Oil Painting

How to Prepare a Winning Portfolio

Oil Painters of America · Dec 2, 2013 · 1 Comment

Interview notes by Elizabeth Robbins

Panel of Three of Scottsdale’s Finest Gallery Directors
Artists eagerly poured into the lecture room to hear what Scott Eubanks (Gallery Russia), Scott Jones (Legacy Gallery), and Beth Lauterback (Scottsdale Fine Art Gallery) had to say about Portfolios and getting into galleries.

In our modern age of new methods for presenting our paintings; this group of experts gave us a window into their world of submission expectations.
Galleries are swamped with submissions, so artists, do your homework! Find out if the gallery that you desire to be in actually is a good fit for you and your work. For example: Legacy Gallery averages 248 submissions per month. Unfortunately, 95% of these submissions have no idea what kind of work Legacy Gallery sells. Match your subject matter, your pricing and your style to the kind of work that the gallery actually exhibits. Then, be a salesman, sell yourself to that gallery.
Be considerate of the gallery. Don’t walk into a gallery without an appointment and expect them to drop everything and look at your work. Use a portfolio to present your work. The type of portfolio doesn’t matter, digital or print portfolio, although all three of these galleries prefer e-mail portfolios. Whether you show a variety of subjects or just one, your portfolio of images is as good as the worst piece shown. Be sure to show only your best. Galleries are first looking for standout art, and secondly, your bio, good shows, publications in magazines, and competitions. Likewise, they are disappointed if only one piece is strong. They will be looking at your work to see if you consistently produce good quality art that sells. Need they remind you, they are in the business of selling paintings? Their wall space is valuable and they need to move art. It doesn’t matter if you can paint in all mediums and many subjects. In your portfolio, if you do offer them a single medium and a single focus, it is easier for them to see how your work will fit into the gallery. It will tell them if and how they can sell your work.
Be sure to check each gallery for their specific format for submission then stick to those guidelines. It is not about the packaging of the portfolio; it is all about informing the gallery of your best qualities, such as:
Education: Whom did you study with and with what program.
Web site: This gives your work a presence and links to the gallery. In no way should you work in competition with the gallery for sales. Your web site should work jointly with the gallery to create sales for you. Be a partner with your galleries, include links to their web sites.
Competitions: Only include the big shows, not the small shows (no county fair awards, please) and especially not the shows that you entered but were not accepted.
Publications: Articles are great, but not necessary if your work is strong. If you get an article or two, excellent, but in the meantime, put out press releases on your work and your awards.
Images of Paintings: Show only your best paintings with a variety of compositions that will exhibit your strong points.
Personal Rapport: Any gallery that is considering bringing you into their stable of artists needs to feel comfortable about working with you. Are you easy to work with, forward thinking, and creating your own opportunities in your career path? Don’t tell a gallery that you are better than “so and so”. That is not the way to approach a gallery.
Timing: Remember they reminded us, that timing is everything and lots of exposure helps the odds. Put yourself out there every way that you can, magazines, shows, awards, web sites, Facebook, Blog, etc. They will notice you. Show them your best painting. Catch their attention. Let them be the judge of what they can and cannot sell. They each have their own client base and know what will and won’t sell in their market.
Rejection: Okay, so you have been rejected from a gallery, pick your self up and try another one. You don’t want to be in a gallery that isn’t excited about your work.

“Galleries often work together sharing information. If your work is not right for their gallery they may recommend you to another gallery that is a better fit. You can also ask the gallery that has rejected you, if there is a gallery that would be a better fit for your work.”

Question : In the midst of this staggering economy, is this a good time to apply to galleries, or should artists wait until the economy strengthens?
Answer: Do it now. Many galleries are looking for fresh ideas to grab the patron’s eye and pocket book. This may be the time that galleries are replacing or adding new artists.
Question: Do you look at all the submissions?
Answer: Scott Jones, of Legacy gallery, says he looks at everyone’s submission and their websites. He looks for that magical quality that grabs him. Scott did admit that after 3 years of looking at the submissions for the Legacy gallery, only two submissions got into the gallery. This last comment created quite a stir in the audience. A wave of discouragement could be felt throughout the room. However, Scott reminded us that he and the other galleries are always looking at many sources for their artists. He has a list of 109 favorite artists that he is secretly watching and always looking for more artists to add to the list. He regularly checks out their web sites and links that those artists have to other artist’s web sites. That is how he finds other artists. It is easy for him to surf the web looking for new and exciting work. He loves Blogs, but not Blogs or websites that are not updates regularly. He watches artists mentioning other artists. It is a wonderful way to find new painters. Other recommendations: Newsletters: example – Clint Watson’s newsletter – one artist vouches for another. That goes a long way. Contests: i.e. win a Ray Mar Contest. Scott is a huge fan of OPA. It gives artists tremendous exposure. He asked 7 artists at the OPA show to be in Legacy Gallery.
Question: Typically how many paintings do the galleries want from artists coming into their gallery?
Answer: Scott Eubanks- six paintings to start off, four paintings to be hung and two more in the back. Beth Lauterbach answered, six paintings plus good photography of each painting. To create a good connection with her clients she also requires a good contemporary biography (don’t dig too deep into your past) and a good photo of the artist.
All three Galleries agreed:

