Rick Delanty

(Essay excerpt from book published 2021, Beauty Unites Us, by Rick J. Delanty)

Artists are revolutionaries, to some degree. Their responses to crisis, confusion, and condemnation in social situations can often be seen in their artworks. The creation of an artwork itself is a statement that the human spirit has a creative voice, is inspire-able, worthy of development, and capable of transforming others and life itself. Artists can allow the light that is within them to shine outwards, to touch those who are depressed, downhearted, or even despairing, especially in challenging times like these. A woman in San Clemente, California, has made the news by bringing her piano outside to play it in the driveway for her neighbors. In Italy, singers project mini-operatic presentations from their balconies. In our neighborhood, kids are doing chalk drawings on the sidewalk for fun.

 My own paintings of the natural world are celebrations of all that is good in life, and in heaven. An artwork that celebrates beauty is more than a symbolic shaking of the fist in times of trial–it is a blow for freedom of the spirit, and a bugle-call against both oppression and depression. Inspiring artworks encourage us to believe, rather than bend or break in times of crisis. Art and Nature encourage us to look within, and Beyond. (end of excerpt)

“You can look anywhere and find inspiration.” —Frank Gehry

The chaos and confusion of the pandemic was whirling about the world when I wrote the above words in 2020. As an artist, I was wondering what I could do to help defuse the despair.  I thought I might create Facebook posts with a written message, accompanied by a painting, pointing out that Beauty and hope for the future still existed, despite evidence to the contrary.

My idea had its roots in the concept of the Hebrew words “Ab’ra ke’ Dab’ra,” meaning “I will create as I speak.” Though we may be more familiar with this term as it relates to magic and magicians, I believe that it has much more significance to daily life: the concept that it is entirely possible to create the reality we want through our thoughts, which when we speak them and act on them, become reality. Doing good and creating meaningful work is made possible through positive thoughts and intentions.

Art comes from a life lived consciously and fully, and not necessarily one in which everything is known, safe, and easy to master.   –Christopher Volpe, artist

For an artist, this is why intention, mindset, and attitude are all-important in the creative process.

Like building a house, the desired result (a meaningful artwork) is achieved only through mindful preparation.

Regarding the pandemic, we learned that a misinformed, confused and panicked mindset yields chaos, hopelessness, and widespread contagion. But as artists, we also learned (or were reminded again) that Beauty, goodness and truth are necessities — like water, food, and air. We were reminded that artists perform a very real function in our society. The work an artist does may be considered the very foundation of civilization; the fruits of our labor has the power to inspire those who appreciate it to live at their very best. The thoughts and mindful creativity of an artist can divert, calm, and create a better world for all of us who need it. Ours is a profession that points to the heavens, during times of crisis when all eyes are blinded by dust.

“Great art is the outward expression of the inner life of the artist, and this inner life will result in his (her) personal vision of the world.”  -Edward Hopper

The artist who seeks and creates Beauty in her work receives a dual benefit: first, her vision of the world has the potential to bless the audience, and herself. Secondly, the artist’s audience receives a more positive vision of reality that the artist thinks, speaks, and paints into existence. Artists have the ability to make the world a better place.

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands…so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.”  

 –1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

This is a most fitting description of a dear friend of mine and the kind of life he led. You may know that OPA Signature member Greg LaRock passed away Sunday October 11, as the result of a traumatic head injury. I was heartbroken by the news. The following is a paragraph I posted on Facebook later that week.

“I could not let this evening go by without sending out a tribute to the memory of my friend Greg LaRock. I am still in disbelief that he has passed away this past Sunday. Though I cannot comprehend it, or push back my sorrow, I can celebrate the times we spent together: painting the figure at Art Supply, painting together at the Laguna Invitational, teaching painting to young elementary students with Jeff Sewell and the Plein Air Project, exhibiting paintings together at the Festival of Arts and in Maui, talking about painting, planning for painting, and dreaming about painting. Greg was a “painter’s painter,” with a highly-developed work ethic and well-considered sense of design, an empathetic and effective instructor, a good listener, and lover of artists and people younger and older, novices and professional. He was compassionate, and I felt his heart when we talked–and whenever I saw his work. In this world today, we need great men who lead with wisdom, energy, and love for their fellow men. Greg was one: a great man. God bless you, Greg, for all you have given. Laurie, my prayers for comfort and strength are with you, and with everyone who will miss this man. 

