Oil Painting

Kathy Anderson is a very accomplished artist, represented by many respected galleries and the recipient of too many awards to count, including 2 awards received at this year’s OPA National Exhibition. Kathy also received her OPA Master Signature status this year.
After studying advertising art and design at college for one and a half years, Kathy worked as a watercolorist. She sold her work in outdoor shows. Other interesting notes on Kathy’s resume include helping paint large backdrops for her son’s high school theater class, and conducting a mural business for about 7 years.
Stuart: What kind of murals were you painting?
Kathy: Crazy, unbelievable things. Anything… I was painting paintings on people’s walls, basically.
Stuart: So, internal wall paintings?
Kathy: (nodding) I did an entire ceiling once of sky, just sky and clouds; working on a scaffold.
Kathy: Anyway, from there, I was still doing the outdoor shows. And I used to do this show in Sherman, Connecticut. And one time I went to pick my work up and the ladies there were like, “Guess who bought one of your paintings?!”… It was Richard Schmid!
Stuart: Wow!
Kathy knew of Richard Schmid and admired his work. Richard had previously lived in Sherman, Connecticut, and he would loyally return each year to give a demonstration.
Kathy: I went back the following year to see his demo. He was walking down the path and my girlfriend was like, “Go say hello.” So I went up to him and said, “You probably don’t know who I am, but you bought my painting last year.” I was like, “You probably threw it out when you got home and saw you’d made a big mistake.” (Laughter) He was so sweet.
While doing his demonstration, Richard Schmid had talked about painting with a group in Vermont. Kathy, assuming that this group was a work shop, asked if it would be possible for her to sign up.
Kathy: He (Richard) said, “Oh no, it’s not a class, just come up and paint with us in Vermont.” Which was 2 hours 15 minutes from my house in Connecticut. So I went up there. I didn’t even know what we were painting. Turns out we were painting a model. I’d never painted a model from life before. And I thought, “I can’t believe I’m doing this!” …And he asked me to continue coming.
That began a meaningful relationship Kathy has enjoyed with the Putnam Painters. Kathy gave us a little insight as to what the group is like.
Kathy For Richard he always looked for, not so much ability, as passion; and …somebody that he knew would be totally compatible. That’s one thing we’ve always said about the Putney Painters that’s so incredible, there’s no competition between us, we’re just all like a family. It’s a great group of people. We’ve painted together for 18 years.
Stuart: How often would the Putney painters meet?
Kathy: We would meet 8 times in the spring and 8 times in the fall. Everything from life. It wasn’t a teaching environment, except Richard always taught. He would walk around and help each person. He’s so generous and wonderful, and Nancy (Guzik) too.
Kathy: (speaking of Richard Schmid) He loves problem solving. Everyone has problems with their paintings, even Richard Schmid. He’ll say, “The joy of problem solving… you just stop and you figure it out, and you go to your books, or you go to another artist, or you wait on the painting” …. allow yourself the time to let that painting rest a while, so you can go back and look at it with fresh eyes… Many years ago Nancy Guzik said to me, “When you do a really good painting, try not to just put it out there to sell it. If you know this is a good painting, save it for Oil Painters of America, or save it for your big gallery that is having a great show.”
Kathy spoke very highly of Richard Schmid and his wife Nancy Guzik, and the impact they have had on her. She even told us, light heartedly, the difference between Richard and Nancy.
Kathy: Richard loves what he paints, and Nancy paints what she loves. Everything Richard paints turns out to be so gorgeous, and he’s just in love with the paint. He loves the challenge of taking the craziest things and turning it into a painting.
Stuart: And where are you on that scale?
Kathy: I’m like Nancy, I have to be madly in love with what I’m painting.
In addition to drawing inspiration from Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik, Kathy has many other artists who have influenced her.
Kathy: I’m very lucky that I have a very close friendship with Richard and also with Everett Raymond Kinstler.
Stuart: He’s known as a portrait artist.

