Cedar Crossing – A Step-by-step Oil Painting Demonstration By Aaron Holland
About Aaron
My formal training has been in the “Boston School” tradition, at the Studio of Peter Bougie and Brian Lewis (an Atelier), in the lineage of Richard Lack. While there, I was trained in portraiture, figurative, and still life painting methods, as well as a thorough study of academic drawing approaches. I studied with Mr Bougie and Mr. Lewis every day for five days a week, approximently 7-8 hours a day, for three and a half years. Ironically, it was while I was there that I came to love the landscape.
Both of my teachers are ardent “Plein Air” ( outside, on location) landscape painters, and would often bring in their paintings for our appreciation. After much time spent in the studio their paintings were like a breath of fresh air, and the saturated colors of outdoor light seemed beyond comprehension. I was further impressed by the notion that the paintings were done without the aid of photographic references! It was their belief that, although sometimes necessary, it can often be counter-productive to the aims of a true artist.
I have been painting “on my own” since 1998, and have tried to maintain the same integrity and faithfulness towards landscape painting that I saw demonstrated there. Although there are some differences in how I see and paint the landscape, I think that is an important aspect to growing and developing as an artist. I have made an effort to dedicate several days each week to paint direct from nature. During these painting sessions I have been seeking to capture both the essence of a scene, and how it speaks to me on a personal level. Currently I am concentrating on smaller en plein air compositional studies with a focus on light and color, painted “en premiere coup” (or, in one sitting).
Artist Spotlite – Randall Jordan
Artist: Randall Jordan
Title: “A Moment In Time”
Dimensions: 34×34
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Website: www.1fineartist-randalljordan.com
Randall’s Comments: I saw this seen at Va. Bch., my hometown, snapped a pic, and went directly to my studio and sketched it out. After re-sketching several times, I finally got all the proportions just right, and layered in the whole scene in this format: top to bottom and back to front. I am really pleased with my result. I am also the website creator and maintainer for the Chesapeake Bay Art Association, a club of around 60 artist members in Norfolk, Va. That art site can be viewed at: http://www.chesapeakebayartassociation.com
Artist Spotlite – Susan Prislopski Dickens
Artist: Susan Prislopski Dickens
Title: “West River”
Dimensions: 26×38
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Website: www.spyglassstudio.com
Susan’s Comments: The West River feeds Canandaigua Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. I painted this after a canoe ride up the river and loved how the light reflected on the water and the trees. I have been painting since childhood and have recently returned to my studio after founding and being an executive director of an art center since 1995.
Artist Spotlite – Donald Neff
Artist: Donald Neff
Title: “Winter Break”
Dimensions: 30×40
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Website: http://www.donaldneff.com
Donald’s Comments : “I did a plein air at this same spot last winter looking in the opposite direction on the river. I saved this scene for a large studio work.”
Please leave any comments, critiques or words of encouragement in the comments box below. Thank You!
Artist Spotlite: Tammy Morgan
Artist: Tammy Morgan
Title: Serenity
Dimensions: 16 x 18
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Tammy’s Comment on Her Painting: “It would be my favorite place to be.”
Please leave any comments, critiques or words of encouragement in the comments box below. Thank You!
Step By Step Oil Painting Tutorial By Dan Schultz
About Dan
Dan Schultz was born in New Mexico in 1975 and soon began to take an interest in art. He enjoyed art classes through his primary and high school years, and studied commercial art at Pensacola Christian College in Florida. He received his degree with a focus on illustration and graphic design, but he never felt driven to pursue either as a career. After college, he continued to sharpen his drawing and painting skills by attending Cottonwood Artists’ School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it was there that he realized for the first time his desire for a career in fine art.
He chooses to work in a classical style because he deeply connects with traditional works which aptly express reality. “Art should bring about a respect for life and God’s creation around us,” he says. “I want to do my best to faithfully render what is beautiful to me and hopefully others will find that beauty reflected in my work.”
Please do take a moment to visit Dan’s Website by following the link below. Much of the artwork on his website (beside what is in his current galleries) is available for purchase directly from his studio. I know Dan worked real hard on this 
oil painting tutorial. I am sure he would appreciate your visit. If you have time, why not drop him a line as well.
20 Beginner Tips For Taking Digital Photography
Digital cameras are one of the greatest inventions of modern times. We are so fortunate to have this modern convenience called 
Digital Photography. To be able to capture a precious moment or beautiful scene at the click of a button, is something we should not take for granted.
Many beginners find digital photography rather challenging and rightly so. Today, more and more digital cameras are being created and it seems like the more digital cameras they make, the more difficult they become to use.
I own a Canon Powershot S3 IS. I purchased this digital camera about a year ago and I still haven’t utilized all of the awesome little features this camera has to offer. Now you may not want or even need a camera with tons of features. It really depends on the type of pictures you plan on taking.
Speed Pencil Drawing of Lion
I found a really cool post today on Onlypencil.com.
If you have never visited this site before, then I highly recommend you do so today. This site has lots of awesome drawing tips and tutorials and lots of beautiful artwork.
Anyway, back to the post.
Its a speed drawing of a lion. The drawing is very small, only 2.5″ x 3.5″. Its quite amazing how the artist was able to fit so much detail into such a small space.
This is definitely worth checking out.
Click here to view the speed drawing.
Interview with Artist Don Sahli
Everybody looks for a label. I would like to be known as a painter one who painted what he saw while wandering around on his journey.
Don Sahli made the decision to become a professional artist at a very early age. By the time he was 17 years old, galleries in Texas and New Mexico were selling his paintings. Sahli has earned his living as a professional artist all his adult life. Presently, his work is represented by galleries in Colorado, North Carolina, New Mexico, Wyoming and Texas.
When I look at a painting, I want it to bring me back to when I was on the scene. I want it to convey the drama and emotion that first captured my attention, the atmosphere, and the soul of the place.
Sahli’s work contains stylistic echoes of the Russian masters, particularly evident in his uninhibited use of color, his stern originality and unique vitality. As the last apprentice to the Russian colorist, Sergei Bongart, Sahli sustains an important artistic legacy, one passed from Ilya Repin, the fountainhead of all modern Russian painting, to Nicolai Fechin, to Peter Kotov, to Sergei Bongart to Don Sahli.
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