May we spread the love like Greg did, that everyone may show or receive the kind of compassion that he so generously shared.”

You might have read the “In Memoriam” article written about Greg in the December 2020 issue of Plein Air Magazine, entitled “Greg LaRock (1965-2020).” There is mention of his perspective concerning “the day-to-day issues of being a professional artist.” But what made Greg the professional artist that he was, I believe, was the kind of man that he was. Over the years I knew him—I met him in 2008 at the Laguna Invitational—he was consistently positive, empathetic, giving, and transparent. His love of painting inspired that same love in others. He was known across the nation as a knowledgeable and effective instructor. At plein air events he focused on comradeship, not competition. In our life-drawing sessions, Greg dedicated himself to his work, and at breaks was happy to answer questions and take comments from fellow artists. When we mentored elementary school students for the Plein Air Project, he would talk with them about their progress, not down to them. When recognized for awards, he was supremely humble, often deflecting praise onto other artists who were also being recognized. And through it all, he was always learning: he told me that no matter what, there was always more to know. 

That, I believe, is what contributed to the quality of the work he produced. As an eternal student, he was consistently progressing, to the point that many of his peers recognized him as a master.

Lori Basheda, in her article for the LA Times, described Greg’s impact on the art world: 

“What a legacy of spectacular paintings he left to the world,” said Mary Platt, director of the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University. “Greg stood firmly in the great tradition of the California Scene-painters —icons such as Millard Sheets and Emil Kosa, Jr. —who portrayed everyday life in the Golden State with such affection, understanding and finesse. His work deserves to be beside them.”

Jean Stern, Director Emeritus of the Irvine Museum, had this to say about Greg: 

“He was a superb artist, and he also was a gentle, caring and sincere man…always cheerful, courteous and open with his time.  He was a popular and well-liked teacher.  As an artist, Greg was one of the best I had gotten to know.  I often watched him paint.  He would carefully and accurately draw a sharp, detailed sketch which reminded me of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, as they were so detailed.  Then he would proceed to cover it up with bold and elegant applications of paint.  He won numerous awards, some at art competitions that I judged.  The art community will miss him in so many ways.”

I am honored to have known Greg as a friend, and privileged that I could stand beside him on several occasions to see for myself what his passion, purpose, and sympathetic presence could do for a student, a collector, a colleague and even a stranger. He inspired me and many, many others. As artists, we look in all kinds of places for inspiration. Greg led an inspiring life because he found it everywhere, and inspired others to find it for themselves.

“Sometimes it takes an expert to point out the obvious.”   

–Scott Allen

On a recent fall afternoon, noted painter Ken Spencer, my wife Lynn and I were privileged to accept an invitation from Albert Handell to visit his studio, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Two of his students were working there, amid the stored stacks of paintings and around the large glass-covered table surrounded by a shelf of innumerable oil paint tubes, of all kinds and colors. After a warm greeting for all of us, he swung around to his well-stocked storage files and exclaimed “Here, let’s look at some paintings!” Ken and I were in the presence of a mentor.

You might know Albert as a master pastellist and oil painter, who teaches both nationally and internationally. He has been a member of OPA since 1997. In 1987, the Pastel Society of America elected him into the Pastel Hall of Fame. In his “Ask Albert” newsletter, he answers artists’ questions regarding painting and career building. In January of 2020, he will be participating in the Palm Springs Mentoring Program. 

What will Albert be doing in this program? As you might know from Homer’s Odyssey, Mentor was the teacher/trainer that Odysseus selected for his young son Telemachus, to raise him up in his absence. Telemachus came of age during this tutoring, and grew to be an emotionally and physically mature warrior, like his famous father. In Palm Springs, Albert—like Mentor–will be doing what he has been doing for years, and what he did with Mr. Spencer and I on that warm fall day in his studio: taking questions, enlarging our comments, introducing his own tips and techniques, and sharing the love of art and painting with fellow artists. Plus, he illustrated it all by demonstrating how it all worked in his own paintings. Ken and I listened, and learned.

I believe that every working artist wants to improve their skills, deepen their understanding of the arts, and discover that way of working that is most natural to them and most effective for communicating their personal vision. How can we do that most efficiently?

