trade, eventually opening a cabinet shop. The cabinet making evolved into furniture making. I began to get the furniture in galleries and it sold well. Once I was established in a few galleries, I decided I was an artist, so the furniture making evolved into sculpture. The sculptures evolved into wall hung assemblages. Some of the assemblages were painted and so, in time, I began just painting on large flat Masonite panels. Mostly abstract fields of color. Just colors and shapes arranged in what I felt were pleasing, well balanced compositions.

I was fascinated with minimalist art. Bold and colorful compositions that were compelling and beautiful had been done by some of the masters and I just wanted to do what they did.

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

Once I started painting, I pretty much let the sculpture and woodworking go. I liked the idea of just paint and canvas. The other genres involved so much more time and materials. Painting doesn't require as much prep, so I found it liberating to just jump in and paint.

The Derby
(click here to see original image)

But there have certainly been setbacks. 9-11 was probably the worst. The gallery business faltered immediately and hard as it was to make a living in art before that... it was even worse right after. Eventually, I grudgingly took a job as a carpenter to catch up on the bills and felt like maybe I was done for as an artist. But then after a couple years, I just couldn't take it anymore and had to jump back into the creative life again full time. I remember being so glad to get back to the studio and crank out work.

Aside from the self inflicted 'dry spells' that come from self doubt, I managed to keep painting pretty regularly and then the financial collapse in 2008 dried up the gallery business again. But I've pressed on with the painting though.

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?

Like I said before, I've sculpted in wood and even concrete and a little metal. Actually, I still love working in wood. There's something about a sharp blade cutting through wood that turns me on. And I've done a fair amount of printing from woodcuts which I enjoy too.

Bold Crow
(click here to see original image)

I did the usual dabbling in watercolors but didn't care for it much. I'm pretty stuck on oils and acrylics. I spend most of my time working in acrylics simply because it's cheaper, dries faster and is cleaner to work with. But I do work in oil too. Oils have a truer color in that how they appear when they hit the canvas is close to how they'll look when dry. I like that about oil.

Acrylics, on the other hand, 'dull out' after initially appearing rich in color. So as the painting progresses, you have to keep retouching some areas because of the loss of intensity. I remember when I first started using acrylics, I would come to the studio in the morning after spending all day on a piece and wonder what had happened. The painting often looked considerably different than when I left the night before. At first I thought it was just my imagination or that my vision for the piece had changed. As I worked with it more, it became clear that it changes in intensity all day, so you have to compensate for that. Oils do the same thing, but not nearly so dramatically. I'm sure all oil painters have to go back and retouch some spots, especially the bright lights.

As far as genres go, I am one of the world's worst at sticking to any style or genre. I love abstract as well as representational work. I can easily get bogged down with detail and move a painting into realism, but I prefer to stay very loose and even a little abstract if I feel like I can get away with it. I know most of the clientele in the daily painting arena expect to see representational pieces so for this venue I try to keep it small and recognizable. Then too, I don't feel abstract works very well on such a small scale.

I look forward to exploring nudes. Of course, not while my wife is alive.

You cover quite a range in your subjects, from the stately and majestic, to the more ordinary stuff of daily life. What stops you in your tracks and makes you think, "I've just got to paint this!"?

Well, actually that's just how it goes sometimes. I literally stop in my tracks and think "I've got to paint this." The good news is... when that happens, painting is a gift from above. So I don't know what it is that stops me in my tracks. Call it the muse or inspiration or a heavenly messenger or whatever. When it happens, it's time to drop everything and paint.

The Flutist
(click here to see original image)

I used to think that feeling would wait and hang around until I was ready to go to work but  it doesn't. I read an interview with Neil Young once that touched on that. I can't quote it, but Neil mentioned that at one time, he took it for granted that the muse would always be at his command, but later realized that when the inspiration comes, you just have to drop everything and go with it.

