Artist Spotlite - Interview With Jennifer Young
April 28, 2008
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Jennifer Young is a professional artist from Richmond, Virginia, most known for her vibrant landscape paintings of France, Italy, and the American South. She is inspired by the beauty she observes on her frequent travels, and paints on location as often as possible.
In addition to teaching painting workshops (www.jenniferyoung.com/paintingworkshops.htm) , she exhibits in galleries in the southeastern U.S., as well as in her own gallery and working studio in Richmond. Her paintings have been purchased internationally by both corporate and private collectors. She also maintains her own online gallery (www.jenniferyoung.com) and writes frequently about painting, art tips, travel, and the artist’s life on her blog, “Paintings of France, Italy, and Beyond” (www.jenniferyoung.com/blog.)
THE INTERVIEW
Q - What medium or mediums do you work with?
A. My primary medium is oil painting, but I love to experiment. Most recently these explorations involve watercolor, pen and ink, & acrylics.
Q - How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?
A. It sounds so cliche to say I’ve been an artist all my life. But from very early on, I knew I wanted to be an artist. After college I painted part time for a few years while I worked full time. With the great encouragement and support of my husband, I finally took the leap into full-time professional artist over 12 years ago.
Once in the full time arena, I painted nearly daily, but back then my paintings often took about 2 to 3 weeks to complete. I was painting very large, doing lots of layering, and working completely from imagination. My works and processes then were very different than my current work. I plodded along for a while taking the typical route of trying to get my work “discovered”. I entered juried shows, showed in university galleries, art centers, even a museum. It padded the resume but I didn’t feel like it was getting me very far, and certainly didn’t make me any money.
I got so frustrated with my progress, both as a painter and as a professional artist. When my father died I stopped painting altogether for about 6 months. I questioned everything, including my painting. It was a sad, dark time. Then on my birthday following my dad’s death, my husband Dave bought me a plein air easel. I’d always loved the Impressionists and played with painting landscapes here and there, but never seriously explored it before.
Plein air painting changed everything for me. I was hooked on painting the landscape and the direct experience out in nature was so life affirming and exhilarating. During that same period, I stumbled across a self-published book by artist Jack White called “The Mystery of Making It” (www.senkarikstuff.com/books.htm) . It was probably the best practical, real world book I’d read about art marketing, and I used Jack’s advice as a guide to develop my first art marketing plan. A lot has changed since the book was published, but I still think it has great value to anyone getting started trying to market their art, particularly to those who paint representationally.
Q - Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?
A. Yes, and yes :-). I went to a four year art school, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. I had a major in Art History Studio, which was essentially only a few credits short of a double major in art history and painting and printmaking. My personal experience at the time was that the school had a good foundation program the first year, but afterwards I found that the painting department was big on concept and light on technique.
The focus was more on abstraction, which probably helped me with composition and design. But for a while after school I had to teach myself how to use my materials, mainly from experimentation and books. Once I started with painting the landscape, I took a few outdoor painting classes to further develop my craft in this genre.
Q - Do you have any favorite art supplies that you would like to recommend?
A. I actually love to experiment with different art supplies and I write a lot about them on my blog. To students in my workshops, I don’t really stress paint brands at this point, because I think every artist should experiment and find what works best for them. Painting is such a primitive activity, and really you need very little in the way of “fancy” supplies to get the job done.
For oils, I do recommend using the best materials you can afford- especially in terms of using professional grade paints and archival supports. Good bristle brushes also help immensely. Unfortunately paint colors aren’t uniform from manufacturer to manufacturer, so I use different paint brands for different colors (often Gamblin, Windsor Newton, sometimes Rembrandt.) I’ve found a wonderful creamy titanium white made by Classic Artist Oils (www.artistoils.com) that is also economical. For plein air painting, I love my Soltek Easel, but EasyL makes wonderful pochade style easels that are good quality and easier on the wallet.
Q - Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?
A. I like to experiment, but my main subject matter is landscape painting, with some city scapes and still life thrown in. I work often from life and on location (en plein air). As for style, color has always been important to me. Right now I think my work falls somewhere between Impressionism and Realism, though I may use a greater range of values than what I think of as “impressionist” work ( a la Monet), and have a slightly looser style without all of the earth tones that I associate with Realism. It’s so hard to attach an “ism” to someone’s work though, and I find it really only helps to provide a very general description.