First, we need to take advantage of all the ways that we can learn. We can see what we need to know; read it; or hear it. We can receive instantaneous revelation or inspiration. Someone may tell us, then we could choose to act on it. Or someone may tell us, we try it, then we practice it. Or someone shows us, we try it, and practice that. Which is the most effective way to learn? I would suggest that it will be the way that gives you the result you want and that will stay with you.

In the visual arts, Jackson Pollock benefited greatly from the input of Thomas Hart Benton, and painter Bo Bartlett deepened his work through the profound influence of both Nelson Shanks and Andrew Wyeth. Andrew’s father, N.C. Wyeth, enjoyed a very successful career as an illustrator based on the foundations of design as mentored by the great Howard Pyle.   

In this way, the rewards of having a mentor and being a mentor are invaluable. My own experiences as a mentor over the past forty-five years have brought some of the greatest lifetime rewards in my dual career as artist/teacher. From it all, I have learned that self-education is necessary, and that it is a lifelong process…and that it happens much more quickly and personally when you have someone standing right there who knows what they’re doing while you practice what you want to know.

The accomplished classical figure- painter Ryan Brown has authored an article entitled, “What It Takes to Become a Professional Artist.” I think this excerpt from that article would interest anyone who is headed in that direction:

“In the book Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise (2016), co-authors Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool discuss in-depth the basic realities of human development. It expands the concept of the 10,000 hour rule to include three key factors. One is time spent in practice, of course. The second factor is that this time in practice is spent in a well-designed progressional system meant to build skill or knowledge from simple to more complex. And the third is to have that organized practice watched over and criticized by one who has mastered the elements of the given field of study…Without an organized or deliberate approach to practice, one is more likely to merely become increasingly efficient at doing something mediocre, rather than developing greater skill and a deeper knowledge. And having consistent criticism from a proven source serves to bring awareness to elements of knowledge one is unlikely to discover on their own.”

Working with a mentor can open up your universe. Let’s say you’re an artist—specifically, a female actor– trying to break into Hollywood: how can you make that happen? In a recent interview, Reese Witherspoon (a highly-accomplished female actor) was asked that very question. She called on employed actresses, and female board executives and directors to take up the mantle of mentoring, to take aspiring actors under their wing, take them to events, to open up networking opportunities for them. She knows that an effective mentor may help her/his mentee in many ways:

• Develop the mentee’s skill and competency
• Provide a second, experienced perspective
•  Improve  confidence in the ability to focus, problem-solve, then execute
•  Improve communication skills.
•  Provide practice in accepting feedback and critique
• Expand contacts
• Inform  about opportunities, events
•  Teach the mentee how to be accountable and  maintain a professional relationship
• Share the mentee’s success,  encouraging them to share their success with others, and possibly become a mentor themselves.

Isabel Lamont points the way to effective self-education in her article entitled “Mentors will be the Key to Success in Today’s Art World“(from the website Visual Arts Re-Imagined). She points out that “the job market for professional artists isn’t projected to grow at any miraculous rate over the next four years, and only ten percent of all artists who graduate end up making a living as a working artist,” in any 9-5 situation. However, there is increasingly more and more demand for the visual arts in film, digital media, and in print, and our “concept of what a working artist looks like will be vastly different from before…We are in the age of creative entrepreneurs, and people want to purchase art that is sold well to them,” such as online platforms like Instagram, personal websites and blogs. “Whether or not you ‘make it’ will depend less on your raw talent and more on the connections you build,” Lamont concludes.

A mentor may provide connections to one working to be a fine artist. But more so, a mentor can help one to refine those particular skills to create the quality artwork that is initially necessary, before it can even be appreciated as fine art. That was the system of the Renaissance, in which young artists learned their craft from the masters. It is true today, in many artists’ studios across the globe, in which interns and assistants learn the craft from experienced masters. It is a relationship that is mutually beneficial. Both the mentor and mentee “are looking to grow in some way,” Lamont suggests. She goes further to say, “The ability to be mentored is one of the most crucial attitudes of exceptionally successful people.”

Finally, Lamont concludes: “For creatives today, it will be…mentors…who will help them embrace the changing art world. In today’s economy, creatives will need to adopt a wide variety of skills, from their craft to business skills to emotional intelligence skills, and the most efficient and valuable way to acquire these skills is through being mentored.”

