I have been painting and drawing since I was young, but studied physics at Cornell and the University of Colorado. After a short work stint doing superconductivity research, I quit to become an artist. My desire was as much to be free and creative as it was to pursue art specifically. I have no professional art training, and consequently, much of my career has been spent trying to make paintings look visually correct. It is not my goal to make paintings look like photographs, but having some level of the necessary skills seemed like a good place to start. Besides, the challenge of fooling the eye is often hard to resist. Ultimately I strive to elicit the strongest possible emotional reaction in my paintings. That may be through an exact rendering of a scene, or through subtle abstractions that enhance the salient elements of a visual impression. The imagery itself can be powerful, or the way in which it is rendered.
As I grow older, I find myself more and more fascinated with subtle abstractions and artful rendering, than with visual correctness. I like to overemphasize important colors, use bold designs, and paint with gestural brushstrokes. There is a real joy when the painting takes on a life of its own, beyond the image being represented, and the art becomes the paint itself, and the way it is handled.
Still, my paintings tend to look very much like what they are representing. I guess that’s where you end up when you study science instead of going to art school. I live and paint in Colorado, but travel often, particularly in the winter to paint overseas where it is warm. I was a competitive marathon runner for many years and now use long runs to scout painting locations.
I prefer to work out of doors on location, but that is not always the case. When not painting I like to play the banjo and guitar. I am a big fan of street performing, which is a great way to meet people in foreign countries. Beyond my desire to create emotionally powerful scenes, to express the beauty I see in the natural world, there is the simple goal of enjoying the process itself. In general, I find that the more I enjoy the actual painting, the better the end result. If the pleasure is in the journey as much as the destination, you will have a good time wherever you go.
1. Clay – Chavant Le Beau Touche. Get the regular clay, not HM (high melt).
2. Clay warming devices, a metal bucket with a clamp on heat lamp or 100 W bulb works great.
3. Tie wire.
4. Aluminum foil.
5. Scissors.
6. Favorite sculpture tools.
7. Plank of wood (pine) approximately 8″ x 8″ x 2″.
Bring as many planks as you wish…the wood is used as the base for your sculpture.
8. Plumber’s pipe, 1/2″ threaded: Bring several different lengths…up to 10″…not PVC pipe.
Plumber’s pipe T joint.
Plumber’s pipe couplers.
Plumber’s pipe flange.
9. Screws and screwdriver to secure the flange to wood…this may be done before you arrive. (Place flange in the center of plank)
10. Wire cutters
11. Needle nose pliers
12. Rubber mallet.
13. Spatula
14. Measuring devices such as rulers, measuring tape, dividers, and calipers.
15. Because we concentrate on BIRDS IN FLIGHT, live models in the classroom are more distracting than useful. I will demonstrate the technique of constructing a cantilevered bird armature that can be used for many different bird species and will show you how to assemble shapes to capture the “gist” of the specific bird.
16. Bird field guides such as Peterson, Stokes, Golden, or Sibley. Sibley’s Guide to Birds (not Sibley’s Guide to Bird Life and Behavior) is best if bringing only one field guide. This popular book can usually be purchased at any bookstore.
17. Bring your laptop to the class if possible.
18. Bring your sketchbook.
1 Lake Circle Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
broadmoorgalleries.com