Do keep sending submissions to galleries
Keep your web sites current. Only show your best work. Take off your older paintings.
Enter shows. Win awards
Get exposure from many sources: Magazines, Facebook, Blogs, Newsletters.
Don’t get discouraged.
Look for galleries compatible with your work.
Persevere. Keep putting it out there
Seek a gallery that is wild about your art, they need to fall in love with it.
Seek a gallery that is run or owned by someone you can trust and is enjoyable.

One of the tough jobs being an artist is that you must find people that share your love of subject matter and style. You must be successful both at painting and also at finding those people that love what you paint.
In closing, for those artists already in galleries, these three galleries all had final words of wisdom!
Question: What if an artist is doing all of the above, but the public isn’t buying his/her paintings?
Answer: Here are some points that Scott Eubanks gave us to consider why art doesn’t sell (besides the poor economy):

The painting is not as good as originally thought.
It is over priced. What is the actual track record for that artist’s work.
Same subject over and over
Bad choice of subject matter.
All the paintings from one artist look alike.
Perhaps the gallery that your work is currently in, but not selling, is not helping you sell the art. Perhaps the gallery itself doesn’t have enough exposure.

Solution:

Work your craft, perfect your skills. Climb to new heights.
Carefully consider your price and increases based on performance.
Choose subject matter that appeals to the clients in your galleries.
Find your uniqueness, build excitement in each painting.
If your gallery isn’t a good fit and you are not selling, look for another gallery that is a good fit for your paintings and you.
Don’t ever compete with your galleries, they are your business partners. Take good care of them.
Connect your work to your galleries.
Take your older paintings out of your current galleries and replace them with uplifting paintings. Scott Jones called them “Prozac Art”. There is enough stress in everyone’s lives, people are needing and buying peaceful, pretty art that soothes their minds and souls.

Most of all, Beth Lauterbach concluded, “What you do well, continue to do well. If you are selling, keep doing it”.
We all left the room inspired!

Perception

Mr. John Hulsey · Nov 4, 2013 · 2 Comments

We are currently reading two fascinating books about human development and the evolution of art: The Social Conquest of Earth by E. O. Wilson and The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain, from Vienna 1900 to the Present by Eric R. Kandel. While each author offers different but mutually supportive discussions on the rise of perception, self image and cultural myth-making, they are both sharing with us different aspects of the latest scientific discoveries in the fields of human development and cognition.
Mystics have told us for centuries that what most of us experience as life is an illusion. They assert that we do not see life as it is. Rather, we impose our biased interpretations on everything that touches us and that our particular, personal vision guides our actions and reactions.
Recent research by cognitive scientists has also determined that our brains are wired to deduce general, global patterns from whatever limited, local information we can gather and then to try to form a reliable, predictive pattern or picture of the world from which we can operate. This ability to think in the abstract is a sign of higher intelligence, and is at the very root of art-making. Furthermore, we each tend to assign high value to those random events which seem to support a view or pattern which pleases us and a low value to everything else. In essence, we are seeing through personal-colored lenses.
Because the whole is too large for us to see well normally, we have evolved to operate with this illusion of certainty, each forming our own unique view of the world. Our deviations from each other’s views may be slight, or they may be great. We all accept and share certain facts about the largest phenomena in common, like gravity, the seasons, orbits of the planets, and so on. However, there are an innumerable amount of details about the world that we individually may not agree upon, that are open to interpretation. Enter the Shaman, the mystic and the artist.

"Moon Road" by John Hulsey — “Moon Road” by John Hulsey

"Queen of Snows" by John Hulsey — “Queen of Snows” by John Hulsey

"Morning Meadow" by John Hulsey — “Morning Meadow” by John Hulsey

So, if life is partly an illusion, what does that mean for the visual artist? Number one is good news – since everyone has a slightly different perception of the world, each artist, by definition, must create unique work. The trick is to be able to thoroughly tune in to and assign high value to one’s perceptions about the world, and then have the courage to express that unique view in one’s art.
Surprisingly, it is also ambiguity that makes great art. A certain amount of ambiguity in an image allows viewers to participate in the artist’s world-view while simultaneously imposing their own interpretations. Mr. Kandel writes, “The meaning of the image depends on each viewer’s associations and knowledge of the world and of art, and the ability to recall that knowledge and bring it to bear on the particular image.”
When looking at art, our brains are using our pattern-making architecture and our memory to extrapolate familiar, personal associations from the image, and in a sense make it part of our own experience. In this way, great art always possesses the potential to become a unique experience for each person.