To be mentored, one needs to put ego aside, to be receptive, to be humble. In the article “Seven Benefits of Having a Career Mentor, Even If You Love Your Job,” Natalia Lusinski advises, “Treat every mentor conversation as a learning moment, not as an opportunity to get answers.” In describing a good mentor, she also advises that “Mentors should guide, but not steal the process of your journey.” You don’t have to be a credentialed teacher to be a mentor, just knowledgeable and willing to share personally what you know with those who ask for it—as Mr. Handell did with us.

We can all advance the purpose and elevate the impact of the visual arts on our culture if we learn more about what we do. It will take all of our lifetimes.

 Find a mentor… be a mentor… and keep on painting!

–all images here have been painted or begun en plein air–

When Bob retired after 42 years in the aerospace industry, one of his buddies whose wife was an artist suggested that he take up plein air painting. “I know you don’t like sailing, tennis, or shuffleboard, Bob,” he advised, “but you could paint outdoors—I’ve heard it referred to as the new golf. You can learn it in your spare time—I’m sure if you had the right gear, you could do it.”

Across the nation, there is a revival of and renewed interest in plein air painting. Folks whose kids have moved out of the house, who downsized and moved across the country, and have finally decided to act on those creative impulses that inspired them in college are taking art classes, making reservations at the Plein Air Convention, and buying art supplies. Motivation is high, as are hopes and expectation of some degree of success. Painting could be a fun pastime!

I’ve heard this myself, both from artists and art aficionados, that plein air is like a sport, like the “new golf.” But like anything, how much one can learn about anything is conditioned by one’s motivation and mindset. If it is a sport, one would approach it as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or a team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Oxford Dictionary). Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, wrestling, volleyball and golf are all widely recognized as sports. But does plein air painting fit into this list?

I love to paint, and I love sports. I have had the privilege to complete 65 marathons, several long-distance ocean swims, ran cross-country and track in high school and college, competed as a triathlete between ’78 and ’94, and twice crossed the finish line of the Hawaiian International Ironman Triathlon. In recalling all of that fortunate time I spent outdoors, and during my current daily workouts,  I have rarely called upon my artistic abilities when competing athletically (except for an elevated awareness of my response to the immediate environment), or my athletic training while painting (except for hiking with my plein air kit to remote locations, or running to scout new painting sites)– but I believe there are some crossovers between athletics and artistic creation.

Similarities

It’s helpful to have the right equipment, as that in itself will assist successful achievement. Extensive training in both is essential to performing well. And coaches and mentors can shortcut the learning curve and inspire progress. One may participate in both sport and painting as a student, amateur or professional, and that participation may result in significant income (or not). Instinct, self-trust and confidence play key roles in a successful performance. Sports and painting both require hand-eye coordination and superior depth perception. The true quality of an athletic performance is best understood by a fellow athlete, just as an artist best understands the work of a fellow artist. Finally, the goal of both the athlete and artist is to continually improve one’s skill set.

Differences

In plein air painting, there is no finish line, no “final minutes,” no game buzzer (except in an organized “Quick Draw” event). Risk of injury is less (but it is still real). Judges and jurors never wear striped costumes while performing their duties. There is no governing body of rules that constrain painting sessions– but there are fundamentals to be observed nonetheless (as in sport). Few plein air painters find themselves in a position to buy a mansion for their mother, and agents representing professional plein air artists are next to non-existent. Quiet time for reflection and self-evaluation during painting is essential, whereas in sport the action is moment-to-moment, demanding the athlete’s constant and physically-intense involvement. And at plein air events, there’s no betting on the outcome—it wouldn’t change the result anyway, one way or the other. And here is perhaps the greatest difference of all: think of how an athlete tries to control all the factors in a game as he/she does everything in their power to succeed, to win. Contrast that with Dean Taylor Drewyer’s observation about painting: “The best paintings, it seems to me, are the ones in which the painter suspends any drive to control or order the world, and commits to simply struggling to grab hold of a small part of the chaos.”

Painting is None of The Following. Leigh Steinberg (sports agent): “One of the keys to building the popularity of a sporting event is the extent to which fans perceive the activity has athletic qualities which are displayed on an even field with competitors trying as hard as they can to win. This is the key to fantasy leagues and all athletic betting.”

