Decision Time

Decision time

Received an e-mail from a friend who posed this question "How do we decide" this is in regards to selecting who to take lessons from, what style artist do we prefer and want to try and emulate. I told her to look around her home and she would know what style paintings she would would like hanging on her walls. Study and practice artist works that you love. Paint everyday with that artists guidance and her own style would spring forth. You need many brush stroke miles for that to happen. For the last 2 years I have filled my computer with lessons from artists classes and lessons on line to learn the basics. I've filled my home with enough artist supplies to open a supply store. Spent hundreds of hours researching reading theory and techniques on the Internet and have them bookmarked. I own the very best books.

What I do not have is brush hours! Today I made a decision to begin putting bush miles on canvas.

Here are Richards paintings beginning 2002 through today. http://www.newzealandartist.com/index.htm I need to look no further. Since I love Richards style I will try to copy his paintings. And I will do this every day.

Smiles to everyone, dor

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Comment by Dorian Aronson on March 5, 2014 at 7:32: Dear Artist Friends............ I just bookmarked this page! So it will be in my face!

Failure again. I forgot I even wrote this. Thank you Gina and Silvana for showing me what I said! It certainly holds true today and everyday. Getting ready to leave on a trip. But I promise myself that when I am home again on the 17 th of the month I am going to begin again to get brush miles! Smiles............and thanks

Comment by Silvana M Albano on March 5, 2014 at 6:57: This blog is great! It has no expiration date! No matter when one reads it, it is always true!

Comment by Gina Dalkin-Davis on March 5, 2014 at 6:37: Hi Dor, .... you are so right. In my case its procrastination... I'm also in my early 70's. For years, I struggled along trying local workshops and not making any progress. Richard's are super in that I am forced to complete a project by a deadline. (Who would believe that I used to run a major non profit and kept a board of 16 directors in line!?) Brush miles as Richard calls them are what's needed. OK, here I am conversing with you rather than painting in my studio. I better get a hustle on. By the way, where do you find those cartoons and icons. They're hilarious.

Comment by diane boucher on April 21, 2013 at 7:50: You are certainly clocking up those brush miles and it is showing in your work. Don't you hate it when you stand back and look at a painting and you think YES

I am geeting there then the very next painting you do is just rubbish. Oh I strive for consistancy but guess that comes with even more brush miles and at last being happy with your own style that has devloped. Happy travels with those brush strokes :)

Comment by Dorian Aronson on March 18, 2013 at 12:56: Hi Ann

Company has left, and I am back to painting. Thank goodness they are forgivable as you say! You are a very advanced painter for having only been painting 2 years! Thanks for posting! smiles : ))

Comment by Ann Turner on March 18, 2013 at 9:32: Hi Dor, Just getting a painting start myself. I teach a class of friends that are beginners and want to give them good information and sound advice as much s possible. I also have books and dvd information to help me learn good stuff. Helping others motivates me to learn myself. I have been painting about 2 years and love the nice people on this site. The nice thing about oils is that you can't fail just cover it over and do a better job tomorrow !

Comment by Dorian Aronson on March 13, 2013 at 6:46: I have failed! I have a house full of company they arrived on the 8th and are not going to leave until the 15th! They have slipped out to play golf this afternoon. OK I am going to paint right now............dor: ))

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on March 5, 2013 at 2:46: Dor, you gave your friend some good advice, and you are taking the right path for yourself. I have been painting since childhood in oils primarily, but also in acrylics and occasionally in watercolors. I have my own style and it always re-emerges whenever I try to change it. I like Richard's style but cannot paint that way. The more brush miles that I accumulate, the stronger my paintings become, but the less my style varies. Just remember that if you try and paint like someone else, you will always be second best. Stu

Comment by Dorian Aronson on March 4, 2013 at 13:47: If you read my History under blogs.....You will know that I am a complete beginner and will be 74 years old in July. No way am I going to accomplish this in my life time, but I want to stop procrastinating and get some brush mileage! Like you I need tenacity............Thank you for responding Jim......: ))

Comment by Jim Haycock on March 4, 2013 at 13:08: Dorian,

You blog posting today could not have been more timely! I'm having a bit of an "identity crisis" right now, and your advice is perfect for me.

Like you, I have too few "brush hours." That is certainly obvious and will come via my own tenacity.

What I am struggling with his developing my own style, and quite frankly, my problem is that I love so many styles! Right now, I seem to be producing something between ultra-realism and hyper-abstractism and is what I would currently describe as "obfuscationalism" where even after telling someone what it is, they still don't see it. (Even I can't quite tell what it is...)

But, I do agree with you that Richard has a terrific style. I also really like Michael Severin's style along with a few others on this site. But, I couldn't possibly immitate what they create.

I need a lot more training before I can start to invent things. That is where I hope the brush hours will help, but that means my own style may not happen for a while.

Cheers!