Spring has finally arrived and the great outdoors are beckoning to us to explore and record our thoughts and impressions. The painting shown here is titled "The North Falls" and depicts one of the seven breathtaking waterfalls found at the Silver Falls State Park in Silverton, Oregon.I mention Silver Falls this month as the Alexander Art Company holds an outstanding week-long painting seminar at the park each summer. This year, the seminar will be held July 12-18, 2009. It is a week of painting and fun like none other. If you enjoy painting, learning and spectacular views of Mother Nature, this is a vacation you simply cannot miss! I'm looking forward to being out there again this summer amid the beauty of the northwest with so many friends. I urge you to check out all the details at http://www.alexanderart.com/, and sign-up right away if you want to attend. This seminar fills FAST!
I'm also looking forward to visiting and studying under one of my favorite teachers, Robert Warren. I have learned a great deal from Robert over the years and the opportunity to paint with him and learn still more is very exciting. He's an incredible talent and a wealth of information.
Learning about art (not only skill and technique but art history and the contemporary art scene) is an insatiable urge for me. It seems the more you learn, the more you want to know, and that's why I'm so thankful for teachers. My hope is that when I teach a class I'm infecting everyone else with this same urge to learn, and to learn more on their own.
Painting allows us to explore and observe as we never have before; the beauty of life and nature all around suddenly takes on a richer and more profound presence for the artist. Trees that were perhaps taken for granted at one time are now detailed studies in value, color and structure. The sky is no longer just blue, but Ultramarine or Cobalt blue...yielding to the Cadmium Reds and Oranges of the late evening horizon.
This month, if you have the privilege of studying with a great teacher, book a lesson with that person and let them know how much you appreciate them. If you do not yet have that privilege, go find yourself a great teacher today! It will open your art to new possibilities and present exciting new challenges. (And please don't forget...I have classes each month if you're in the southeastern United States and want to learn more!!)