Painting can be competitive, but it never has to be engaged in that spirit, even in plein air “competitions.” It’s entirely possible to enter those contests without the slightest desire to fend off or overcome an opponent, as one concentrates on giving one’s very best to the creation of their own art, regardless of the circumstance. In fact, most of the professional painters I know participate in these events with a heart open to their fellow painters and are just as satisfied to see awards given to their comrades-in-art.

So if plein air painting is not a sport, what is a more effective way of considering it as we seek to learn more about it, to maximize both our performance and enjoyment?

No Rules, Quang Ho: “For me, there is no one way of painting…It’s about gathering as much information and ability as possible and then allowing myself to follow visual impulses and ideas, allowing each one to tell me how they might be coaxed out of the canvas.”

Goals Without Goalposts, Larry Preston: “I paint for myself and the process, not anyone else…I paint to remind myself of what I find important and beautiful and to experience the process of painting my chosen object. Success, for me, is found in the studio—in the drive to continue growing as an artist and create honest work.”

A Fight With No Opponent, Winston Churchill: “Painting a picture is like trying to fight a battle.”

Courage, But Without  Threat of Physical Engagement, Charles Philip Brooks: “Painting requires the bravery of solitude. Painting requires disciplined labor. To be a painter is to search the world with a benevolent eye for every subtle beauty the infinite world offers.”

A Lifestyle, Not A Pastime, Betty DeMaree: “To me, painting is life, a part of God, something sacred and uplifting. If I as a painter were denied my tools and my expression, I think I would become ill.”

Like Poetry, James Elkins: “Painting is a fine art: not merely because it gives us trees and faces and lovely things to see, but because paint is a finely-tuned antenna, reacting to every  un-noticed movement of the painter’s hand, fixing the faintest shadow of a thought in color and texture.”

Like Music, Brian Eno: “At the beginning of the 20^th century, the ambition of the great painters was to make paintings that were like music, which was then considered as the noblest art.”

Everybody Wins

 I would suggest that in plein air painting, there is no “winning”—in the sense of domination– only the satisfaction of having connected with nature in an honest and appreciative way. Primarily, plein air painting should be enjoyable. It can be, for the beginning painter as well as the advanced and professional. As master pastelist Kim Lordier advises, “Paint what you love.” Love is the answer, above winning, awards, and world records. Plein air painting is an expression of love; for one’s self, the process, one’s capacity to learn, for our surroundings, for all those with whom it may be shared. Plein air painting has no “rules of the game,” but it does have its own vocabulary: the language of the spirit.

“…Show the whole world that you are not afraid. Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak – and speak in such a way that people will remember it.” 

– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

In my previous post, I reflected on the 3 things I would like to see in my plein air paintings, and on which I concentrate during the painting process. Over the years I have decided my plein air pieces should communicate a particular moment or fleeting experience, that they should exude a sense of place, and that my energy and passion about my subject would be translated right into the paint. This is what I think about while I am painting outside en plein air. In this post, I’m thinking about the three elements that  I’d like to see in all of my paintings, whether they be created in the studio, or outdoors.

I strive to focus continually on what I am actually making: a painting.  I love paint. I love the way it moves, the ways it combines, shifts, grades, piles, skims, washes and flows in luscious, semi-opaque and transparent layers across the paper, canvas and linen.

And I’m focused on discovering subjects I would love to paint; not only their overt shapes, colors, and appearance but the essential character of each. I often find that my attraction to a subject is tied intimately with its possibilities for design. Certainly, as a representational artist, I would like my subject to be recognizable, but more than that, my goal for my painted subject is that it be remarkable in some way, and true to my feeling for and experience with it. I believe that the universe we see is a shadow of a greater and yet more beautiful kingdom, which may be made visible to us if we simply look for it, and with a desire to fully appreciate and understand it. Beginning with my choices of subject matter, I would like my work to reflect my beliefs.

“Artistic growth is, more than anything else, a refining of the sense of truthfulness.”

– Willa Cather

Lots of paintings are created that look like “the thing” itself, but how much more challenging (and enjoyable!) it is to do a painting that is something new, or interpret a common subject in an innovative way, or better yet, communicates an original idea that is worthy of sharing with others. I want to sing this song in my own voice. I believe that is what will instill authenticity in my designs, and not merely depict the physical details of what superficially appears to me. I want to make the invisible visible. That’s what makes it truthful, for me to genuinely express how I see the world, and why.

