Oil Painting

The Value of Color Charts

Kim Carlton · Dec 1, 2014 · 11 Comments

My advice—my plea to you—is to do the charts for your sake. (Do not use mine.) The charts are not a sure-fire gimmick guaranteed to make you a color wizard, but they are the best way I know of to understand your pigments and enter the study of color on sound footing. Take your time; don’t be in a rush just to get them done. Stay alert and see what is happening, not only on your palette, but within yourself. Impatience will well up, so will exasperation as you make mistakes or struggle with decisions about the right color and value, but I urge you to stick with it. In a way, the charts are intended to be somewhat agonizing so that you will develop the patience and self-control so necessary in painting. It should be like an initiation ritual before what is to come, so you may endure it without giving up.
Richard Schmid, Alla Prima
I begin with this quote because, seriously, anything that Richard Schmid pleads with his readers to do is worth consideration. The discipline of charting color might be compared to learning to read music or understanding grammar. I know some great musicians who play “by ear,” and writers who know nothing about the rules of grammar, but they will admit that they wish they had that academic knowledge in their hip pocket. Color charts are like that. You may not learn everything possible about color by doing them, but you will have, as Richard said, “sound footing” to begin your journey. You will also have confidence, knowing you’ve done your work.
The purpose of the charts is to show how each color on your palette relates to all the other colors there. You will want a chart for every color, to see how that particular color interacts with one other color, and then how their offspring look when mixed with white. Each chart will show the influence of the dominant color on the other colors. You will be able to tell by looking which color is represented in the chart; your red chart’s red/yellow will not look like your yellow chart’s yellow/red. You will add white as you go down, tinting each color until it’s all but white; across the bottom, all the lightest lights should be the same value. Most of the other colors start out at different places on the value scale, so the other rows will have a variety of values. Even though you can tell by looking, it’s still a good idea to label all the columns.
Here’s what you will need: ¼ inch masking tape (easiest to buy online; costs about $2.00), a pencil and ruler, one or two small palette knives (the second one can scrape the first, you won’t have to wash brushes between each color, and your squares will be pretty), and of course your paints, palette, paper towels and canvas. When I am teaching color, I start with four colors (plus white) in order to reveal the unlimited potential of a limited palette. This number of colors fortuitously fits perfectly on a piece of 14×11 canvas, which can be bought in tablets.

Materials

Here’s how you prepare your canvas: It’s easier to work on a tabletop for this than using an easel. Tape the canvas to a board to allow yourself freedom to spin the chart around as you fill the squares. Measure out a quarter of an inch for the width of the tape, then an inch for each square, and repeat for every color. Make tic marks with your pencil, rather than lines, to indicate placement. Put the quarter-inch tape between the marks and leave a tag hanging off the end for you to pull when you’re done. Place all vertical tapes first, followed by all horizontal tapes. You will carefully remove the tape as soon as you are done with each chart (don’t wait till later!); it is easy to pull the horizontals off first, then the verticals. Now write the initials of the colors you will be charting. For example, the colors I use for the limited palette are Transparent Oxide Brown, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, and Cadmium Yellow Pale: TOB, U, CR, and CY. The Transparent Oxide Brown chart will have these headings on the columns: TOB, TOB/U, TOB/CR, and TOB/CY. Note that the size of your chart/canvas will be determined by the numbers of colors and values you want to explore. For the limited palette, I chose four colors and five value steps, so I will have four across and five down, plus some space between each chart. Measure it out accordingly.

Prepared Canvas

Here’s how you create your chart: Understand that this is an exercise for your eyes, mind, body, and soul. It will demand your full involvement in a most personal way as you begin a real dialog with your colors. Give yourself lots of latitude, grace, and hours.
The order that the colors are laid out on your charts is a personal choice. Some people want the order of colors to be the same on every chart; others prefer that the dominant color leads on every chart and the rest fall in behind it. How you lay your colors out is a choice you make based on how you want to see your colors. To me, it makes sense to start with the dominant color, so I can see at a glance which chart it is. Then the other colors follow according to their value, so that whether reading across or down, they start with dark and move toward light. Lay yours out in the order that makes sense to you.
Allot a nice big pile of the color you’re charting on the palette and another pile of white. Your first color is always the easiest, as you only have the one color, plus white. The square you fill first is the top left one— pure, untinted, unmixed color. The second one you’ll mix is the last box on the column; it is nearly white. To mix that, start with a pile of white and add just the tiniest spot of color to it. All the bottom boxes on your chart will be the same value: nearly white. The value of the other squares will be determined by the value of your master color.
You will be working one column at a time, taking five value steps with each color. The first column of each chart is the master color’s value scale. All the other columns will show this master color’s effect on the rest of the palette’s colors. Here is the first column for the limited palette chart:

First Color Column

When you have your first and last colors laid in, you will mix the value that is right in the middle of those two. Mix it and hold it on your knife over the two color values on your chart and ask yourself which it favors more, the pure color or the lightest tint. This is when your colors really start talking to you. When you finally mix a color value that favors neither, you have your middle square. The last two colors are halfway between each of these: one is halfway between pure color and middle color value, the other is between middle color value and lightest possible value.
The next column will be a little bit more complicated, as you are adding another whole dimension: you’re making not only value decisions but also color decisions, as you mix color columns that show two colors in which one dominates the other. It should be clear on each chart that you’re showing a certain color as it’s influenced by other colors. You then create the tint steps in the value scale for each.

First Chart Before and After

As you are working, remember that this is your chart and no one is timing or grading you. Let it be a joyous experience, with not one nerve wracked and nary a tear shed. Scrape your mistakes and don’t worry about the squares; your tape is in place to keep you tidy. You will be so surprised when you pull the tape off and see how beautiful your work looks. When I first finished mine, I put them on my studio wall because it was just so satisfying to look at them; like a lovely rainbow of harmonies. But they had to come down. They are a tool, and just like the tools on the pegboard, they have another use besides looking pretty on the wall. I use them for teaching and for note-taking in the field. A good field sketch combined with informed color notes is invaluable back in the studio.

Limited Palette Color Chart

When you’re finished with all your color charts, you may want to varnish them after a few months to ensure their long life. You can keep them with you as loose canvas pieces or cut them out, hole-punch one side of them and put them in a binder, or you can just keep them in transparent sleeves. When you want to add a new color to your palette, it is good practice to create a new chart for it, to see if it can play nicely with your other colors. Some very nice colors are too weak or too aggressive to fit in with the family. Subjecting them to the scrutiny of the chart is a quick qualifier for contenders.
It’s easy to see how your mind and eyes are challenged by the creation of color charts, as all the measuring is intellectual and visual. If you try to literally measure part-for-part, you will not have an accurate chart because every pigment has a different saturating power. So, your mind and eyes are about to get smarter. You will not find how it challenges your body until you start the process. You will then be amazed at how physically demanding this assignment is. This isn’t for sissies. And as for the soul… ultimately your choices, as objective as this process seems, will be determined by how you feel. It can’t be taught. You will only get it when you do it. This is why charts must be done and not just seen. It’s also why the color charts vary between different artists, and why Richard Schmid can say that he learns something new every time he makes a new set. He is still making new charts for himself! And since he’s been painting longer than a lot of us have been breathing, perhaps it really is a worthwhile thing to try.

Highlights and Specularity

James Gurney · Nov 24, 2014 · 2 Comments

Up High, 1992. Oil on canvas, 27x27 — Up High, 1992. Oil on canvas, 27×27

Highlights can give snap and sparkle to a subject, but they’re not just a bunch of white dots scattered across your picture. Under what circumstances do highlights appear? Where on the form should they be placed? How should they be painted?
Highlight and center light
First it is important to understand what highlights are—and what they’re not.
Highlights are specular reflections of the light source on shiny surfaces. In specular reflection, light rays bounce off the surface at the same relative angle that they approach it, like a billiard ball bouncing off a side cushion. In diffuse reflection, light rays bounce away in all directions. Diffuse reflection is typical of a matte surface, such as an egg.

Gumball_Machine.LG2 — Gumball Machine, 1995. Oil on panel, 10×8”
I painted this gumball machine while sitting in a coin laundry. There was a little highlight in the center of each ball, a reflection of the fluorescent lights above me. The highlights are even stronger in the chrome trim.