Kathy: Yes, he’s painted presidents and movie stars… I never was fortunate enough to study under him, but I’ve had a very close friendship with him for about 10 years… He’s been a huge influence on me… He’s 92 years old and he will aways go and support another artist or a friend because he knows how important it is for him to be there, at someone’s opening. He’s such a loyal person. My favorite Woody Allen quote is “80% of success is showing up.” Well, Everett knows that for sure… he just knows the importance of supporting other people and keeping yourself out there.
In addition to being an accomplished exhibiting artist, Kathy also teaches workshops around the country and has taught many students over the years. Here are some of the things she frequently teaches her students:
Kathy: The main thing is drawing, drawing, drawing! You have to start with your basic knowledge of drawing. It stops you dead if you’re struggling with your drawing. In jazz they say, “Through knowledge comes freedom.” Know all your scales, know your chords, know how to read music, and when that’s like second nature to you, then you’re free to create what’s important, the essence of your painting. So drawing’s the most important.
Kathy: And also painting from life. I mostly paint from life.
Other tid bits Kathy finds worth repeating to her students:
-keep organized
-keep clean
-know your equipment
Kathy’s sentiment was “you can’t be free to do a beautiful painting when you have other obstacles hindering you.”
As the audience enjoyed seeing several of Kathy’s paintings projected on the large screens, we heard more about Kathy’s process of creating a painting.
Kathy: (referring to her paintings) All this is started from life… maybe I go back twice. And then take really good photos. What I try to capture from life is my values and my temperature. Color is not that important to me from life, because I know my colors. And I’ll have color on there anyway. As long as they’re pretty colors… What I use photos mostly for, is drawing. (Kathy walked us through her extensive process of finishing up a painting of daffodils in her studio) I had my full photo of the whole set up, and then I had individual photos of each flower so I could see where each petal was and if I had to fix a drawing or something like that.
Stuart asked Kathy how she begins a painting from life. Especially paintings which come from scenes that are naturally more chaotic and wild.
Kathy: First of all I’m an avid gardener so I know my subject really well… But I really stress design, and to me that’s the foremost thing I think of when I’m starting a painting, is the design of the painting… When I go out and paint from life with flowers, I carry little bungee cords with me. I bungee things where I want them… I did a 30 by 40 plein air painting up in Putney. What was there in life was this beautiful quince bush, giant quince in bloom. And my painting had daffodils, tulips, and pansies in it too. I picked all of that. I bought little 6 packs of pansies, took them out, and arranged them on the ground… You know the little flower tubes you get when you buy roses? I carry them everywhere and I stuck all the daffodils and tulips in the little tubes. And I stuck them in the ground underneath. So I composed the whole painting. And for the end of the painting, I had a dead Baltimore Oriole in my freezer, thanks to my little cats.
Stuart: Who doesn’t have a dead Baltimore Oriole in their freezer?
Kathy: Everybody has that right?
Stuart: (Joking) I believe they’re available on Amazon.
Kathy: I actually right now have a chipmunk, and 3 or 4 birds including a woodpecker.
Stuart: Ok, chipmunks, that’s available on the Dark Web.
The audience had a good laugh with this banter. Kathy assured us that she is very protective of wildlife and tries to rescue small animals whenever possible but occasionally her cats bring her offerings or a bird doesn’t survive after flying into a window. These are the animals Kathy would use for a painting.
Stuart: This is interesting, the flower tubes, the bungee cords, dead animals. Any other tips (laughter), things that would fall into the category of bits and bobs, you would use in composing your floral paintings? Do you ever have to stake the flowers?
Kathy: Oh yeah! I do everything. Anything to make the painting right. In someone else’s garden I’m a little more respectful though.
Stuart: So by whatever means necessary?
Kathy: Yes, what ever means necessary. In other words you don’t have to paint what’s exactly there, is the point.

Stuart: (speaking to the audience) When I look at Kathy’s paintings, what I see reflects her personality. This sort of exquisite sensibility, of gorgeous paintings, of color and composition and technique. But I think what you get a sense of here today is that there’s a real sense of gaiety, of joy and humor in her work. It’s charming, it’s beautiful. That’s hard to do, to express yourself in that way.
Kathy: I think you see people’s personalities in their paintings. Thank you for saying that. That was very nice.
Stuart: Do people paint who they are, in a way?
Kathy: I think so. I see people’s personality in their paintings.
Stuart: In their choice of subject? Or in the manner of execution?
Kathy: Or their pallet. Their color choices. We all see color differently. One of the things I think is lacking in my work is I think I don’t use enough cool colors. Sometimes when I’m trying to balance the cools and the warms, which is the most beautiful pallet for me to look at, and yet it’s harder for me to do that because I respond so much to warm colors. I think you just have to be true to yourself.
As this delightful 60 minute interview wrapped up, Kathy left us with a couple of pieces of wisdom:
Kathy: If you have the passion for painting, then you’ve got to put your hours in, study with someone you really respect, and then meticulously evaluate your work.
Finally, we ended with one of Kathy’s favorite quotes:
“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
– Stephen McCranie
Stuart spoke for us all as he closed:
“Thank you very much Kathy Anderson! We really appreciate you coming out!”