Some days, though, are just a matter of going to the studio and putting paint on canvas searching for something in the painting that pulls you in some direction. I'm always looking for a subject that is either quirky and fun or so beautiful that it shouts, "Are you blind? You have to paint me!"

So yeah, I have painted things as ordinary as an oil can and screwdriver some days and that's fun and good practice. But other days I look a little higher. There is a lot of wonder in this world. To catch a tiny bit of it on canvas is magic.

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

You know, I don't think I procrastinate too much when it comes to painting. I procrastinate about other things, but the only thing that really keeps me from painting is the foul mood I get in when things aren't  selling. It is hard to keep painting when it just piles up in the studio or in the storage room of some gallery.

Chickadee Delight
(click here to see original image)

I suppose if I were just doing it for leisure activity, it wouldn't bother me so much. But when you are trying to earn your living from it, the demons sneak in and steal away your joy with little comments like, "Are you nuts!" or "You can't make a living painting pictures!" or "Real men hold down real jobs." But having had a long acquaintance with them, I have pretty much identified those voices as puny little spirits attempting to derail me on my rightful journey.

I think I would say you have to look at it as your job as best you can. You have to go to the studio and put in the time, either slapping paint on canvas or at least stretching canvases or something art related. Some days are for painting... some days are for the peripheral stuff associated with painting, but I need to keep at it all like a job.

I'll tell you one thing: if I take some time away from the studio and go do some serious labor like cutting trees or digging a ditch or re-roofing the house, when I go back to the studio that place looks like heaven. So I try to keep that in mind.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

The abstracts are, of course, pure imagination. Sometimes I see a group of shapes and colors that would make an interesting idea for an abstract painting, but mostly I just think of things I'd like to see hanging on my walls.

Since I started doing the little daily paintings, the need for new subjects or ideas has become a bit of a challenge. But then part of the daily painting thing is just to be painting everyday, so subject becomes less important. Not all dailies are intended to be masterpieces. Many are pure pleasure and practice. So painting an oil can on a block of wood is ok for that. Or a telephone. Or a can of old paintbrushes.

Key to What

(click here to see original image)

I do, though, try to think of what the market might want too. I wonder sometimes, if I were a wealthy patron of the arts, what would I want to buy?' Now, you all have to admit that is part of what we do as painters. Shameful isn't it?!

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

I hope people do find my work 'vibrant and engaging! ' Oddly enough, starting the daily painting regime has helped me a lot in that regard. I used to paint only large format pieces and thought the idea of painting small 6x6" pieces was absurd!

Once I began doing the little ones, I found it nice to switch back and forth from large pieces to small ones. Usually, I do a series of little ones and then launch in to something large. The change is refreshing -- to go from wearing reading glasses and sitting -- to standing up and taking broad strokes with a 6" wide putty knife. The large works lend themselves to large tools and brushes and lots of walking around.

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

I am always learning. This 'self taught' artist thing is all about learning the hard way. I never had enough sense to actually take classes, so I have to figure out everything by myself. Trial and error seems to be the only way I can learn. Seriously, I think I am making small strides in the direction of what some call signature work.

For years I've wandered all over the spectrum of technique and style. And for a long time I thought that was good. I didn't want to be pigeonholed. But I think I'd like to settle down a little and try to make my work recognizable as being from me. I'm learning slowly that there is a style that I prefer. I think I'm just about there or just about to figure out where 'there' is.

What makes you happiest about your art?

A lot of things make me happy. When I start a painting and it just falls off my brush so quick and easy that I'm amazed. That is one. Or when I get stuck on a big piece and can't seem to find my way to the end and suddenly lay down one stroke that either finishes it completely or at least puts it over the top... That's another.

Bite Size
(click here to see original image)

When someone buys a big expensive one that pays the mortgage, that feels pretty good too. And when someone sincerely loves one of my pieces and I feel I made something that touched someone... hard to beat that feeling.

I guess mostly to think that maybe it really is a gift from God that might be doing something good in this world -- and I get to be part of it.

Thanks, Brian!

© 2012 Jennifer Newcomb Marine