- I like synthetic brushes - flat or filbert 6, 8 or 10. The synthetic materials are softer than bristle brushes, have a nice crisp edge, are flexible and allow for good coverage without being heavy. They don't stand up to solvents or scrubbing very well though, so its nice that they are not terribly expensive and I can replace them every few months. Current fav: W&N Artists' Acrylic and Princeton Synthetic Mongoose Series 6600. Clean up with Jack's Linseed Studio Soap extends their life a lot though.
- I like a smooth surface and a rigid support. I guess my painting methods are a little vigorous and I don't like the bounce you can get on a strerched canvas. Favorite panels are Ampersand Gessobord and RayMar panels. I also paint on Centurion linen which I glue on gatorboard.
I try to avoid the heavy metals so have found some comparable substitutes for the cads, etc. I generally have a warm and cool of each primary color. The brands I use mostly are Classic Artist Oils, Gamblin and Rembrandt.
- Titanium white / Zinc/Titanium white
- Permanent Yellow Lite / Hansa Yellow
- Permanent Yellow Deep
- Yellow Ochre
- Permanent Red Light / Scarlet
- Napthol Red / Cadmium Red Hue (Sennelier)
- Alizarin Crimson
- Ultramarine Blue
- Pthalo Green / Sap Green
- Sometimes making an appearance on the palette: Asphaltum, Viridian, Quinacridone Rose, Indian Yellow, Naples Yellow, Permanent Green Light, Royal Blue
Are you available to paint my wedding?
I am no longer doing live event paintings. My galleries and art shows, and busy family life, have made it too difficult to schedule them in. If you would like, feel free to email me for a list of some recommendations on other artists who thrive on this type of work.
Do you teach?
I do not teach. Yet. There are days when I feel like a complete amateur myself! With a young child at home still, its very important to me to be available for her when school is out.
Why don't you list prices on all your paintings?
I haven't really talked to my galleries about this, but notice they do not post prices on their websites so I've followed their lead. I think the reason is that if a buyer has to ask, there is at least a dialog started about the artwork and the artist. Rather than someone immediately deciding they can't afford a piece, its nice to talk to them more about it, tell them the story, tell them why the painting is valued as it is, and direct them to other pieces that might be in their price range.
Do you paint from photos?
Yes. I frequently use photo references for my paintings. It would really be impossible to paint many of my scenes from life. That said, I sketch and paint from life regularly also. Those sketches, paintings and figure sessions inform my studio work. Photo references actually allow me to paint more loosely and to be more creative. Knowing that the camera lens cannot see what I see and averages darks and lights and flattens planes, I push myself to be more impressionistic in my work. An artist has to make a lot of decisions whether working from life or photos to create a work of art.