Q - Can you recommend any books, videos or other resources that will help new artists?
A. I’m a bibliofile so I’ll stick to books. I write about painting books often on my blog, but off the top of my head, my favorites are “Carlsons Guide to Landscape Painting,” by John F Carlson, “The Composition of Outdoor Painting,” by Edgar Payne, Emile Gruppe’s wonderful but hard to find books on Color, Brushwork, and Oil Painting Techniques, “Alla Prima by Richard Schmid” and Kevin MacPherson’s “Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light and Color“.
Q - How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?
A. Well, being primarily a landscape painter I’m inspired by nature, and more importantly the effects of light on form and color. I recharge by studying others’ paintings in many styles and genres. Other artists’ works inspire me immensely. While I paint representationally and work both from life and from photos, I use color expressively. I try to see the scene as a starting reference, but I don’t find it interesting to copy a scene. I think it’s the emotion derived from the experience and the essence of the thing that’s important. And it’s the artist’s job to figure out the best way to capture that and communicate it onto the canvas; usually this involves a lot of editing, abbreviating and even rearranging.
Q - Are there any artists that have influenced you and why?
A. Yes, but having an art history background, it would take me all day to list these! For the purposes of this interview I’ll stick with landscape painting. The usual suspects- the French Impressionists and their friends (mainly Monet, Sisley, Boudin, Morisot, Degas, etc.) for their use of color and their innovation. John Singer Sargent’s somewhere at the top of that list for sure. His drawing, brushwork bravura and ability to capture light are all amazing. I love certain landscape painters who are usually classified as realists too, like Corot & Daubigny for their delicate and subtle approach to the landscape.
As for living artists, I enjoy the works of Kenn Backhaus and John Budicin, both of whom I’ve studied under and long admired for their wonderful (and very different) approach to brushwork, color palettes, and drawing. I also admire and love to look at lots of works by artists who belong to the Plein Air Painters of America for the same reasons.
Q - Do you have a website you would like to share?
A. I have a website at www.jenniferyoung.com , and an art blog at www.jenniferyoung.com/blog
Q - Finally, do you have any last words of advice for beginner artists?
A. Yes, first of all, be happy where you are and eager for more. We all have artistic goals, but know that no matter how long you’ve been at it, there is always something new to learn and always something greater that you will want to accomplish. (Personally I wouldn’t want it any other way!)
When learning from others, take what is useful to you and leave the rest. There is no one “right ” way of going about it, especially when it comes to art, and eventually you will have to take what you’ve learned and make it your own. It’s great to sharpen the saw with classes and the like, but ultimately it comes down to you getting yourself in front of the easel and doing the painting. And lastly, for those working on making your art your profession, there are three things that I’ve found extremely important; commitment, experimentation, and renewal.
By commitment I mean doing the work you need to do to improve your skills and meet your goals. Largely this involves making the time to show up in front of the easel and painting, but it could also be some form of art-related study.
By experimentation I mean allowing yourself just to play and grow, without worrying about whether the end result will be “good” or “bad”, “sellable” or end up in the trash.
Renewal will be different things to different people, but it has to do with taking care of yourself and your relationships and your “other life” outside of your art.
The challenge is to find a balance and that can really feel like a struggle sometimes, especially when life throws you those lovely curve balls. But when I make an effort to keep all of these things in balance, I reduce my risk of burnout, am more productive and creative, and am just nicer to be around overall! As artist/writer Jack White likes to say, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.“
Popularity: 15% [?]