Bryce Cameron Liston Interview

Mr. John Pototschnik · Oct 7, 2013 · 4 Comments

“Being an artist and painting the human figure is what compels me. It wakes me up at night, it’s what I love and I drive myself to do it very well. Art is my lifelong obsession, pleasure, and torment.”

One thing I have learned about Bryce Liston during this interview process…he’s a very professional, dedicated, and responsible artist. But why should I be surprised? Except for a short time at the University of Utah, he has directed his own educational path. It’s been a path of very focused, hard, persistent work, and he believes that the lack of formal art education actually helped him discover his “voice”.
Freed from the influence of the so-called “sophisticated voices” of college art departments, that tend to scorn illustration, or anything representational for that matter, Liston fell in love with the works of Pyle, Wyeth, Rockwell, and others. These great illustrators of the past proved to be instructive and immensely inspirational.
Liston knows what it takes to succeed in this business, but he also knows it takes more than just hard work. In a recent blog posting, he closed with a quote from Edgar Payne, “Great patience is called for on the hard path that I have entered on.”
I’m pleased to bring you this wonderfully informative interview with Bryce Cameron Liston.

Why are you a figure painter?
Great figurative art is an enduring depiction of the human experience. The human form completely inspires me. People are beautiful, mysterious, ever changing and completely individual.
I grew up looking at the wonderful art of the great illustrators, like Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Frank Frazetta and Norman Rockwell. In school I spent hundreds of hours pouring over the images created by those great artists. I guess that’s not such a great thing to be doing in math class…maybe that’s why I never “got” math. I think back to those wonderful and powerful Frazetta paintings, and how he painted the human form. His characters were alive, dramatic and VERY sexy– it really stimulated my imagination. I’ve been focusing on the human form ever since.

What training did you receive in order to pursue your career?
I have had little to no official training. I’ve gathered information and training in my own manner. Growing up in a rural area of Utah in the 70’s and 80’s, resources and financial backing were very limited for me. So with that facing me, the local university seemed to be my best option. Boy was I disappointed! It only took a little over a year to decide it was not the right fit for me. I wanted to learn about the craft of art. I wanted to learn to actually produce art, not just discuss it. I wish I could have found some solid training back then, but can you imagine finding about far flung art schools without any internet and very little money? My only connection to the art world at that time was an institution that had no patience for traditional art. And then, I was fortunate enough to find a world class sculptor living in my area that needed some help in his foundry. So I spent 15 years working for sculptor Edward J. Fraughton. Ed was very liberal with his advice in the arts. Many times it felt more like I was in a school than a foundry. I learned a lot about anatomy, gesture, line and composition, not to mention being on the receiving end of some great lessons in art history. It’s funny, I learned about painting from a sculptor- I don’t think that’s something that happens every day. Obviously for painting there were certain gaps, such as color, value and edge. Since my time in the foundry I have worked very diligently to increase my skill up in those areas.
So, you really don’t think you received sufficient training to be an artist?
No, not even close. I continue to learn every year, every week, every painting. It’s what drives me. Degas said it best I think…on his death bed it is reported he said, “Damn and just when I was starting to get it.”

Knowledge and procedure

Does one need to have a thorough knowledge of anatomy to be a good figure painter?
I live by and teach this quote by Robert Beverly Hale: “First you draw what you see. Next, you draw what you know, and only then, will know what it is that you see”. It’s a brilliant statement; it’s stated so simply, but behind those words lie a lifetime of study for anyone. So yes, anatomy is very, important. In fact, coming at art partially through sculpture, anatomy is paramount. The sculptor works with form first (anatomy), and he knows his form is correct by the way the light falls on it. The painter approaches it in almost the opposite direction (albeit a complementary one). And that is, he paints the light and when he gets the effects of the light accurate, the form will read correctly.
How much of your work is done from life?
I have always worked from life, be it drawing, painting or sculpture. I continue to work from life each week as many times as my schedule will permit. But I must admit that I’m not the fastest painter. So in order to obtain the finish needed in much of my work I also need to use photographic reference. Many of my paintings are a collaboration of both life work and photo reference. My studio is also my place away from the world, it’s my refuge. I would find it difficult if I had to share all this time with a model.
What’s the key thing you’re trying to capture when painting the figure?
I guess it depends on what my particular subject is and how I’m feeling at the time. Many times it’s just the desire to turn the form. That is, making something look three-dimensional on a two-dimensional surface. It’s that sculptor in me I guess. I love the lines of the figure, especially the female figure, and trying to capture the subtle lines and gestures in a figure can be extremely challenging.