Since highlights belong to the world of specular reflection, they should be thought of as somewhat separate and distinct from the normal modeling factors (light, halftone, and shadow) of diffuse reflection. The lightest zone of the normal modeling range is the “center light,” which appears on matte surfaces that are perpendicular to the direction of the light. If the rays of sunlight were arrows striking an apple, the center light would appear at the place on the apple where the arrow enters to pass through the center of the form. That point stays the same regardless of your viewpoint.
Where do highlights appear?
Unless the sun is coming from directly from behind you, the highlight appears in a different location than the center light. The highlight generally appears at a point closer to your eye than the center light. Unlike the center light, the position of the highlight depends on your point of view. The same highlight often appears differently to your right eye compared to your left eye.
Imagine placing a pocket mirror beside the object and angling the mirror so that it reflects the light source back into your eye. If the surface is shiny enough, any plane on the form parallel to the plane of the mirror will reflect a highlight back to you.

This photograph shows three spheres of varying specularity: matte, glossy, and mirror-like. The highlight is absent in the matte sphere and clearly evident in the glossy sphere. The mirror-like sphere reflects the window with the sun shining through it. There is another highlight inside the reflection of the middle ball in the right ball, and even a tertiary highlight in the glossy ball next to the primary highlight, where the light is reflected three times.
The effect of the surface
The shinier, oilier, or wetter the surface, the brighter the highlight. That’s why eyes, lips, and the tips of noses have brighter highlights than cheeks do. A matte surface with only diffuse reflection, such as a sweater or a sand dune, will not have any highlights at all.

Coppersmith.sm — Coppersmith, 2008. Watercolor, 5×8”
Painted on location in Fes, Morocco, the highlights in this coppersmith’s stall are brightest on the polished copper and silver. I had to run washes over all the areas but these two or three spots of pure white paper to carry the effect.

Many surfaces are a combination of specular and diffuse reflections. You can study the effect of specular reflection by putting a polished apple or a billiard ball next to a silver ball, such as a Christmas tree ornament.
In other words, imagine how you would paint a regular matte-surfaced apple. If the same apple were given a high-gloss wax coating and you painted it again, you’d have to consider the normal modeling factors plus the specular effects
The effect of the light source
Highlights are also greatly influenced by the character of the light source. On a highly reflective silver surface, such as a spoon or a silver teapot, the highlight color will mirror the light source. A soft, cool light source such as a large window, will yield a large, cool highlight, while a hard, small, warm source such as the sun will result in a sharp, small, warm highlight. A highlight is typically the lightest value in the entire painting, nearly as light as the light source itself, and lighter than the center light.
Let’s look at the idealized example of a sculpted head covered with reflective silver paint. A green light shines from the left, a magenta light shines from the right front, and a blue light comes in from farther to the right. Even with three different light sources, the lights don’t really mix very much on the planes of the head. Instead, each light source accounts for a separate array of specular highlights, and each set of highlights defines a set of parallel planes. Our brains are able to construct an understanding of form based on these fragmentary bits of information.

Four rules of specular surfaces
1. The more reflective the surface, the brighter the highlights and the broader the range of values you need to paint it.
2. The size of the highlight is influenced by the curvature of the surface of the form. The more highly curved the surface, the smaller the highlight; the flatter the surface, the larger the highlight.
3. Whether you’re rendering digitally or traditionally, the specular pattern is a separate layer added on top of the usual modeling factors that you use to render the object.
4. The highlights on any glossy form are not pure white, but rather a combination of the color of the source and the local color of the object.
Annular Highlights
Highlights don’t form only on solid objects. They also can form into a pattern of circles made up of individual scratches on metal or twigs in trees. For example, when you look into the maze of ice-covered bare branches of a forest in winter, you’re only seeing a fraction of the detail. The light illuminates only a few of these branches while most of them blend invisibly into the general gray.
Only the branches that are perpendicular to the direction of the light catch the highlight. The illuminated twigs align into concentric rings around the center point of the light source. These annular highlights help the viewer to subconsciously orient to the location of the light source. The three arrows in the photo are placed perpendicular to the illuminated twigs. If you follow the arrows, they lead to the location of the sun.
You can also observe annular highlights in the scratches of a well-used stainless-steel surface, like the cookie sheet and pot lid, below, left. Look for them in the window of a passenger train on a late afternoon, in a spiderweb on a dewy morning, in a cornfield lit by a setting sun, or on tree branches surrounding a streetlight on a rainy night.