Artist Spotlite - Interview with Lorraine Vatcher
April 7, 2008
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“When painting I use my own photographs and when working on a canvas, I am recalling the sights, smells and the sounds that were surrounding me at that time. Although the pictures form the basis of the subject, my mind remembers where I was at the time and is able to give the painting a life. My father painted for years and now all his children have his works gracing our walls. We are lucky we are able to daily see the memories he created and Mom’s quilts keep us all warm on cold winter nights so you see that it seemed a natural progression to use a paint brush.”- Lorraine Vatcher |
Q. What medium or mediums do you work with?
A. Although I work with oil and watercolour, I prefer acrylics. They are, to me, the most forgiving because if you don’t like something all you have to do is wait until an area is dry (which is only a few minutes) and then paint over the section that you don’t like. You don’t have to use solvents to clean up or to thin the paints and there is a great deal of control in the paint. If you know how to use acrylic paints, they have the same intensity of colour as that of that oil paints. I have had so many people say to me, “You just can’t get that vibrant colour with oils!”. I do but it really comes down to knowing how to use the product.
Q. How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?
I started painting in 2001. My husband had kindly given me a painting kit for Christmas and my mother-in-law had been asking me for years to paint a picture of her family home (she had a lot more confidence in me than I did). The first picture is hidden in a closet; then I tried the homestead piece. I can definitely say that it is certainly not my best work of art, however, I can say that the bug hit me around that time and I have been painting ever since.
Q. Do you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
A. Although I consider myself more self-taught than trained, I have taken many courses and work-shops with noted artists and I read art instruction books continually. Training by instructors is good and gives a person food for thought because it opens your eyes to different ways to accomplish goals. Plus it gets you out in a circle of artists which gives you even more inspiration. I always feel more spirited after a course, even if I do not adopt the techniques the instructor has shown me. But I would have to say that it is practice which means more than anything. Painting even for fifteen minutes a day will make the world of difference in your painting.
Q. Do you have any favourite art supplies you would recommend?
A. Rather than recommend a brand, I would stress to get yourself artist grade supplies, not student grade. I don’t want to come across as a snob but cheap paints, brushes, and canvasses make cheap paintings. The brushes do not apply paint properly, the paint does not cover properly because it has not got enough pigment in it and the canvas simply does not give you the ground you need to properly paint what you want. There are many name brands out there which can deliver good to excellent artist grade quality. When you go to buy paints and brushes, get only the absolute necessity in good quality rather than oodles of cheap stuff.
Q. Do you work with specific styles or subject matter?
A. My style is definitely realist but my subject is far-ranging. The most important thing I look for is good composition, whether it be in still life, scenery or portraiture. I do not want to get stuck into an area of painting that I have grown tired of and by constantly changing my subject matter, I inject a new energy into whatever the subject is that I am doing at the time.
Q. Can you recommend any books, videos or other resources that will help new artists?
A. Four books I would recommend are: Classic Still Life Painting by Jane Jones, The Art of Perspective: The Ultimate Guide for Artists in Every Medium by Phil Metzger, The 5 Essentials in Every Powerful Painting by Ramon Kelly
Don’t forget to frequent the library for all the information you can get. There are not only art instruction books, there are art appreciation and art history.
One other resource is to get together with other painters. I meet every Thursday with a group. We rent a large room with lots of natural light and stay there all day. The phone doesn’t ring for us when we are there and we don’t have to think about anything that may be pressing us at home. We critique each other when asked and are brutal with each other, however, not in a malicious way. Even though we ask for advice, we know our own minds and many times just follow our own instincts but because we are all artists, we get inspiration from each other.
Q. How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?
A. Ideas are all around, with even the simplest of subjects. Many times we just have to open our eyes.
My camera is my companion at all times and if I see something which captures my imagination, I use it so that I may go back to the images to get all the concrete information required. I take many images in as many different angles of light as I think will assist me. I have been taking photographs since I was in my early teens and back then learned what made a good photograph. Now most of the images I take are for future paintings so I try to arrange them to my own purpose. The inspiration initally is from whatever the subject is, as I see it at that moment. When I compose a picture now, the flash does not go on because I want all the nuances of natural light to touch my subject.
Q. Are there any artists who have inspired you and why?
A. My father never had training but he painted scenery that was special to him. He did inspire me but not because I ever watched him do a painting. I saw the finished product and admired what he was able to achieve. I cannot remember a time when I was not creating something. Because I was always creating clothing, knitting yarn, cross-stitching and embroidering, photographing, etc…, I just figured that one day I would try to do it. That, of course, did not mean that I figured I would be any good at it, just that I would like to give it a try.
