Staci from Spirit Horse Center wrote:
“I think it would be fun to learn how you learned to paint. It is obviously a God given talent but I’m guessing you were educated somewhere somehow also. I’d also love to learn what other artists and mediums inspire you ❤️”
S️taci is a great friend and client (she commissioned a work of her beautiful horse Zombado), and I want to take a moment to thank her for her comment!
Zombado – 30″x48″ – Oil on canvas – Commissioned Work
Now on to the question:
If you have seen my post, The Way My Horses Were, you’ll know that my horses were not always that fantastic. My art in general, was not that fantastic. I had received some training in acrylic as a little girl and oil later as a teen. Thank goodness I don’t have any photos of that work to show you!
(Also, in that post I talk about what actually made my horses better. So if you haven’t read that post, go give it a look!)
The acrylic work was particularly not that great. Ultimately the medium doesn’t suit me, and to this day, I have trouble with acrylic. Still, because the medium is a challenge, I use it as an exercise. The miniatures I created not too long ago were done in acrylic as an exercise, and a study on the walk of the horse.
It took me a while to figure out oil. I had no idea how to work with it and found it nearly impossible at first. At the time I was taking classes and was allowed to take classes with the adult group since I was not a loud and disruptive teenager. I am a visual learner. Watching some of the adults, and with some trial and error, I started to develop my method.
If you have seen any of my works in progress, you know that I like to work section by section, wet on wet. I will complete an entire section before moving on to the next. The oil paint allows me to do this, for a number of different reasons.
One, the drying time is much, much slower that acrylic. Meaning that I have a few days to complete a section if I so choose. Two, I find that the pigment is much stronger than acrylic, though I am sure different brands have more pigment that others. This allows me to make one thin layer of paint with complete canvas coverage.
Developing my technique, combined with my little trip to Brazil (see this post), started to make my work what it is today. Please note that I am constantly refining and changing my technique. It will evolve and grow as I continue to evolve and grow as an artist.
Whew, that was long. I’ll leave you now with the second part of the question! As always, if you have a question, comment, or concern (hopefully no concerns!), leave me a comment below! I always love to hear from you, and take care!
Here are a few artists whose work is very enjoyable and inspiring to me. Some of these people I know very well and some I have never met! This list is in no particular order, and I am sure I will continue to add to it:
Cath Driessen’s work is absolutely lovely. I love her style.
Samvel Lajikian for his portraits (particularly the eyes!), and frescos.
Pamela Wilson‘s work “The Absence of Azure” is absolutely stunning in person. The photo does not do it justice.
Keron Psillas. I can not say enough about the honesty of her work. I have modeled for her and other photographers, but in her work, I always see myself no matter what I am wearing or doing. I think that is really hard to achieve and she does it beautifully and with ease.
Marcie Lewis‘s horses are really lovely and fun! Plus she is an absolute pleasure to work with!
Scott Nobles A great friend and photographer. We have a great time when working together as we bounce ideas off of each other and create some amazing shots!