Tips for painting highlights
1. In watercolor, since highlights are the lightest values, they must be left as unpainted white paper, masked out from the start, or applied with gouache at the last.
2. In oil paintings, highlights should be saved for the last, like a garnish of chives or a dash of parmesan cheese on a finished entrée. People observing John Singer Sargent said he saved highlights for the final strokes, considered them carefully, and used thick, heavy impasto for the highlights on jewelry, fingernails or eyes.
3. Avoid a lavish use of highlights. Highlights are like salt. A little makes the food tasty, but too much ruins it.

Mobile Masters Make Art Instruction Accesible to Artist Anywhere

Hilda Rueda · Nov 17, 2014 · 2 Comments

CLAYTON J. BECK III-AN ARTIST WITH CHARACTER
FIGURE PAINTING WORKSHOP AT THE WOODLANDS ART LEAGUE, Sept. 8th-12th/14

The Woodlands Art League, www.woodlandsartleague.org , a 30+ year old, nonprofit visual art organization that operates in the Woodlands Tx,, was visited by Clayton J. Beck III, one of America’s more acclaimed and recognized artists. The Woodlands Art League is proud of housing more than 300 members, whose careers have been notably carved and enhanced by the training and knowledge visiting masters have provided throughout the years. Clayton, who was teaching his third workshop at WAL, is one of those artists who has enriched the league’s history not only by means of his unconventional training philosophy but also with his professional advice related to the improvement of the physical space necessary to produce better quality art, lighting, space distribution, etc. Robert Liberace, Judy Carducci, and many other masters have pitched in to make art instruction accessible to a whole Houston community, thus facilitating the means of progressive artistic development for all, and the cultural enhancement of the entire area.
Clayton, walked in with a confidence that is at the same time intimidating and reassuring. New artists were not sure what to make of his well-worn out hat which didn’t seem necessary in this “dark cave”, as he calls the wall to wall mirrored studio where WAL currently functions. As he introduced himself and the workshop, his eccentricities became less eccentric and turned into logical statements. Clayton, reminded us, artists, that nothing that shows up in the canvas is a mistake or an accident but the result of a thought we consciously or unconsciously deposit in the painting surface and that in order for our art to improve we have to recognize what those thoughts are and change them. He pointed out that not having a goal to strike for, at the beginning of a painting session is like getting in a car and start driving not knowing where you are going.
All artists have at one point or another attempted to do color charts but being frustrated we dropped the chore off the list. Clayton encouraged us all to complete them and used them. Debra Latham, one of the artist attendees, from Kingwood, Texas, when asked about the most important thing she had learned from Clayton’s workshop, puts it this way: “The biggest thing I learned was the importance of doing color charts. I’ve only dabbled with them a bit in the past but never to the extent he had gone to. He had such an elaborate way of doing them that I had never seen before. That is one thing on my near future “to-do” list”.
Is it in the light or is it in the shadow? All artists wrestled with that question while we attempted to look at the model as dispassionate as we could to avoid falling into the trap of painting eyes, mouths and hair instead of the patterns of the light and shadow, lost and found edges. We tried to take ownership of Clayton’s remarks, almost never addressed to an individual attendee but to the group in general, prompting us to put the brushes down and observe the model to collect certain information, before we pick them up again and decide where the next brushstroke is supposed to go.
Is It In the Light? Oil on linen, 20×16, and exercise on light
Hilda Rueda. www.hruedart.webs.com
Workshops like the one offered at WAL by Clayton are valuable for artists of every level. Beginners and advance students take pride on absorbing or recalling knowledge that will help them improve their artistic careers. Suzie Baker, an accomplished and nationally awarded artists, who also participated in the week- long course expresses her foremost lesson as follows:
“During Clayton’s workshop, he mentioned several challenges as ways to break out of old ways of thinking, one challenge was to create a painting with no more than 10 brushstrokes per model session. So, let’s do the math: 6 session, 25min each, 10 strokes max per session, that’s 60ish strokes. The economical nature of this way or painting required a deliberate thoughtfulness. I had to spend more time mixing the right value and color of paint, choosing the right brush and amount of paint to load onto that brush, planning the brush stroke (angle, direction of pull and pressure of the stroke). The challenge was as rewarding as it was nerve wracking. Now, I just need to keep it up when Clayton isn’t watching over my left shoulder!”
Suzie Baker, www.suziebaker.com
“Keli in 60 Strokes or Less, 20 x 16“, Oil on Linen, 2014.
The week dwindled down as we attempted to recognize our own mistaken perceptions. We are determined to eradicate all those thoughts and habits, which although feel comfortable, hinder our progress and make us repeat the same mistakes over and over, piece after piece.
The guidance Clayton, and other masters, have provided us with, is invaluable, not only individually but as an art community which intends to be true to its mission of promoting the visual arts, enriching the general community trough art education and offering our artists easy access to professional instruction. We believe it is possible to make art available to all and it is through workshops with traveling masters that big groups can be reached at a reasonable price and at convenient locations and thus the goal of art-educating all can be achieved. Isn’t this the globalization of our art world? We genuinely so hope.