Q. Do you have a website you would like to share?
A. Yes I do; it is http://www.lorrainevatcher.com. If you should decide to do this painting (click here to view the painting) , I would love to hear from you and get a picture of your work. In fact, if you have an opinion at all, I would love to hear.
Q. Finally, do you have any last words of advice for beginners?
A. There is no age restriction on art. If you are reading this, you have not wanted to stop learning. The best advise is to practise and don’t be afraid to take a critique. I know that the pieces we produce are our babies but if you really want to improve, learn to listen to good advise and learn to discard what is not good advise…it takes time.
Popularity: 18% [?]
Artist Spotlite - Interview With Harmony Steel
March 18, 2008
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| "I really enjoy drawing and painting lots of different things. I love the process of sketching or swooshing watercolor paint about, or the peaceful tap-tap noise my reed pen makes when I draw with ink. I also love to experiment with new types of paper and ways of painting; I have waaay too many once-used art supplies ;)" |
THE INTERVIEW
Q - What medium or mediums do you work with?
A - I love to experiment with different mediums and have worked with acrylics, watercolors, color pencil, watercolor pencil, ink, and digital painting software (Painter). My favourite would have to be digital painting because it’s so versatile and fun, I find it less "stressful" than traditional mediums because if you make a mistake you can just undo it, unlike a watercolor painting or ink drawing where one fatal slip of the brush can ruin hours of work 
Q - How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?
A - I’ve always loved to draw since I was a little girl and when I was 10 years old a lady came to live with my family who could draw the most amazing horses. Like most little girls I was mad about horses and she was very kind and helped me learn how to draw them, and in the process taught me the basics of constructing a drawing. I’ve been drawing ever since and became interested in painting when I was older, I’ve been a hobby artist for about 20 years now.
Q - Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?
A - Apart from studying art through school and a class here and there I am self taught. My favourite ways to learn have been books, online resources, and experimenting with different mediums. I keep a list of the best free resources I find online for new artists here - http://www.treelightstudios.com/links.htm#tutorials
Q - Do you have any favorite art supplies that you would like to recommend?
A - For Acrylics I would recommend Atelier acrylics, they’re just so much nicer to paint with and more responsive than any other brand I’ve used.
For watercolors definately Winsor & Newton Artists’ Watercolors, they cost more but they’re worth it; they’re beautiful to paint with and produce great results. For watercolor paper I like Arches
Smooth 300gsm and Cotmans,
depending on how much water I want to splash about - Cotmans is great for drawing over with pencil and ink and then painting if you don’t use too much water, while the Arches Smooth paper is a bit harder to draw on but will handle a lot more water.
For digital painting I recommend Corel Painter IX
Q - Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?
A - Portraits, animals and fantasy art. My style is colorful and whimsical, similar to children’s book illustrations.
Q - Can you recommend any books, videos or other resources that will help new artists?
A - For a solid base in drawing - which is the basis of all good art - I highly recommend the books by illustrator Andrew Loomis. These are old books so they’re freely available in the public domain, and they’re fantastic, particularly if you want to learn to draw faces and people. You can download the books for free here - http://acid.noobgrinder.com/Loomis/
For an introduction to digital painting and character design the best book I’ve found is Don Seegmiller’s "Digital Character Design and Painting"
I also keep a list of the best free learning resources I find online for new artists here - http://www.treelightstudios.com/links.htm#tutorials
Q - How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?
A - I’m inspired by new material, particularly faces and figures. Most of the time I’ll sit down to look through my reference library and begin to draw from something that strikes me as interesting or fun to render, and I’ll build it from there. I love fantasy art so fantasy characters and creatures feature strongly in my work. I also like to design interesting animals, like my winged rabbit and Hedgedragon (not to mention the balloon sheep!) - http://www.treelightstudios.com/gallery_fantasy.htm
Q - Are there any artists that have influenced you and why?
A - Children’s illustrator and portrait artist James Browne has always been my greatest influence, I just love his happy, whimsical work and hope one day to be even a freckle as good as he is - http://www.jamesbrowne.net/
I’m also a huge fan of Don Seegmiller’s work, particularly his character designs and his lively and textured painting technique - http://www.seegmillerart.com/
Q - Do you have a website you would like to share?
