Artists Blogs Worth Reading!
July 8, 2009
St. Petersburg Pier
There are a lot of artists out there writing blogs. It’s a wide demographic. There are artists of all levels from beginners to seasoned professionals blogging. Motivations are also varied. Some do it for fun. Some are vying for attention. Others do it out of the same passion that fuels their art. I write blogs because I hope to stay relevant and make a contribution to fine art in St. Petersburg, Florida and beyond. Currently I regard myself as an average to above average painter with a decent local reputation and good potential for growth. (If I didn’t think I could get better I probably wouldn’t paint. Would you?) It’s the belief in my capacity for growth that makes me thirst for knowledge. I’m a scavenger really. I’m convinced that every artist out there, whether awesome or mediocre, has probably figured out something I haven’t. I want to know what they know. Add it to what I know. Maybe even become a painters version of the Borg collective. The quest for knowledge is fun when it pertains to a passion. It’s even better when I find seasoned professional painters who take the time to write blogs for the purpose of lending the benefit of their experience to people like me. Recently I have discovered two such pros worth mentioning.
Courtesy of Mary Byrom, a Maine artist whom I met in Idaho at one of Scott Christensen’s workshops, I have become aware of a painter named Stapleton Kearns. Kearns has been established and making his living painting pictures for 30 years. I really have to tip my hat to Mr. Kearns because not only is he a very, very good painter but he is a diligent and persistent blogger. He posts an article every day. His articles provide daily insight into the mind of an established painter and seem a valuable resource for those of us toiling to gain further command over elusive prey: Shapes, Values, Colors and Edges. Kearns doesn’t know me but if you check out his blog please let him know I sent you.
I first heard the name Bill Reese at the aforementioned Scott Christensen workshop. I don’t remember the context in which his name was mentioned but for some reason I remembered it. I hadn’t made the effort to find William F. Reese online until Don Maier, founder of the social network Plein Air Artists mentioned reading his book. I quickly found Reese’s website. Reese is a painter of fifty years experience. Along with his enjoyable paintings his site contains some great “musings” with comments by artists such as Matt Smith. Mr. Reese is not as prolific a blogger as Kearns probably because he spent significant time writing the book, which I purchased. I mention the book entitled The Painter’s Process – The Inner Voice because I came away from it with a feeling that completely surprised me. Not because I’ve never had the feeling before but because I never got it from an art book before. Whatever chord The Painters’ Process struck in me I came away feeling that “I am okay”. With wisdom rooted in life experience Bill communicates a set of values which transcend the painting advice given in the book. He persistently prods his readers to figure out why they paint, to define success for themselves. He penetrates the shallows of wealth and fame with his own ideals and reasons to paint. Simply put, he spent his life painting with the hopes that he would create a piece, the beauty of which, would stand the test of time. He doesn’t know if he accomplished that and probably never will. He gave that goal his best effort and fell in love with The Process.
Both Reese and Kearns will be assimilated. Resistance is futile!!
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Hmmmm, interesting. I was talking to Don Eaton one day and said, well, for me it’s about the paint. We were discussing the not so nice parts of artist politics. No it isn’t he said, gently. It’s about the journey.
I thought and thought about that. I went back for more and had lots of questions that Don, always carefully considerate, thought about them and answered. I thought some more.
Your guy calls it the process. Don calls it the journey but I think its semantics. The way we walk through being a baby artist, to reaching mediocre, and struggling through to adequate, then fighting for pretty good and hopefully finding damn, that’s good one day is just as important at the end of the day as the painted canvas in front of us.
The creating, and the creation, are not separate for me. The way I walk it is important to me. I’ve found more kindness than I have found yucky politics but I have seen both. I figure I have to behave like I want to be treated. Open, honest, helpful, and for goodness sake, with a deep respect and love and appreciation for each others work and process as well. I hope I walk this exactly like this because if I don’t…well, then what’s the creation worth anyway?
Don was right. It’s about the journey. I was right too. It’s about the paint. The creation and the creating are not separate. At least not for me.
Thanks for another thoughtful post.