Is the popularity of the female form in art throughout history a result of artist’s being predominately male…or is there another reason?
I certainly think that aspect can’t be ignored, but it is certainly much more than that. I enjoy working with the simple beauty and the elegant flowing lines of the female form. There is certainly a sensuality and grace to the form; it’s beautiful and lovely in so many, never ending ways. It’s interesting that most of my female artist friends agree that they also enjoy working primarily with the female figure.

Working with the model

When setting up the model, what is the main thing you’re after?
Line and gesture are always at the forefront of my thoughts. Shapes come in next along with the lighting.
How do you typically select and work with your models and how are they compensated?
Beyond using my family members, the selection and use of models, quite often is a hit and miss game. I like to work with someone outside of my studio first, that is, in an open group of artists. That way I get to know the person first before inviting them into my personal space. Personality is so very important; I have to enjoy working around the person. And as far as compensation, it’s typically an hourly rate.

“Study for Le Jardin" — “Study for Le Jardin”

It’s one thing to capture a likeness, it’s another to capture one’s inner character, how is that accomplished?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been working on a piece and felt like it looks very much like the model, but I can see it’s technically a bit off, so I proceed to “fix it”. In the end I know that it’s technically correct, but now it no longer looks exactly like the model. I believe the painter is painting the person’s essence, their spirit if you will. I don’t know exactly how it happens; it just kind of sneaks in there when you’re not looking. That is one reason an artist’s portrait far exceeds a photograph.
Describe your working procedure.
I seem to approach nearly every painting a bit differently. I keep thinking maybe someday I’ll do it the same way each time. But the more I learn about myself the more I realize this is the way I’m wired. I guess it’s a way of keeping things fresh. Sometimes I start with a drawing of the subject or figure. I like having a drawing to refer back to in case the painting gets out of whack. But many times I just start drawing on the linen.
Beyond all of that, I first look for the overall design, flow and placement of the subject matter. A strong design is the foundation of any great painting. After I feel I have a good start with the design I start looking at the light. I ask myself what temperature is it? What direction is it coming from and what is the intensity? The light unifies all the elements in the painting. It gives the painting its mood.

The Process

“Repose” 16″x 24″ – Oil (Completed Painting)

How thorough is your initial drawing?
It depends on how complex the painting is. On a simple painting I will only indicate the drawing with simple geometric shapes. If I’m working out a more complex painting I can spend days working on the drawings.
What colors are most often found on your palette?
Titanium white, flake white, cad yellow lt, cad orange, cad red lt, perylene red, quinacridone violet (mostly I mix those two together to make a very good permanent alizarin crimson), ultramarine blue, viridian, turquoise blue, yellow ochre, raw umber, ivory black. This is a general overall list of colors I typically use; I don’t always have all of these colors out. Many times I will limit my palette or simplify it depending on what I’m painting.

Perseverance and painting what you love

How does one find their individuality as an artist?
I think in this day and age that can be a bit difficult. I mean, the whole planet is at our fingertips instantly. We can look at nearly every style and approach by nearly any artist anywhere in the world from any time period. It’s easy to maybe lose yourself in there somewhere. It’s important to ask yourself, what excites you? What type of scenes enliven and motivate you?
Do you experience dry spells, where everything seems to be a struggle? If so, why do you think that is?
Yes, it actually happens quite often for me. I have determined it can be caused by several different factors. The first is plain and simply overworking. I don’t mean overworking an individual painting (that happens too, but it’s a by product) I mean too many hours and too many deadlines back to back. The artist’s mind needs time away, time to think, rejuvenate and just experiment. I guess the saying fits “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.

Landscape has been the most salable subject for years, do you see that changing?
I don’t see that changing. In fact with the huge popularity of plein-air painting right now I see landscapes becoming even more popular. I think it takes a gutsier collector to buy figurative art, and of course people who purchase nudes, are even more so. Figurative art tends to make a statement; it’s more personal. Landscapes are simply more accepted, more passive. I have been told by some people they don’t collect paintings of people because they don’t want someone they don’t know in their home. But really, when most of us think of great artists of the past…and the greatest of all work…what and who comes to mind first? Velasquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Titian, Michelangelo, Courbet, Sargent, Sorolla, Repin, Fechin..etc. are all at the top of the list. Great figurative art is an enduring depiction of the human experience.