A - Yes my online gallery is www.treelightstudios.com . I’ve also been writing ambient and chillout music for 10 years which you can download for free from my music site www.alarinmusic.com . A lot of people tell me this music is very relaxing to paint and draw to so I hope you might like it too
Q - Finally, do you have any last words of advice for beginner artists?
A- All art is based on good drawing skills, and drawing is a fine-motor skill so it takes a while to develop. This seems to be the main thing that discourages new artists from continuing to practice, so my advice is… don’t ever give up! Keep drawing, even if it’s only once a week for a few hours, just keep drawing. The more you draw, the better you will become, and the more you will want to draw.
It takes time - if you draw for an hour a day for a year you would improve pretty rapidly, but for most people (myself included!) those first few years are a lot of looking at your work and thinking "ugh, that’s awful!" but then picking up the pencil and trying again. It’s important not to become discouraged, just keep practicing and give it time - you will get past that frustrating stage every artist has to go through at the start.
Also remember to keep things fun! Draw subjects that interest you, experiment, do tutorials, become a part of the online art community where you can get feedback on your work (http://www.treelightstudios.com/links.htm#artGroups) and join in fun challenges like speedpainting (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=0a83493dc88d998a3794c2dfdfa776fa&forumid=39).
Popularity: 33% [?]
Artist Spotlite - Interview with Monica Vanzant
January 21, 2008
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Monica Vanzant
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“My favorite medium is oil and landscapes fascinate me but my personality forces me to continuously stretch my wings and try new things. My subject determines my media. This is why I paint in oils, watercolor and acrylic. I want to experience the entire spectrum of creating art.”
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The Lottery Player - A Study of the Artists’s Father Oil on belgian linen, 18 x 22 |
Q - What medium or mediums do you work with?
A – Oils are my favorite medium but I also use acrylic and watercolor. Oils are more forgiving and I think that’s why I favor them.
Q - How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?
A – I have been painting for ten years. It began as a hobby to relieve the stress from a very demanding job and it turned into so much more. I knew I was in trouble when I started a painting at about seven o’clock one evening after work and then all of a sudden the sun was coming up and I had to be at work in two hours.
Q - Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?
A – I attended two drawing classes at PAFA (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art) about four years ago because I desperately needed help with my drawing skills. Other than that I am not formerly trained. I learned through any media I could get my hands on including books, videos, on-line demos and claiming a bench at my favorite art museum.
Initially, I would happily slap numerous vats of paint onto a canvas with no knowledge at all of composition, values or the number of hairs applied to my canvas from the cheap .99 brushes I was using. I eventually got tired of my friends asking me “Um…is that a mountain?”
There was always something missing so I decided to buy my first art book and that is when I learned about composition and focal point. Though my paintings were a little better, I was still applying exorbitant amounts of paint to the same areas over and over again because it never “looked right”. So that is when I bought my next book on color theory and learned the importance of values and warm and cool colors.
Finally I realized that if I wanted to paint seriously I had to study seriously and so my self-education began and I have never looked back. Strangely, the more I learn, the harder it gets but it is an agonizing and satisfying journey that I would not give up for anything.
Q - Do you have any favorite art supplies that you would like to recommend?
A – My medium is linseed oil, dammar varnish and turpentine (equal parts). I use Windsor Newton paints most of the time but I am always open to try new things. If I had one suggestion it would be to buy good quality brushes. This really can have an effect on what you are trying to achieve. I think it is important for an artist to experiment to find their own favorites.
Q - Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?
A – My favorite subject is landscapes. My style depends on what I want to portray with a particular subject. I think that if I continue to try new things that are out of my comfort zone, I can only improve. For instance, my next project is to improve my sketchbook skills. I have seen some artist’s sketchbooks that are beautiful “stand-alone” works of art. That is the next goal I have set for myself.
Q - Can you recommend any books, videos or other resources that will help new artists?
