Page 76 - JRT Magazine - 2023 Issue 2

Perspectives

used specific paints for my different trades, i.e.,
enamels for signs, acrylic and latex paints for
wall murals, I continued using acrylic paints for
my dog portraits. As my interest and knowledge
about the 19th and 20th century animal painters
increased, I switched to their tools of oil paints
and mediums. I find that oils offer many aesthetic
advantages that I strive for but that I cannot
achieve with acrylic paints. No longer executing
large scenes on walls, I am now at an easel with
mostly 16x20” and smaller canvases.

What is the best part of being an artist?
Oh- there is more than one answer here. One
would think that the finished painting is the
most rewarding part. I will be bold and say that
most artists are not in it for fame and fortune,
but because it is their passion. I get immense
satisfaction from being immersed in the process;
from the inspiration to the planning, taking all I
have learned, to render the subject to my best Reference photo: Butter Fishing
ability, with appropriate archival materials and
methods, so that it may last well beyond my
years. It is quite wonderful to know your work has are you thinking about when you’re painting/
touched another. If it sells or wins an award? Well, drawing/sculpting?
that is just the icing on the cake.
After the drawing is done, it is transferred to canvas
for painting. Each painting session usually lasts 3
What is the most challenging part of being an to 4 hours. My atelier training teaches you to first
artist? do an under-painting or “grisaille”. This is usually
Likewise, it is difficult to choose just one one color plus white, such as black and white or
challenging aspect. This may sound strange, as it brown and white, etc. Here is where I work out
did to me when I first heard it mentioned, but it is all the value problems, knowing where to place
learning to SEE. There is more going on beyond the darks next to lights. It is a road map for the color
glance--in form, color, and rhythm. A classically to follow. There is a saying that “Value does all the
trained realist artist is taught that Anything can work but color gets the credit.” With a portrait,
be rendered beautifully; it is how effectively the there is measuring to get features appropriately
artist chooses to present the subject, to show placed; plane changes as I try to make it seem 3D.
the viewer more than they see. It is not merely The next layer is choosing color mixes, matching
copying every hair in place. While that may be the values in the grisaille. I also follow a color plan
technically superb, the work should demonstrate that keeps the paint mixtures harmonized. Animal
skill, the artist’s message, and their unique style. If and human portraits are treated like topography
eight students were all painting the same vase of as light travels over a surface. An artist makes
flowers, all with the same paint colors, at the end choices so that the 3D illusion is more successful,
of the session would be eight different paintings. exaggerating to try to replicate Mother Nature’s
Some think an artist is born with talent, but just light and color. Oil paints allow a transparency
like composing music or designing a skyscraper, that cannot be achieved with other paints. I have
it requires lots of work to produce a successful learned to mix a few pigments to make my colors
painting and make it look effortless. more interesting and harmonic, as opposed to
Describe a session for us. What kinds of things using many different tubes. I also use less solvent

76 | A Worldwide Magazine for the Jack Russell Terrier / Russell Terrier • Issue 2/2023