Copying master works is a great experience, try it!

In the past, I've occasionally copied master works including those by artists I really admire like John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer.

Recently I decided to copy one of my favorite Sargent paintings, THE FOUNTAN, VILLA TORLONIA, FRASCATI, ITALY, 1907, from a print. I saw the original at a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, it was stunning and divine. I could'nt take my eyes off of it, one of his many brilliant works but for some reason I had a special connection to it. 

Copying his work was a great experience and it opened me up in so many ways! I felt moved by his talent and genius as I painted and realized how lucky I was to even be copying his painting! Anyway, heres my version of it. I did it fairly quickly so as not to belabor it, to capture the subtle shifts in values in the whites of the gown and hat, and the temperature shifts in the grays in the painting. Also to capture the general gesture.

Try copying your favorite master work, I promise it'll be a rewarding experience and you'll grow from it! If you do, share it with us by commenting and posting your painting on this blog, I would love to see it!

11x14 in, Oil

Experimenting in the studio!

This winter I'm enjoying being in the warmth of a studio in my basement and just experimenting! Its not often artists get to do this what with gallery deadlines and events to attend! But its so much fun especially because you're painting for yourself and hopefully fearlessly! And its only when you can get past the fear can you progress and grow. Heres a progression of a painting I did recently. The scraping off created some beautiful effects that I left in. There were quite a few sessions between steps 4 and 5 where the painting was built up slowly after being scraped off. Do you think you would ever try scraping off your painting and see where it leads you?

1. The Sketch

2. Block in

3. Scrape off!

4. Final Painting "Approaching Dusk", 11x14, Oil on linen.

Paint something everyday!

Paint something everyday! This is my new mantra - I realized that its like tending to your garden you have to tend to your art consistently or it wont bloom! Obvious I know, but being human, artists can get distracted and there have been times when I did not go down to my studio for days at a time. And then when I finally do, I have to get back into the whole creative process from the beginning all over again. If you're worried about the blank canvas syndrome and dont know what to paint next, just go down and doodle to get warmed up. Take an old painting thats lying around and start touching it up or a small canvas and do some quick sketches, work on anything that you're not attached to. Infact, any painting you do, try not to be too attached to it..the best work results from a healthy alertness and a good dose of detachment. In the worst case if it doesnt work out, you can toss it into that pile of other paintings that didnt make it! But each time you paint you're flexing the muscles you want to develop and getting familiar with your medium and achieving mastery slowly but surely. So good luck and paint everyday!