A – Since that is how I learned, I have many suggestions. The following are all videos/DVDs…
I would most definitely start with Ben Stahl ’s video workshop series. He managed to touch on just about every aspect of art including drawing, cleaning brushes, stretching canvas, cutting your mats, painting in oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing in pen & ink and etching. This man really loved to create art!
Next, I suggest Helen Van Wyk’s DVDs. She had the unique ability to teach the principles of painting that you could use to paint anything and not just what she was showing in her demonstrations.
As you progress, I would suggest Johnnie Liliedahl
I like these artists for specific subjects - Morgan Weistling (Oil Portraits), Susan Harrison-Tustain (Watercolor Flowers), McCreery Jordan (Acrylic Still Life).
The following are all books. (Some of the artist below may also have videos/DVDs but I strongly suggest the books as they provide excellent reference material.)
Linda Cateura - Oil Painting Secrets from A Master – About the artist David Leffel
Gregg Kreutz – Problem Solving for Oil Painters
Betty Edwards - Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain
Lois Griffel- Painting The Impressionist Landscape
Ralph Mayer - The Artist Handbook
In addition, please visit your art museums. There is a wealth of knowledge just hanging on those walls for us to view. Do not be afraid to get up close and personal. View the brushstrokes, try and figure out the under-painting used, etc. – But don’t touch! I wouldn’t want you to get arrested…
My last suggestion would be to learn some art history. You do not have to become an expert but it can be so interesting learning the detail behind some of our greatest paintings and the backgrounds of the old masters. If you are someone who needs visual stimulation, start with the Sister Wendy Series. In my opinion, she is very knowledgeable and makes the subject fun.
Q - How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?
A - I could be inspired by a beautiful landscape or a rotting piece of fruit. I really try and find the beauty in everything.
Q - Are there any artists that have influenced you and why?
A – There are many other artists that I admire but these are my favorites…
John Constable, Thomas Moran, Jacob van Ruisdael are my favorite landscape painters. I love the way they captured nature yet never lost the painterly quality of their canvases.
Sargent – He made every brushstroke count and I strive to do this. I am still not there.
Rembrandt & Peder S. Kroyer - Their techniques of painting light were so diverse yet both so effective & memorable.
Vermeer – He painted what “quiet” must look like.
Dean Mitchell – He paints with such feeling that I can actually feel the emotion when viewing his paintings. In my opinion, it takes a special artist to make modern architecture look romantic.
Q - Do you have a website you would like to share?
A – Yes I have two. One, www.simplesite.com/monicavanzant_artlesson shows my on-line art demonstration. The other is www.monicavanzant.com and is the gallery of my paintings and photographs. They are both works in process, but then so am I.
Q - Finally, do you have any last words of advice for beginner artists?
A – Absolutely. Never stop creating, paint everything and as often as possible. Do this and you will continue to grow as an artist. No matter how frustrated you may get, Don’t Give Up! If necessary change your medium and learn something new to get the creative juices flowing again. Every night pick something, anything – a leaf, a branch from a tree, something small from inside your house and complete a small sketch or watercolor of it. Just keep practicing your skill anyway you can. Every painting is not going to be a masterpiece but I can promise you that every painting you complete will bring you one step closer to being the artist you want to be.
Best Wishes to all of you and feel free to e-mail me.
Regards, Monica Vanzant
Popularity: 44% [?]
Artist Spotlite - Interview With Artist Linda Monk
January 2, 2008
"When I approach a new painting I already have the idea worked out. I do not experiment whilst painting on canvas.
I can see clearly in my mind how I want the painting to look and all the colours I wish to achieve. When I sit down at my easel I have to empty my head of any thoughts that might drain on my creativity. I try to feel calm and focused in order to produce a good painting."
Be sure to check out Linda’s Artwork at her website at the following URL:
http://www.art-lindamonk.co.uk/
THE INTERVIEW
Q - What medium or mediums do you work with?
A - I work in oil paints and I use oil pastels and coloured pencils when I make sketches
Q - How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?
A -I became a professional artist at the age of 21 until my late twenties.
Then I took a long break from art for reasons of finance.
I returned to my profession as an artist three years ago.
Now at the age of 46 I am a lot more mature about the marketing side second time around.
I always wanted to be an artist from the age of about 10 years old.
