Expand Your Vision

Sharon, 12x9", oil on linen

Untitled, 9x12", oil on canvas panelI would say that I'm a landscape painter.  I love being outdoors, I love views and vistas, and this is what I mostly paint.  That said, I was taught that you should be "good at everything".  That meant that as an artist it was equally important to practice still-life, figure, portrait and landscape.

I have to say that I love figure, that I find it difficult but enjoyable to paint.  I love still-life as well, I enjoy painting the intricacies of the shapes.  I love portrait, noting the nuances despite being a challenge.  And of course I love landscape painting, but that's a given.

If the process of learning to paint is practice, and improvement lies within practice, then part of that process is to make it an all-encompassing exercise.  Stretch into the difficult realms, enjoy the process, don't judge the end product, and above all, have fun!  It's how we learn to be "good at everything"!