Influences and wise advice

What advice would you have for a young artist/painter?
DRAW, DRAW, DRAW! Paint and draw all the time. Do it now! Do not wait. Do not think you have a lifetime because it takes your whole life to figure it out. It’s about mileage and pushing yourself to grow and learn. Learn while you’re young, you learn more efficiently. So do it now and don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be an artist! Your doubt and your fear are truly your greatest enemies.
What advice would you have for a first-time collector?
Collect from your heart. Collect art that speaks to you; you’ll know it when it does. You’ll feel that little twinge in your gut when you see that painting across the gallery, and it makes your pulse quicken and calls you over for a closer look. Those are the paintings to add to your collection.
If you could spend the day with any three artists, past or present, who would, they be?
This can be a daunting question. When choosing an artist from the past I always wonder if you should take their personality into the equation. I mean, I would love to spend the day with Sargent, Zorn or even Sorolla, but I believe they wouldn’t have much time or patience with me or anyone else asking a bunch of questions. They seemed to be men with large egos, larger than life and in certain circumstances perhaps not the nicest people. But that’s a big part of what made them great artists. I do know a little bit about Norman Rockwell and I’m pretty sure a day spent with him would be very enjoyable, smoking a pipe or two and learning a lot to boot. As far as artists alive today, I would love to have some time with Zhang Wen Xin. He’s a Chinese artist that lived in the U.S. from 1987 to 2005. When he was in the U.S he would make his way up to Salt Lake City from Taos to teach workshops in the summer. I did manage to take part in some of his workshops, many, many years ago. But I look back now and realize that nearly everything I saw and that he said went way over my head. If I had the same chance now, I think I might be able to grasp a little of his genius.
You asked for three artists, so I will throw in John William Waterhouse. He is one of my all time favorites and I believe he was a humble and sincere man. I would love to know more about his process and thinking behind his paintings…but really, just the chance to watch him work…priceless!

If you were stranded on an island, which three books would you want with you?
Well first off I would want the U.S. military survival guide. Because I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have the ability to make coconut and banana cream pies like Marianne. Beyond that I guess just about anything by John Steinbeck. Or perhaps the Lord of the Rings trilogy would be nice. On the other hand perhaps that would be a good time to try to take in War and Peace or Moby Dick.
Who has had the greatest influence on your career, and why?
Again, I would credit those illustrators I mentioned above. But perhaps the reason I was so interested in those artists to begin with was because I grew up around art. My Mother was an artist and art was always prevalent in the house. I always had the smell of turpentine, oil paint and varnish in my house and oil paints in the freezer—I mean, didn’t everyone?;-). Many times I would go out with her and her friends while they painted plein air. Although at the time it bored me to tears, I think it must have planted a seed in my subconscious. Looking back I remember how bored I was, you know kids like to be around other kids, and these were…well…OLD people! I realize now (with a smile) that many of them were probably younger than I am now.

“An Aura of Fragrances” – 28″x 22″ – Oil

What does it take to become a successful artist?
I think that‘s very individualistic. We’ve all had a completely different set of experiences and input. Some start early in life, some later. Some of us have families to support. Some artists have had great teachers or schools, and fortunately we all want something different out of art. But beyond all of that, it takes persistence. I think when you’re starting out it really helps to have support; support of family, friends, teachers and the current education system. Try to find your own voice, but don’t worry too much about that in the beginning. Just get your skills up.
How do you know when a painting is finished?
Probably about three or four hours before I think it is.
If you could begin all over again, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently in developing your career?
Wow, that’s a loaded question. If I dwell on it too much I start down that uncomfortable road of resentment. But I guess the first thing is, I would NOT listen to anyone who told me I could not be and artist, ranging from my family to the school system. I would have found a way to attend an art school or move to an area that had a great teacher, and I would have worked a LOT harder when I was young even if I had no money.
How many hours do you typically paint per day?
It can range from 2 to 14. But I prefer to paint about 6 hours per day. I find much beyond that I get a diminished return. But deadlines and pressure from galleries can make for some very long days. People who think it’s easy to be an artist should try it for themselves. Forcing the creative spirit to be there when you need it can be very challenging

Many thanks Bryce for submitting to this interview, and thank you for contributing such beautiful work to this world.

Creativity

Mr. John Hulsey · Oct 1, 2013 · 3 Comments

"Fall in the Moraine" by John Hulsey - 18 x 24" Oil — “Fall in the Moraine” by John Hulsey – 18 x 24″ Oil

Second only to language in the hierarchy of advanced survival skills must be the ability to imagine something that does not yet exist, and then make that dream into something solid and real. Just look around you as you read this, and try to find something in your house or office that at one time was not just a dream in somebody’s head. Barring plants, minerals and those things of the earth itself, everything around us is the product of a creative imagination at work. This ability is apparently blown into all of us at birth, is sometimes called abstract reasoning outside of the art field, but nevertheless is the same thing. Businesses could not survive without it and everyone probably engages in small acts of creativity everyday without being aware of it. It is a skill which can be used as a force for good or for evil with equal efficiency, but history suggests that the positive use of creativity is the natural order of things.

"Chiaroscuro" by John Hulsey - 30" x 40" Oil — “Chiaroscuro” by John Hulsey – 30″ x 40″ Oil

We are born dreamers, and we have the power to direct our dreams to create a world to our liking. Throughout history, for good or bad, the most successful people have always been those individuals who realized this power and used it fearlessly to create a new world which never existed before. The late Steve Jobs is but one example of the contemporary dreamers who used this ability to turn their private dreams into a world-changing reality. He did this even when those around him often claimed the task was impossible.