What’s the Concept?

Mr. John Pototschnik · Nov 3, 2014 · 1 Comment

Paul Strisik was a master artist and teacher. He authored a couple of important books:
The Art of Landscape Painting and Capturing Light in Oils. I believe you will find his views about painting helpful. Foremost, before beginning a painting, he stressed having a clear “conception of the subject”. I call it “your painting concept”.
What is meant by a “painting concept” and how is it determined? Let me explain.

“Land of Plenty” – 7.5”x 14.5” - Oil — “Land of Plenty” – 7.5”x 14.5” – Oil

When someone designs and builds a house or just purchases existing blueprints…before any of that…a decision has been made, an idea is finalized as to the style of house desired. It might be a colonial, ranch, country, contemporary, or Victorian; whatever the choice, that decision is the concept. It is called that because everything that follows is a result of that choice.
For example, if the concept is Victorian but all the design and building choices are ranch, will the result be Victorian or ranch? Obviously, it will be ranch. What happened? The original concept was not adhered to.

“Rain’s on the Way” – 16”x 20” - Oil — “Rain’s on the Way” – 16”x 20” – Oil

Similarly, for us artists, if the decision is to depict a landscape shrouded in fog but the painting actually produced contains intense color and high value contrast, the concept and finished piece have become incompatible.
So, even before the canvas is selected, a decision must be made as to what we want to communicate. Once the concept is established, don’t deviate from it or the likely result will be a confusing, discordant painting, or one significantly different from the original concept/idea. I don’t want to leave the impression that deciding upon a concept is always easy and comes naturally. Many times, the subject itself will clearly reveal a concept for you…the overall design, dramatic lighting affects, and interesting color harmonies are but a few…but other times, as in the examples below, it really takes some thought.
Here are a few of my paintings illustrating the point. As you can see, the photo was only the starting point. Imagination took over from there. Each achieved painting is preceded by the photo used to inspire the final work; I call it the “photo concept” even though it merely records the subject. Paul Strisik says, the real measure of an artist is what we do with it.

concept

painting

Here are some helpful tips for determining a clear concept:

Paint what you enjoy and understand. Painting is difficult enough, so begin with something that stirs your soul.
Think. What do you want to say? What made you stop to paint, sketch, or photograph this scene in the first place? Fine painting is more than an emotional outburst.
What is it about the subject that deeply and instinctively appeals to you? Some possibilities are: composition, color, lighting (overall mood/value relationships), and the emotion activated within you.

As you can see from all of the above images, my motivation was inspired by the composition. From that point, I brought my concept of the subject to the final work.