My parents encouraged me to attend art college after I left school.
Q - Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?
A - I am a professionally trained artist and started my studies at 16 years old.
I completed a 2 year Art Foundation Course at college and then went onto university where I gained an
Honours Degree in Fine Art.
Q - Do you have any favorite art supplies that you would like to recommend??
A - I buy all my art equipment from a German company called Boesner.
They have stores in Germany, Austria, France, Holland and Switzerland.
They also offer an online order service and postal delivery within those countries.
I find that their prices are up to 30% cheaper than the same products in my local art shop.
Q - Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?
A - I like my paintings to be instantly understood. They are realistic without being traditional.
There are no hidden meanings in my work.
I do not like intellectual barriers that come between art and the viewer.
I am inspired by colour and the main themes to my work are buildings, landscapes and seascapes.
Q - Can you recommend any books, videos or other resources that will help new artists?
A - I find websites such as yours invaluable and so easily accessible.
Unlike a book it keeps moving on and gives new and updated information.
I think Art Forums can help artists to connect with one another to exchange tips and give advice.
If possible I would recommend that new artists join a local art class or club because it helps you
grow your ideas and confidence and it is inspiring watching how the rest of the group develop their own skills.
Q - How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?
A - I always take a camera out with me on day trips and holidays.
I usually find lots of ideas for paintings to capture on the camera and use at a later date.
I enjoy keeping an eye on what other artists around me are creating, it spurs me on in a competitive way.
Q - Are there any artists that have influenced you and why?
A - Not directly but I do like a variety of artists from all different time periods.
I like art that was produced in the past because artists were so very highly skilled and then I like contemporary colourful bold styles for the joy of it.
Q - Do you have your own website?
A - Yes I have my own personal website: www.art-lindamonk.co.uk
Q - Finally, do you have any last words of advice for beginner artists?
A - If you are having problems with a picture turn it upside down and study it.
It is amazing what you can see. I usually find that I can judge perspective and colour balance easier this way when I have difficulties seeing the problem with the picture the right way up !
Popularity: 38% [?]
Artist Spotlite - Interview with Artist Michael G. Hughes
December 18, 2007
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Known for his highly practiced and refined pencil techniques, Florida Artist Michael G. Hughes captures the energy and fleeting moment of nature, in his unique drawings. Be sure to check out Michael’s Artwork at his website at the following URL: |
THE INTERVIEW
Q - What medium or mediums do you work with?
A - For years I worked in a variety of mediums, with an open mind, exploring each until I felt enough sense of accomplishment to enable me to say; now I can move on and try something else. My love though is drawing and for 10 years now I have been working exclusively with pencil. In this medium there is still years worth of exploring and practice to go to achieve perfection, that is if perfection is ever achieved. The possibilities are endless and thus the results can be very exciting. The more I do with pencil, the more confidence I have to know exactly how I want to treat each situation. At the end of the day I wish to be highly proficient in this area of study and be able to consider myself a Master of one of the most basic, yet challenging mediums. A medium that is probably the oldest in history and has intrigued and challenged many of the worlds greatest artists.
Q - How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?
A - I think I was probably born an artist! But to answer your question seriously, when I was 8 years old (so almost 40 years ago) I was spending the summer at the cottage with my Grandparents. After a few weeks I was getting kind of restless so my Uncle Wayne (who lived there) had some oil paints in the garage, that he had stored since his school days. He gave them to me and said paint a picture of the willow tree that overhung the lake. It just flowed from me and I was astonished by my first painting and my ability to create. After that art was my world and has always been the most prevalent thing on my mind. I still have that first 9×12 painting of the willow tree.
Q - Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?
A - A combination of both. When I couldn’t get myself to the next level I sought out help. For 4 years I attended a private art school in evenings and weekends. The late Deece Doran was the teacher who really opened my eyes to my potential. After that I attended one of the greatest schools in Canada (sadly now closed) The Central Tech Arts Center. After graduating from 3 years of full time study at Central I came out a different person with a creative attitude towards anything I approached, not just in art but in business, problem solving or life in general. Murray Hadaway was the one teacher at Central who had the most profound effect on me in this regard. He had so much energy and enthusiasm and took an out-of-the-box approach towards teaching. In fact at one point I was going to quit the school because of money. Murray recognized something was wrong and when I told him he asked me to do renovation work to his studio for extra money after classes - he kept me in.