"On the River" by John Hulsey - 18" x 24" Oil — “On the River” by John Hulsey – 18″ x 24″ Oil

So it is with artists and creative people of all stripes. Creating something that never existed before, even if it is only within our own personal world, is our job description. It is our reason for being and we believe that by sharing our efforts publicly, we serve the greater good, despite cultural and economic signals to the contrary. Economic support for what we do is useful, but not a measure of the value of our ideas. Historically, culture often lags behind the ideas and efforts of the artistic community. How could it not? Ideas move at two hundred miles an hour across the synapses of the brain, and giving physical form to our ideas need not take long. The key for all of us is to keep dreaming and imagining and believing in our vision, no matter what. We are the privileged ones, whose daring role it is to look at the disparate parts of the world and “connect the dots” into a new creation. This takes some courage, and discipline. Fear is the enemy, and fear is the only force that can limit, and sometimes kill, creativity. We cannot allow fears of criticism or failure or economic losses to enter our studios and interfere with our creativity. We must carve out a sacred space or time within which we can be temporarily free of these fears and concerns, so that our imagination can be free to wander and dream. We have found meditation to be a powerful tool for sweeping the mental clutter into the corner so that we can walk around in our imaginations. Our art has improved because of this discipline. It is always the first 30 minutes of any day.

Roger Dale Brown Interview

Mr. John Pototschnik · Sep 23, 2013 · 5 Comments

One would need to have lived in a cave, isolated from humanity, to have not heard of Roger Dale Brown. In a recent article in Nashville Arts Magazine, Brown is recognized as the ‘go to’ guy of the South when it comes to teaching plein air painting.
I’ve heard of the thoroughness and excellence of his teaching for some time, for he has been a favorite instructor for several years now with the Dot Courson hosted painting workshops.
A resident of Franklin, TN., Brown credits historical master artists, John Carlson and Edgar Payne as strongly influencing his belief that plein air painting is an essential element in being a great landscape painter. He is able to capture the emotion of a scene by drawing on his knowledge of painting and dedication to fine art.
He really didn’t pursue art as a career until 12 years out of high school, but he has certainly made up for his late start through study and lots of hard work…much of that outdoors…en plein air.
His spiritual journey in itself is a pretty interesting story and will be covered in a later blog. For now, I know you will appreciate hearing from Roger Dale Brown on the subject of art.

I have heard you are an excellent teacher. What is the importance of teaching in your career?
I feel so blessed to be able to have a career that I truly enjoy. I also enjoy passing the information on to other people. There is a sense of accomplishment for me to see the progression of a student. I love sharing and as I progress there is more and new information to pass along. To be able to share and talk and discuss scenarios with aspiring artists and get them excited about the process of art is invaluable.

What makes a good teacher?
Being able to break down a topic into its simplest form and build it back up in an understandable explanatory way, both visually and academically.
I try to explain things from a student’s perspective at each student’s individual level. I put myself in their shoes, and remember when I was at their stage. That makes it easier not to talk over their head, and to explain situations at each unique stage.
I love to figure out the best way to teach a student. Understanding strengths and weaknesses of individuals and understanding personalities help. I love to figure out the best way to impart a sense of accomplishment to each student.
In a workshop scenario you have to rely on impact…meaning, there are many different ability levels of students. In a time constrained workshop you do not have the luxury of teaching drawing, design, color theory, etc. It is futile to try to teach this in a 3-day workshop setting. I have good success with verbal teaching, coupled with visually showing the students what I am talking about, and then giving them the opportunity to implement it themselves. My goal is that they will take that information and seek knowledge outside the workshop. Helping the student to see certain important facets of the academic process, such as different types of light, simple shapes and the values of those shapes, seeing atmospheric perspective, simple drawing of shapes are all important elements that can be shown in a class with significant success. It gives them a base to learn from inside the class and out. It gives them a success which in turn creates passion, and passion goes a long way in the learning process.
Understanding individual needs so I can work within the capabilities of each person is helpful for the advanced student since they need instruction at a higher level.
When I lecture, talk through a slide show or give a demonstration, I don’t hold back information for the sake of the beginning student. The beginner or intermediate student will not understand a lot of the theory or logic presented, but they will grasp what they need at the time and it will introduce them to terms and knowledge they can refer back to when ready. This way, all levels are getting proper attention.

Do you feel you received sufficient training to be an artist?
I don’t know the answer because I’m still training. I think the answer is “no”. I never had formal training and have worked extremely hard gathering as much knowledge as I can. I hate the phrase “self-taught”. I don’t think anyone truly is. I have taken workshops and have had very good mentors and I am close to some excellent artists that help me. I am in a perpetual state of study and learning. I think it is a never ending process in one form or another. I will always strive to achieve more…then one day, I will die.

