Blog/News
9/29/2019 8:39:47 AM
Do Paintings Reflect the Painter's Personality?
Morning Rays, Oil on Panel, 16X20"
Do--or can--paintings somehow reflect their painter's personality? How? What are the clues?
Sidney Oliver
Sid, the safest answer would be that paintings certainly can tell you something about a painter's personality. I doubt if anyone can do a full psychological blueprint of a painter, but I bet certain traits can be discerned. Each painter has a different personality and that ought to be reflected in the work.
Authenticity is key to being a painter.
Don't, Don't, Don't copy someone else's painting style. The best copying can get you is a poor second.
Study the works [...]
9/22/2019 9:58:15 AM
Friends Don't Let Friends Fear Sketching
Above are the sketchbooks of Ruth Anna Stolk who has sketched and painted all over the world.
In the previous post discussing a painter who can't draw, Sidney Oliver posed this question: Ruthie, what would you say to a would-be painter who can't draw? I don't mean "can't paint." Say someone who paints realistically but uses someone else's photos for subjects because he or she never learned to draw and is a little bit afraid of trying. This post will zero in on the "little bit afraid of trying" aspect to show that sketching actually can be quite delightful [...]
9/13/2019 7:27:58 AM
A Painter Who Can't Draw
I am on the left and it's obvious I could neither draw nor paint. I think I've used this image on the blog before, but I use it to prove a point.
Drawing & painting take work and determination. Talent is a small portion of the equation.
Ruthie, what would you say to a would-be painter who can't draw? I don't mean "can't paint." Say someone who paints realistically but uses someone else's photos for subjects because he or she never learned to draw and is a little bit afraid of trying.
Sidney Oliver
Sid, I hesitate to say [...]
9/2/2019 5:25:53 AM
Allow Yourself to Feel
Awash in Obscurity, Oil on Panel, 30X40"
Everyone has a "feel" for something--an instinct born of experience that tells us whether something is on or off the mark. Does this play any role in your painting?
Sidney Oliver
A friend told me today that when she walked into my most recent show with her fellow art students, one of them pointed to the painting above and said, "What do you see in it?" My friend answered, "I don't see anything. I feel."
Just as in life, and perhaps more so in art, feeling with all of its meanings is paramount to experiencing [...]