Diane Massey Dunbar Revisited

Mr. John Pototschnik · Nov 3, 2014 · Leave a Comment

545 - Dianne Massey Dunbar — Diane’s Website

After I posted one of Dunbar’s paintings of a glass jar on my Facebook page, an admirer of the painting wrote wanting to know where he could purchase a “tube of that glass” used by Dianne to complete her painting. Well, that would be nice, but I told him that Dianne doesn’t share that information with anyone.
To my mind, no one paints glass better than Dianne Massey Dunbar. Her depiction of things transparent is very carefully observed and yet painted with such intuitive confidence, dexterity, boldness, clarity, and excitement that one just marvels at her ability.
I first interviewed Dunbar in August 2012, and at that time only revealed half of the interview. Now, with a few additional questions, here is the remainder of that amazing interview.
Read Part I of Dunbar’s interview here
What would be your definition of art?
To me, art in its broadest sense includes music, dancing, acting, photography, painting, writing, and the like. It is a personal expression of oneself that generally involves creativity and honesty and an audience. It almost always requires a degree of skill. It is also, invariably, the end result of a process.
Narrowing the definition to drawing and painting, to me art is the creation of an image personal to the artist that is intended as a visual dialogue with an audience. When I stop and contemplate art, it is easy to think of eloquent paintings that have been carefully designed and executed. However, I have seen many rough drawings by children that have deeply touched me. So, I guess I would say that if a painting or drawing reasonably incorporates the principles of drawing and design and craftsmanship, and further inspires in me as a viewer a sense of awe or excitement, interest, beauty, or involvement…and if it is intended to be art, I would call it art.
Are you saying then that you believe art is really in the eye of the beholder?
In my opinion, everyone is entitled to his or her own definition of art. For me personally, I agree and disagree with the statement “art is in the eye of the beholder”. That phrase seems to infer our personal likes and dislikes. I do believe that our tastes influence what we enjoy in the way of art, if we are attracted to a particular painting, whether we like thick or thin paint, still life or landscapes, realism or abstract. It is our emotional response to a painting.

All that said, people generally know when they are in the presence of real art. For me art is a form of communication. But to be considered art it also needs to reasonably incorporate the tools we artists use every day: composition, drawing, shape, line, value, color, texture, and edges. Even rough drawings by children almost invariably have wonderful expressive lines, textures, shapes, and color. So, I would say that for me to call something “art” it needs to include these elements of draftsmanship regardless of my emotional reaction to the artwork.
Can there be art if it doesn’t communicate with an audience, in other words, if it can’t be understood?
In order to answer this, I need to define “understood”. One might not recognize the objects in a drawing or painting, or fully understand what the artist was trying to accomplish or communicate, but that does not mean it’s not art. For example, a person that is not versed in biblical stories might not understand religious art. However, I think most people would agree that there are numerous examples of wonderful religious art. Another example is prehistoric art. I may not understand the symbols, recognize the figures or the animals, but I can still appreciate the lines and design. And, many people do not enjoy abstract art but once again that does not discredit it. Understanding a painting has absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter, and everything to do with the visual elements and execution of the painting. So, even if I do not understand the subject matter, I can still appreciate the shapes, the drawing, the lines, the texture, the design, and in that way it still communicates with me.
To be art it must be able to be understood from a purely rational point of view and be organized to create a visual statement. If a drawing or painting is so disorganized that I am unable to understand the visual elements, then I do not think it meets any definition of art. All art, including abstract art, must have drawing, shapes, and values. One can study the painting to see if it is balanced, and if the values and composition are working. Lacking any visual organization so that there are no shapes, values or drawing, well, it would be difficult to call it art.

Do you consider the process of painting more important than the result?
I think they are rather inseparable. If the result is a finished painting, you can’t have the result without a process of some sort. And, at some point in time the process of painting ends in a finished piece. I will say that for me, the process greatly influences the result, which includes all my preparation before I begin a painting. I will also admit that for me the most important part of the actual painting is the beginning, because it will set the tone for the remainder of the painting.
No, what I mean is…Do you consider the act of painting itself…one’s personal joy in applying paint, experimenting and creating…more important than the physical result?
I wish I could answer yes to that question because it would be so freeing to let go of the end product and simply enjoy the process of painting. Also, if creating art was merely the act of painting with no regard for the outcome there would not be the inherent fear of failure or the discomfort when we are outside our comfort zone. However, being a professional artist is a career, a business, and so one must consider the end result as well. I think that there needs to be a balance between the creative process and respect for the end result. If it is all about the act of painting, experimenting and being creative, which incidentally can be quite frustrating on occasion, then we are on a journey that does not go anywhere. If it’s all about the end result, I think over time we become bored, don’t take risks, become too comfortable and our art grows stale and predictable. So, I think the process and the end result are inseparable, and I can only hope that as I paint I am aware of and can appreciate the joy and frustration of creating.