What part has plein air painting played in your development as an artist?
It played and still plays a huge part. Knowledge proceeds execution. Being able to see the nuances of nature proceeds painting them. Sight has to be developed. You teach yourself to do this by going to the source and replicating natures subtleties.

What qualifies as a plein air painting?
I think if you go outside with the intent to paint, study, or complete a painting…it’s a plein air piece. If you have to work on it inside to correct a few things or make it a better painting…it’s still a plein air painting. I do not believe in percentages, as in 80% plein air. That is politics that has no place in the art world. No professional artist raises an eyebrow or questions whether you tweak a painting inside. That is petty and unworthy of their time. The only thing that matters in the long run is if it’s good or not. Personally I don’t believe in genre labels. You’re either a good painter or not, whether it’s portrait, figure, landscape, or still life. I believe in being an artist for all it’s worth…

What is your view of the current plein air movement?
I think it’s good. It draws attention to representational art. I believe anytime you paint from life it is a positive step and a great teaching tool. It helps teach us to see as an artist needs to. It has introduced new collectors and buyers to the art market. Its created a new vibrancy in the art community. All in all, it leans more to the positive than negative…but…
I do think there are drawbacks. I think its been bad for the perception of what good art is to both aspiring artists and collectors. There are some great artists that do an exceptional job painting on location, and there certainly needs to be room for every level of painter, without question. I think the issue is what is being advocated as good work. There is a lot of mediocre work being passed off as professional quality. In turn this hampers the artist because they are being told on all levels that their work is great. So they stay drunk and stagnant with praise, hampered in the learning process.
With that said, I’m being hypocritical because plein air is the way I started and I wasn’t very good. Years ago, when I first started painting and was so excited and passionate, I threw myself into the “art world mix”. In retrospect, and in my opinion, too early. Luckily, I had good mentors and started to mature in my understanding of art, coming to see the “error of my ways”. I took a step back and did what I needed to do to further myself as an artist. I started to study and became a student of art…and I will continue to be a student for the rest of my life.

Is it necessary for you to continually discover new locations to paint in order to stay inspired?
I always have places that are special to me…those places never get old and I feel closer to God in these spots. These are comfortable places I submerge myself into, exploring the layers of culture, history, and beauty. I feel that eventually my paintings will translate the depth of those areas. I do like the exploration and discovery of new places. The enigma of a new location has a pull on my spirit that no other element in art can produce. The sheer excitement of the exploration and discovery of a new area can produce mountains of new material to produce artworks. For my temperament, it is important to discover new locations.

What do you hope to communicate through your work?
I try to create art that intellectually engages the viewer with a positive narrative. I want to evoke an emotion and give the viewer enough information to set the tone, but not spell out everything. I want the viewers imagination to work, and let them come up with their own conclusions while directing them to certain areas…interactive art.

Do you have basic rules of composition that you adhere to?
I can see merit in many different theories. There are many ways to approach a painting and they are all the correct way. Artist’s throughout time have come up with their own way of putting into words why and how they create. It is their description of what they see, feel, and do…put into words. One artist might have a different way of describing than another, but they are all trying to get to an end result, which is to make a good painting. I do adhere to some basic rules of composition, but I am not critical of other views if they produce good results.

What is your major consideration when composing a painting?
I look at the whole of a scene that intrigues me, then I lock in on something. I find something to grasp…a focal point. It can be something as simple as the light hitting a tree or colors that complement each other. I then can mentally work what’s around the focal point into a design of darks, lights and color as I see fit. I always bring the landscape to its abstract and work with simple shapes and their value. I break the scene into a dominate color and its complement, or even simpler, into thinking of it as a warm or cool dominate. I visually compare values. For instance, I may compare the lightest part of the tree foliage to the sky, or the darkest accent under a rock to the surrounding ground or water. The “art of comparison” is important in capturing the essence of your scene. I understand that my sharpest edge will be in and around the focal point, but the rest of the scene’s edges are very important and have to be considered also. Sharper edges tend to be in the foreground while getting softer as the landscape recedes or form turns.

How thorough is your initial drawing?
I don’t necessarily draw the scene out. I carve the scene in with shapes of value, after laying in washes for my initial color composition. The proportions of the different shapes in a scene need to be accurate in order to make the scene believable. I think drawing and value are neck and neck as far as importance in the painting process.

Describe your typical block-in technique.
I typically do not draw the scene. I start with washes; sometimes with earth tones; sometimes monochrome; sometimes with complements. Although there are situations, with some particular scenes, that I will draw and use no undertones. I do whatever I feel is the best to capture the essence of that moment. The one constant is that I always bring the scene down to its simplest shapes or abstract shapes. This is the starting point for the block-in. For example, if I am painting a lake or a group of trees, they each become one large pattern with a general value. This is my platform to start creating from. As the painting progresses, I paint within these abstract shapes keeping the values close, so that the original shape always retains its identity.