“Paradise is to love many things with a passion.”

– Pablo Picasso

Secondly, I would like the same ingredient that I want to maintain during the painting process—call it “feeling,” or passion, or emotion—to appear in the final result. I believe that this is the most important thing I can do as an artist: to express my feelings about the subject in a way that would communicate itself to the viewer, in my color selection, energetic brush strokes, and in every aspect of design.

To do that, I need to bring love to my easel: love for painting, for my subject, for the act of creating. It could be the most important thing I do in preparing to paint.  In fact, I have spoken to many collectors who tell me that it was the feeling they had when they first looked at a painting that drew them in and ultimately encouraged them to purchase it. It seems that the truth of an artist’s experience is conveyed on one level through fundamental skills, and on another in how those skills are authentically translated by his/her passion for what is being created. I say “authentically” because I do believe that it is only through the specific, unique voice of each artist that great artworks are created. What is art for, if it is not to interact with others in sharing both the unique qualities and universality of our experiences?

“The beauty of the universe consists not only of unity in variety, but also of variety in unity.”

– Umberto Eco

That brings me to the third element that I strive to bring to my painting, with each thought, at every stage, and through each brushstroke: variety that expresses beauty. Thank God that there is such a variety of artworks that have been created throughout history, and yet today! Perhaps that mirrors the abundant variety of life experiences across the globe, in continents and nations, and in the lives of every individual who has ever drawn breath… and the fact that beauty exists everywhere when one searches to discover it. Variety is truly the spice of life: that’s what makes it interesting, complex, profound, and even incomprehensible. A life of rote repetition is a spare one. Artworks that reflect the variety to be experienced in life speak to us, through contrasts of dark and light, control and spontaneity, line and form, objective and subjective color, the observed and the emotional, realism and abstraction, mind and heart. No two clouds or trees are the same, no brushstroke imitates another, no painting is a duplicate.

But scattered statements in themselves have no unified impact. I have been thinking that what unifies the body of work of a great artist is how that artist handles the variety of options that face him or her at the start of every painting. It isn’t that the artist chooses the same subject to paint every time, uses the same palette, or always does this or that in the painting process. It’s that the artist allows the soul to be expressed in each work, in the way it needs to be expressed. That means giving one’s self permission to listen to the inner voice no matter what, despite what other artists are doing, what collectors are buying, or what is “in “ at the time, or even nagging feelings of self-doubt. “Ultimately,” says Joe Paquet, “we need to cultivate self-trust.” Artwork created in one’s own voice produces unity in everything that an artist creates. And that’s more than simply artistic “style”: that is the truest expression of one’s creative existence.

I hope I might be succeeding, in some degree, at making each of the three elements—truth, passion, and variety—integral to each of the artworks I create. And I have had some sage guidance provided to me by artists both here and gone as I strive to do so. I would like to leave you with an (incomplete) roster of these artists—historical masters and contemporary– that have inspired me in working with these three elements in my own painting. I wish you the very best as you strive to create your very best paintings. See you at the easel.

Truth:  Zufar Bikbov, Carl Bretzke, Roger Dale Brown, Josh Clare, Nathan Fowkes, Kimball Geisler, Winslow Homer, Charlie Hunter, Michelle Jung, Laurie Kersey, Yuri Krotov, Isaac Levitan, Calvin Liang, John MacDonald, Michael Obermeyer, Joe Paquet, Norman Rockwell, John Singer Sargent, Randy Sexton, Mian Situ, Matt Smith, Ken Spencer, Colley Whisson, James Whistler, William Suys, Jr…

Passion: Peter Adams, Jill Basham, Jill Carver, Frank Frazetta, George Inness, Quang Ho, Ruo Li, Michael Malm, C.W. Mundy, Tibor Nagy, Devin Michael Roberts, Jason Sacran, Jeff Sewell, Joaquin Sorolla, Vincent Van Gogh, N.C. Wyeth, Joseph Zbukvic…

Variety:  Eric Bowman, John Burton, Mike Hernandez, Mark Kerckhoff, Chuck Kovacic, Kevin Macpherson, Angus McEwan, Jim McVicker, Larry Moore, Ned Mueller, Patrick Saunders, Bryan Mark Taylor, William Wray…

These are the gifts that painting gives to the world.