Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Oklahoma Society of Impressionist

Let me go on record as saying I thoroughly enjoy painting at the Carriage House of the Tulsa Rose Center.

Thank you to Gil Adams for hosting us there!


  Oklahoma Society of Impressionists

The Carriage House

Derek Penix is a local star in art here in Tulsa as well as around the country, and a member of the select group The Oklahoma Society of Impressionist.  

                                                                  

Derek Penix


 He is a young talented artist who will be teaching workshops all over the country next year, so I am privileged to be able to attend in my own town. Students traveled from far away to attend.  One even came from Montreal, Canada to spend time with this artist and learn his technique.   I leave these workshops with a deflated feeling each time, but still come away with more new  knowledge than my head can contain.  If only, I think each time.  Will I have be good enough to enter a competition and be noticed?  Art is work, I keep reminding myself.


Giles, our new friend from Canada.

Other than a chance to spend time in a professional artist studio, the thing I liked best was the time that Derek spent just chatting with us and sharing a lot of his own personal views and perspectives.  He invested several hours doing that this time and it helps me to gain a more realistic view about the future of my goals.  He stressed to paint a lot, and by that a lot EACH day.  Three paintings each day.  Spend time with your craft if you want to improve and it certainly makes sense.  He also stressed, stop working to please others and painting what you think they want to see.  Paint what you want and paint a lot of it!  Let go of ego, and the need to be accepted for your work.  Work for the work, not for the praise.  Good advice for me.  

With all this in mind, I am setting new goals for myself. Since I studied under him last I have made it a point to do something for my craft every single day.  If I could not get to the studio, I read art history or watched painting videos.  In three weeks from now I am planning to begin painting three paintings a day.  Simple ones as Derek advised for three months.  Look out because when you pass my house, paint will be flying!  


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