Q - Do you have any favorite art supplies that you would like to recommend?
A - My tools of choice are
Faber Cassell pencils
ranging from 4H to 5B and when possible to get them 6,7 and 8B. The purposly limited color in my work is achieved with Faber Cassell polychromos although I am still looking for a harder color pencil. Traditionally I have worked on paper but am now leaning towards stiffer cold press surfaces like illustration boards or heavey weight papers. I find the board more rugged and less prone to Florida humidity. Generally I use surfaces with little tooth. Pencil like paint must be a process of layers to give the work depth and translucity. Textured papers make the job faster but but take away more deliberate approach of building up of layers via controlled pencil strokes.
Q - Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?
A - All of my work comes from outdoor sketching (usually natural not man made). I don’t ever work from photographs because I find the temptation to copy kills the energy of ones work. Rather I stop, do a 360 degree lookabout and find a subject with natural composition that suits me. Usually I record that moment in time with a 10 to 30 minute drawing that captures the essense of that moment and then I complete the work in my studio at a later time. Most times I’ll do 4 or 5 differnent drawings from one vantage point. There is no limit to subject matter in nature - in fact I often think about all the time I wasted when I was younger staring at a blank canvas wondering what to paint. It is all right there in front of you, all you have to do is see.
Q - Can you recommend any books, videos or other resources that will help new artists?
A - For new artists (or any artists for that matter) the trick is to see as much of other artists work as possible. Go to the art shows, galleries, museums, look at the work hanging on resturant walls or sculptures in government buildings and malls. The reason being is that if you seriously want to be an artist then eventually you are going to have to sell your art too. Therefore awareness of the art around you serves several different purposes. It teaches you pricing and marketing. It teaches you trends. It teaches you what you like and don’t like. Look at others techniques, use of color and methods of presentation. Most of all it trains you to see. My teacher used to say art is everywhere. It is so true because everything around us came from a creative concept and in most cases a drawing.
Q - How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?
A - My work usually starts with nature but becomes an impression of the energy in a moment and a study in technique. Layers of pencil build to create texture and tone. When I find myself being too literal or getting stuck in an immitation mode I turn my drawing upside down and work on it that way for awhile. I trust in the pencil and I trust my arm that guides it and the the work, through focus and technique, will unveil itself. Having said that though I stick to some personal guidlines about my subject matter. For three decades many artists, not just visual artists, have used their influence and talent to shock and sometimes horrify the recipient. It has spilled over into our culture and is reflected in the viloence and attitudes of younger generations. My work is intended to stimulate the viewers sences, but in a positive and peacefull or content way. Just like everyone else I have many negative opinions about our world today but I refuse to let negativity get intrenched into my passion and moreover I refuse to pass on my negativity to others because therein lies the breeding ground of many of the world’s problems.
Q - Are there any artists that have influenced you and why?
A - Absolutly Tony Onley, Andrew Wyeth and Van Gogh. All had determination, focus and developed rigurous control over a medium, in a quest to be Masters. All went out into the world (into nature) and captured moments in time and returned those moments to paper (or canvas) as an impression for the viewer. They all incorporated into their work a hint or a suggestion that leaves one without the entire storey so the viewer may use their own vision and creativity to fill in the blanks. They all brought home subject matter that most people don’t ever have the chance to see or don’t notice.
Q - Do you have a website you would like to share?
A - To come - interm site www.artistsites.org/MichaelHughesDrawings/
Q - Finally, do you have any last words of advice for beginner artists?
A - Practice constantly. Be intentional and deliberate with every stroke of your brush or pencil. Treat everything you start as work that will be completed and hung for viewing by the public. If something isn’t working or looking right don’t tear it up - fit it. And most of all be aware of your surroundings. Always be looking and seeing what is around you because there is subject matter, tone, color, texture and composition in everything you look at. I can’t say it enough - art is everywhere!
Popularity: 20% [?]
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