Do you let the subject determine the concept of the work or do you create the concept and use the subject only as the starting point?
I use the scene as a platform to develop an idea from. It evokes a mood and sets the tone, but we are all creative and to be too literal with every aspect of the scene deprives the viewer of your unique vision.
Manipulating the scene to create a better composition has been done for centuries. Strengthening certain aspects of a scene, while playing down others, is the beauty and genius of Sargent or Schmid’s work. Creating the essence of the scene by being free to create is critical for a successful painting.
Whistler once said, “An artist is known for what he omits”.

How do you decide on a dominating color key for a painting, and how do you maintain it?
Part of my initial analysis of a scene is to simplify it into a dominant color and a subordinate color; the subordinate is always the compliment of the dominant. Nature gives it to us, we just have to look for it. Defining these two principal colors helps me maintain the mood and harmony I want in the painting…this is not to say there are not other colors in the painting, but these take precedence.
There are instances, such as early morning and late afternoon, when there is a hue cast over the scene as a whole. It is like a filter of a particular color held in front of your eyes (rose colored glasses come to mind). In this case, I sometimes use an analogous color system to better capture the moment. I define the hue I’m seeing and then use adjacent colors on the color wheel to paint the scene. Toward the last quarter of the painting, I will introduce the complements (opposites on the color wheel), or I might glaze the painting at the end, to reinforce the cast of light and color in the scene.

What are the key points one needs to know when creating a true sense of atmosphere?
The power of observation, and the science of art. Knowledge precedes execution. If you know that values, color, and edges change according to atmospheric conditions, you are better able to see it when you’re in nature. If you can see it, you will eventually find a way to paint it. You can only paint what you’re able to see.

What are the main problems encountered when translating a field study to a large studio work?
I don’t view the field study as a miniature studio painting. My field study is one piece of information to be used in the studio. Although I have brought some field studies to completion, most of the time it is not my intent. My intent is to be satisfied with the field study and try to get the best painting and most information I can. I don’t want the pressure of thinking I have to take a field study to completion. I prefer the freedom of exploration. The result of solid foundational application coupled with exploration allows for more unpredictable elements in the field studies that I might be able to use or draw from in the studio.
I approach a studio piece with more purpose than an outdoor piece. My objective is to create a studio piece that evokes the mood of the scene, not a replication of it. If I tried to paint the studio piece exactly like the field study, I would fail. Usually it will not translate into a bigger format. It’s a guide, just like a photo, a drawing, or narrative of the scene. In the studio I have a completely different mentality, a completely different arsenal of tools and techniques, a completely different time frame. I have the tranquility of my own space and the time to work through problems and produce the desired affect of the scene.
Think of it in terms of a writer who wrote a 50-page narrative of a story and wanted to make a novel. The story is there in the 50 pages but the novel has to have more information. The writer has to put more into the story, build each character, expand each aspect and create more sub-stories within the main body of the novel to make it complete and interesting.

What part does photography play in your work?
I like to use photographs to jog my memory, to put me mentally back in an area, as a reminder. I think gathering information is key to having a more successful painting. Knowing and understanding your subject helps the photo reference work. When I am on location I try to explore the area, not just the object. I walk around and study the scene up close, how the light falls on it, around it and behind it. I study the culture of the area. I really absorb the moment. Sketches, drawings, descriptive words all help in creating a studio piece. By gathering all of the information possible, I am able to fill in gaps that the photograph leaves out.

What colors are most often found on your palette?
Although I shift colors in and out of my palette, I do have colors that can always be found on it. I use a split primary palette with a few friends…Titanium White, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Quinacridone Rose, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Indigo Blue, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber…
I do not use a green because when I do, it becomes the dominant color in all the greens in the painting. I mix the green for the specific area I’m focused on. This insures a variety of greens…key to a successful painting in spring and summer.

How does one find their individuality as an artist?
I think your individuality finds you. I often hear a student ask, how do I develop a style or how did you get your style? My answer is, “don’t worry about it, just paint”. Painting is a process and you should not get caught up in developing a style. You will restrict your ability to explore if you try to force or copy a style. It will lead to formulating your work, which you don’t want to do. Your unique voice will develop naturally. Your spirit and individual personality will show through in your work if you just paint. That is obvious if you have ever been with a group of artists painting the same scene. None of the paintings look the same.

If you could begin all over again, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently in developing your career?
Start more with the academics. Drawing is an essential part of the growing process of an artist. At the very least it teaches us hand eye coordination. It takes what is in your head to the canvas or paper. It also teaches us the power of observation…the power to see. Getting a late start in life, I have always felt an urgency to develop my skills…and I honestly enjoyed the challenge…but in retrospect I feel I could have worked harder on academics.
Thanks Roger for a very interesting and informative interview. Your honesty and time are sincerely appreciated.
Roger Dale Brown website
Dot Courson Workshops