Where does creativity come from and how can it be nurtured?
I believe that creativity is a gift from God. I also believe we all have some degree of creativity and that creativity is not reserved for artists, musicians, actors, writers and the like. Everyone from plumbers to lawyers, teachers to advertisers and to builders, all encounter problems that require creativity to resolve. Mulling it over, it seems to me that creativity is often the result of problem solving, curiosity, need, a willingness to explore and a desire to be creative. Creativity also requires imagination and an open mind. To nurture creativity, we need to emphasize and value exploration, give others enough tools and knowledge to be able to explore different options, and offer problems that require imagination and problem solving.

You said in our first interview that you love to play with paint…to smear it, scrape it, splatter and flick it…using all manner of tools. Were you a pretty creative child?
Probably yes. I was rarely interested in playing with dolls or dress up although I loved stuffed animals. What I really liked to do was make things. So I played with Lincoln Logs and Tinkertoys. I had a small tool set with a hammer and saw, and I would use wood and nails to build things. One Christmas I was given a wood burning set so that I could decorate the things I made. I liked crayons. I started drawing at the age of six, and started art lessons and oil painting at age seven. I also use to write…primarily poetry.

How does your work reflect your personality?
First off, I think I am somewhat sentimental, so much of my work is derived from my life experiences. It is my impression that no matter who we are or what we do, most of life is lived in the ordinary, not in the extraordinary. I think there is something special, maybe even sacred, about the ordinary stuff of life. I want to somehow honor those things we use or images we see in our daily lives that often go unnoticed. I appreciate the ketchup bottle I pulled out of the refrigerator nearly every day when my sons were young. I can find beautiful colors in simple jars. There are surprising greens in a stack of French fries. The world is full of wonderful shapes and color everywhere, even where least expected. I hope that people can see the world a little differently as a result of my painting.

How does one find their individuality as an artist?
I would say finding individuality is a process. Where you begin will likely be very different from where your journey of art ultimately leads you. I also believe that individuality is a result of passion, excitement, exploration, risk taking, failing, succeeding, practicing, and honesty. Paint the subject matter that excites or interests you. Play with paint. Splash it, brush it, knife it, smear it, and make puddles. Try different surfaces because I am learning that they too make a difference. Be creative because after all, we are artists. Some paintings won’t succeed but will boost you to the next painting. Eventually you will have enough paintings behind you, that instead of you finding your individuality, I imagine your individuality will find you.
You use a very extensive palette of colors. How do you manage to maintain control of the color harmony in your paintings?

The frank answer is I have no idea. Drawing and design do not come naturally to me but color seems to be rather intuitive. So, when I am mixing paint, I just keep mixing until I get a value and color that seem to work for the situation. I wish I could elaborate on this answer but in all honesty I really don’t know how I control color harmony.
What advice do you have for a young artist/painter?
Making art is a journey and not a sprint. There are no real road maps beyond practicing and attempting to master the basic skills involved. It requires a great deal of passion, commitment, dedication, practice, and courage. Along the way there are wonderful highs and times of utter frustration. Being an artist is not at all what one envisions being an artist should look like. I believe it is about 85% work, 10% fun, and 5% inspiration. Also, I am not at all sure that we choose being artists. I rather think art chooses us. I cannot imagine not painting.
Primarily, I would suggest that you practice drawing. Drawing is absolutely essential to whatever type of art you eventually choose to do. Painting is nothing more or less than the completion of shapes. You need shapes to put value and color on. Those shapes need to be drawn, whether you do abstract art or representational art. I cannot stress the value of drawing enough. Also, if you are having problems with a painting, check your values. I have found that color can be rather forgiving, and that a problem with a painting is more often a value issue. Experiment, play, scrape, and learn what paint does (and doesn’t) do.
Find a mentor; an artist that is better than you, whose opinion you trust and who is willing to critique your work and offer suggestions along the way. Avoid asking others what they think of a painting or project, for opinions are as varied as the weather…and often not helpful. So, get a mentor/teacher to help with this process. Learn from your failures. Take those to your mentor as well.
Don’t be too quick to approach galleries. Everyone wants to be represented by a gallery and many young artists make it their goal to be invited into galleries. Instead, your goal should be to focus on your art and make it as outstanding as possible.
Lastly, keep some of your early work. I have a painting up in my studio from several years ago. When you get discouraged, and you will at times, look at that painting and spend a minute being proud of your progress.
Finally, be aware and prepared for the fact that painting is expensive and for most of us it takes time and practice to get to the point of earning any money.