It’s all about the process and not the end result.
2017 was an experimental year for me. I modified my palette and decided to work from plein air & studio studies. My plan was to go small before going big. My palette now includes only 4 tubes of paint – Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Red Light & Titanium White. I am working hard to keep things simple!
Every painting begins with an idea that needs to be conveyed to the viewer. These ideas could be shadows of clouds over the hills, the warmth of sunshine or the roar of ocean waves breaking along the coast. Once I have locked the idea, it is all about holding on to it. This idea is rooted in a deep emotional connection that I establish with the landscape. If I stay honest to my own memory of a scene, I can teleport the viewer to a place that connects with their emotions.
Being true to the moment and trying to translate that to the canvas is always the biggest challenge. While staying true to my emotions, it is equally important to not ignore the technical sensibility of the painting process. Painting is about maintaining a balance between technical and emotional sensibilities of the mind.
Once I have the basic idea, I start with making several thumbnail sketches. Sketches help me in deciding compositions and value patterns. Whenever possible, I go to the location and make small plein air studies. These studies serve as reliable color and value notes. Once I have the grayscale sketches ready, I move on to making color studies. Sometimes, making a color study in addition to a sketch helps in working out the finer details of the composition. It is all about arrangement and design!
Once I’m satisfied with the design of my small study, I begin painting a larger studio version. Of course, all studies do not transform into larger pieces. Many of my studio paintings are as small as 11”x14”. However, the process still remains the same irrespective of the size.
Painting for me is a personal expression of my connection with Nature. It is about holding on to a fleeting moment in time and making that the main focus or idea of my painting. I hope that my emotionally involved painting process ultimately translates into great visual experiences for my viewers. In the end, it is important to paint with emotion and enjoy the journey the painting takes you on.

Over the last 7 years of being an artist, I’ve heard and said many comments, concerns and judgments around the subject of marketing. Some of which include: “I just want to paint”, “if the work is good, it will speak for itself”, “I’m not a salesman”, “he or she is only successful because they’re good at marketing”, “I don’t know how to Market my work”, “I’m embarrassed to Market my work”, “I don’t have time for marketing”, “that’s why I have galleries and why I enter shows”, etc. I have identified at one point in time with all of those statements; however, over the years I’ve slowly discovered that I disagree with them.
Too many artists confuse marketing with advertising and, in my opinion, it’s not the same as advertising at all. Sure we are trying to sell paintings, but I think marketing can be about showing the world who we are and why we do what we do. The “artist” is very much a part of what the collector is buying just as much as the artwork. Marketing is purely about creating value and connection, there should be no shame in that. My primary concern is what can I create that will bring value to someone else and how can I get that to them or find those who desire this value and connection.

The challenges surrounding marketing in art seem like a new concept, but are they really? As I’ve read through various art history books, I’ve found that this really is nothing new and that artists have been doing it for a long time. Once I saw that truth, that historical artists that I admire were successful at marketing, it made me question my own assumptions.
For example, Albert Bierstadt was known to charge admission for a theatrical revealing of new paintings. He, like Frederic Church, would include artifacts, plant life, and even (although politically incorrect now) hired Native Americans to be at the showing. What a way to draw attention to your work! Bierstadt also travelled with a celebrated writer, Fitz Ludlow, who later published a book about their adventures. He was also successful at cultivating his own important patrons and promoting his work.
Thomas Moran was a self-proclaimed romantic but a shrewd businessman keenly attuned to the market. Moran said that he secured 100 commission contracts before even traveling to the Grand Canyon. Like Bierstadt, he too would arrange press releases and showings of his work in venues that would garner the most prominence and prestige.

