Approach

From one hour to one week - sometimes it can take a while to plan a painting. Sleepless nights spent in thought are the rule. I believe the preparation for a painting is essentially the most important part of a new piece. Composition (design) of a new painting is extremely important, and one of the most underestimated steps by artists. Lines, colors, textures, subject, positioning and lighting all add add up to the final piece you are attempting to convey, both physically and emotionally. And yes - emotion can be displayed through representationalism! To this effect, canvas size is also an important factor I consider when preparing a painting. “What does the subject demand?” I tend to find myself being drawn to large paintings that immerse the viewer in the subject. Thus, my production time to complete a painting can be painstakingly slow.

Originality

Originality is paramount. With millions of photos of any subject available on the web, it’s easy for new artists to get drawn into recreating subjects they’ve never even seen in real life. Maybe this works for practice, and is sometimes necessary for commission work, but getting out, going on adventures and gathering my own reference material is so crucial in developing who I am as an artist. There is so much more out there. Art can open doors.

Materials

I paint primarily with Artisan water soluble oils, occasionally experimenting with acrylics and watercolor. I use gesso primed wrap-around canvas of high quality and I’m not too particular when it comes to brushes or palette knives, as long as it gets the job done for me. Finished pieces are then sprayed with Krylon aerosol varnish for color and texture preservation.