The Joy of Paint

One of the most joyful acitivities in my life (and there are many) is spreading soft pliable oil paint onto a canvas in such manner that it produces an exciting, interesting, recognizable image. I am a representational realist oil painter who has a gallery and studio in Concord, North Carolina. Am I blessed with good life? Yes, I am.
I am asked quite often, "How do you motivate yourself to paint?' Having a great studio space with all your equipment in it helps. Although, lack of a space can become a convenient excuse. Back in the days before I had this terrific studio, I painted on the kitchen table, on the porch, and in the corner of a spare bedroom. I think the drive and interest in doing it comes from within. It might not be a matter of motivating yourself but of not letting other things and other people stop you.
I opened the gallery three years ago, Original Art, on Union Street South in downtown Concord. It was my next great adventure. I sell my own oil paintings and portraits here as well as representing other local artists. Concord has a wealth of skilled artists and fine crafts people right here in town. There are potters, stained glass designers, painters and photographers.
We had an Art Walk last night on July 28 and I was pleasantly amazed to find that there were over 15 locations in town that sell original artwork. You should have been here if you weren't. The streets were buzzing with people making their way from one site to the next. We had maps so no one would get lost in the shuffle.
Concord is turning into a great little arts town. This past May we had an extremely successful juried Art Festival with a paint-out competition. The next one is being planned as we speak. You can go ahead and put it on your calender, the first weekend in May.
I'll show you some of my paintings. I am a realist painter who loves color. Sometimes the colors are bright and eye-poking. Even the more subtle, subdued color combinations are applied with deliberate intention. I like bouncing colors off each other and using extreme value changes to create drama and the illusion of space. I hear comments quite often that my color combinations create a "feel good" reaction. I'll take that as a high compliment.
Next time I will show you some of my works in progress. It's fun to watch the steps as I go along. I teach drawing and painting workshops here in the gallery as well as private classes in drawing and painting and portraiture. I would love to hear from you. You can visit the gallery here in Concord on Union Street.