A completely different artist, James McNeill Whistler, would notoriously throw himself into the public eye. He wrote the local press often about his work and would combat with critics, keeping his work in the news longer. He hosted collector’s brunches where he would entertain his patrons hoping to secure future sales and commissions. He would even write his own memoir, The Gentle art of Making Enemies, and another with his thoughts about art, Ten O’clock. Whistler might be seen as one of the first artists to brand themselves by using a butterfly as his signature.
Obviously we can go on and on with examples all the way back to Michelangelo, who notoriously added his name (branding!) to the Pieta when the crowds gave credit to another sculptor, assuring his future commissions. The point is that all of these artists adapted to the ways of their time and put themselves out there by both self-promoting and aligning with others to promote their work. These tidbit examples are a small but crucial part of their artistic lives. The quality of their work did not suffer because they promoted themselves and in fact one could say because they promoted themselves they afforded the opportunity to create and leave quality work behind for the rest of us. I believe that if marketing was imperative back then, it should be even more so today with a highly saturated art market.
I challenge artists to question their beliefs and fears around marketing. What is holding you back? What judgments do you have and are they serving you? If you were to put yourself out there what kind of rewards might you see? Who might you bring value to? Can you shift the way you look at marketing? Who are you afraid of offending?

In whatever way you decide to move forward in your art career I hope that this article will bring an awareness that marketing has always been a much needed skill for any artist who wants to continue successfully creating and that your marketing can be meaningful, if that’s of importance to you. For me, I have experienced far more reward by sharing my work in the social sphere. By marketing in a meaningful way, my way, I am effectively building relationships and inspiring students and collectors daily. Marketing allows me to sell more paintings which in turn provides me with the opportunity to keep painting full time and investing back into my business.
There are so many ways that you can get started marketing today. You can do it by email, in person, in magazines, and various print and social media, to name a few. First, I encourage you to get to the bottom of why you’re not marketing and then think about how you can start marketing. If you don’t know how to do something, well there’s a book, a blog, a video, an online course, a coach, or someone you can hire for that. Your subsequent artistic career depends on it so get started today!

While the benefits are expansive, Plein Air Events take a tremendous amount of time, volunteers, and community support. This is just a brief list of things to consider in order to develop a successful, ongoing event. They are meant to be general guidelines to provide foresight into the endeavor. These are not set in stone and there are many creative ways to develop various aspects of the event.
To start, here are a few questions you should think about that will help you through the process of establishing an event:
 
 
Who is/should be involved?
Art Guild/ Organization, Public Art Committee, Chamber of Commerce, BID, Downtown Organization, City Manager, Private Business, Events Organization, Other. It can often be advantageous to combine more than one organization to support an event.
Why do you want to develop a Plein Air Event?
Fundraiser, Community Awareness, Promote the Arts, Tourism, Education, Other
What is your Mission Statement?
Your mission statement may be as simple as your ‘Why?’ statement, but becomes more expansive when more than one organization is involved.
Can you develop significant community interest
in the form of volunteers and art buyers?
This is the most significant question of all, and one to consider very seriously.
Next, determine the desired benefits and realistically review the requirements.
BENEFITS

• Once established (2-3 years) they can become a significant source of funds
• They can bring unique cross sections of a community together
• They create goodwill within the community
• They support and encourage tourism
• They support local businesses including hotels, restaurants, and retailers
• They can provide a source of education about local history, art, community
• They can raise awareness about local events, history, persons of interest
• They can be used to raise awareness about targeted issues
• They can provide State/National Recognition

REQUIREMENTS

Think of a Plein Air Event as a three-legged stool. Those legs consist of Artists, Buyers and Organizers. If any of the legs are missing, the stool falls over. They play off each other. Quality Artists encourage Buyers. A well-organized event attracts Artists and Buyers. Buyers support the Organizers’ mission and attract Artist.
Artists
Target: 25-50 Qualified Artists
Community Support
Buyers, Volunteers and Sponsorships (Absolutely Key to continued success)
Commitment
It may require 3-5 years to create a profitable, well established event. Plan for that.
Event Committee
4-6 members willing to meet frequently, optimally beginning one year prior to the event.
Volunteers
Minimum of 12 Volunteers plus one volunteer for every 4 artists greater than 30
Volunteers qualified to:

• Create the prospectus
• Advertise
• Create Marketing Material
• Promote the Event
• Distribute Materials
• Develop a Website, Facebook, Instagram & Blogs
• Solicit Volunteer
• Manage Volunteers
• Continually Communicate with Artists
• Find Venues
• Organize social gatherings
• Accounting
• Solicit Contributions
• Create Artist Information Packets
• Create and Maintain Events Calendar
• Choose a Judges
• Find Housing for Artists and Judges
• Photography – During Event, Awards Ceremony
• Develop a Corporate Sponsorship Program

Display Space
Optimally 3+ feet of wall space per artist
This works backwards – Display Space/3 = # artists
Space should be evenly and well lit
Finally, consider the sources and uses of funds. Financial planning is a key element.
Sources of Funds

• $20-50 per artist
• 20-40% Commission per sold painting
• Community and Business Sponsorships
• Donations
• Painting Suppliers’ Sponsorships
• Private Sponsorships
• Grants
• Purchase Awards

Uses of Funds
Minimum $2,000 – $5,000 Advertising & Marketing Budget:

• Cash Prizes
• Venue
• Paid Service (if qualified volunteers are not available)
• Social Event Food & Drink
• Artist Packages

There are so many variations in the events available today. It is important to talk to organizers and artists alike to fully understand the nuances and determine what may, or may not, work for your particular situation.
Thank you for considering hosting a plein air event. They are fun, exciting, engaging and they are a great way to bring art and community together. The benefits are well worth the effort.

From birth to his final days, William Whitaker lived and breathed art. His art and his imprint in the art world will live on for generations into the future. The OPA Master painter was born into a family of artists and musicians. His life could have gone in a very different direction because his father repeatedly told him to “get out of art,’ but thankfully it’s advice he didn’t heed. As a result, Whitaker became the modern-day master who continues to inspire multitudes of artists and collectors world-wide.

The articulate and humorous artist got his start as a child. He learned to draw from his uncle who was one of the top cartoonists at Disney. In an OPA interview with Whitaker in 2016, he said his uncle “was very talented, but he didn’t love what he was doing and eventually quit creating art.” During that interview Whitaker gave great advice that will continue his art legacy. “Follow your feelings,” he added. “You need to really like to do this. You have to have something to say.” Whitaker said we should think of ‘art talent’ as ‘art talentS’. “We all have strengths and weaknesses. Of course painting abilities are all well and good and are expected, but there are other very useful talents. Some of us are good at self-promotion. Some have writing skills. Some are good at public speaking and might have useful musical skills that can get them noticed. Some are excellent teachers with communication skills. Some can run a business and know how to get a good discount on art supplies, he chuckled. Some are organized and can make a good business plan and follow it. There is a talent for managing works of art and recording and filing. Being able to type fast and accurately is very useful. Some are good at research. Some are good at making things, including frames or shipping crates.” Whitaker graduated from the University of Utah, where he studied with portrait artist, Alvin Gittins. In the mid-60’s he lived in Los Angeles where he was art director for Capitol Records until he was recruited to create the now prestigious Illustration Department at Brigham Young University. In recent years he had retired to paint in his private studio.

Whitaker always emphasized the work involved in a successful art career. “What I think takes us all by surprise is how much time it takes each day to manage an art career. Such seemingly little things such as recording, photographing, framing and varnishing take a surprising amount of time.” Putting a painting in a show or gallery before it is time is one of the biggest mistakes artists can make, Whitaker asserted. “It is not a good thing to have a flawed painting hanging in a show. Ideally it would be best to keep everything for a least a year before showing it. That would allow the scales to fall from your eyes so you could see your own work clearly and get rid of the bad ones. Also, it would mean that a work could thoroughly cure before it was varnished. Nobody gets up in the morning and says, “I think I’ll do a mediocre painting today.” They just happen. As our eyes and brains become tired, we lose the ability to judge our own works, but put the painting away for a couple of weeks or a month and when we see it again it’s like it was done by somebody else and we can see it clearly for what it is.” A related problem, he added, is not saving your best work for the best shows or exhibits. “Nothing is as bad as selling your very best work and having nobody but the buyer see it.”