Wan Li Ya, whose primary work involves ceramics, studied at the European Ceramic Work Center, Den Bosch, and the Netherlands Own Studio in Beijing and Jingdezhen, China. One of Wan’s most recent successes was the installation of a larger than life ceramic vase-lamp in the Netherlands at both The City Hall of Delft and The Hague City Hall. This honored the special and wonderful ceramic heritage the two countries share. In addition to his ceramic artistic endeavors, Wan Li Ya is also known for his abstract canvases, many of which were exhibited recently in New York City and Miami. 

After Wan Li Ya’s presentation, I introduced myself and invited him and Guan Fei to visit my studio the next morning. I was deeply grateful that Wan Li Ya is bilingual because both Guan Fei and I only speak our native languages. We spent almost two hours sharing artistic ideas and windmill cookies.

Wan and Guan were leaving the following day for New York City, and since I had discovered that they both were admirers of the work of Joaquin Sorolla, I pointed them in the direction of the Hispanic Society in NYC where many of Sorolla’s works are on display, as are his exceptional murals of the provinces of Spain.

Saying goodbye with handshakes and hugs, we agreed to stay in touch and to continue new beginnings of yet another wonderful artistic friendship, proving that fine art and music are truly international languages.

You may view more of Wan Li Ya’s work at wanliya.com

Clockwise from bottom left: Ceramic Sculpture by Wan Li Ya, Wan Li Ya, Bill and model Maggie Mallery discussing Wan Li Ya’s work, Guan Fei, Wan Li Ya and Bill discussing Bill’s work, Latchkey Girl by Wen Xin Zhang.

New York City, Sunday March 3^rd 2013

The 2013 International Pastel Artists Invitational Exhibition in celebration of International Women’s Day

Internationally recognized pastel artist William Hosner was one of three keynote speakers at the opening of an invitation only art exhibition in New York City. Hosner lives in Traverse City, Michigan and is well known for his Northern Michiganplein air paintings. The 2013 International Pastel Artists Invitational Exhibition in celebration of International Women’s Day held an opening at the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Offices in Midtown Manhattan. This event was sponsored by TECO, The North American Pastel Artists Association, and the North American Taiwanese Women’s Association. The opening was attended by Taiwan ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Kao and vice-ambassador Alex Fan.

Mr. Hosner was seated at the head table with ambassador Kao, Jason Chang – President of NAPAA, Sylvie Cabal from France (founder of Art du Pastel en France), and President of the Pastel Society of America, Jimmy Wright.

The exhibition poster featured Mr. Hosner’s open-air painting of Audrey Fierberg from Leland, Michigan, titled So Far Away.

The exhibition was presented in conjunction with week-long events at the United Nations as women’s groups from around the world came in honor of International Women’s Day.

The opening was attended by television and news media, and Mr. Hosner’s speech on the art of open-air painting was well received.

Ambassador Kao Speaking

Bill with friend Elizabeth Stephens

Keynote Speakers and Exhibition Artists

News video from Taiwan for the Women’s Day exhibition

We held hands and counted the seconds together to the time when the wheels of the jet would leave the ground:  ”. . .four, five . . . ten, eleven, twelve . . . ”  It was a game I invented when I recognized my nine year old granddaughter’s anxiety. This was her first flight, and the take-off speed was a bit scary–as evidenced by her face (perhaps the window seat wasn’t such a good idea after all). . .fourteen, fifteen . . . finally lift off at eighteen seconds!  ”It’s my favorite part of flying Anna, like going over the top in a roller coaster!”  She seemed relieved that someone found the take-off more fun than scary, but was still not totally convinced by my game. The lure of Montreal now overshadowed any fears, after all, there were“foreign squirrels” and other mysteries to discover.

Our flight to Montreal was a pleasant mixture of early November sun and first in-flight experiences of snacks and drinks. These were served to us in royal fashion by a very attractive flight attendant, who was expert at garnishing smiles from a little girl.

In no time at all we landed safely at YUL airport in Montreal and made our way through Canadian customs. Considering it was her first trip requiring a passport, Anna was surprisingly uninterested in the proceedings. Much more interesting to her was the sound of the beautiful French Canadian language that was beginning to infiltrate the air. And then there was the visual encyclopedia of never before observed things that a bright and gifted young girl would naturally be drawn to.

Cleared through customs, we went with our luggage to the taxi stand. I know too well the fragility of life and I wanted to make this a first-rate experience for Anna, so a taxi ride was in order. As hopeful as I might be I could never be sure a trip like this would be repeated. I do know that it is a great joy to travel with grandchildren. One is relieved of the majority of the duties of parenting and the worries of spoiling a child. Spoiling becomes a grandparent’s prerogative and I had a whole weekend ahead to perfect it.

After we checked into our suite at Le Square Phillips Hotel there were six hours remaining before the Vernissage (art opening in French). It was being held in the ballroom of Olgivy. Olgivy is one of the most exclusive stores I have visited in all my travels. In the evening Claude Texier from France and I would be given the honor of Maitre Pastelliste (Master Pastelist) by the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada at their 16th Exposition Internationale. The following day I would be demonstrating the art of the portrait sketch to an audience composed of members and friends of PSEC. Francois Godbout, a documentary film maker, and friend would be filming the demonstration with his son. The filming would ensure a full set of experiences to be witnessed by my special young guest.

Before I continue on I would like to mention that Puerto del Sol, an open air painting that I completed this past summer of Audrey Fierberg of Leeland, Michigan was on display at the Exposition and PSEC had chosen to use the image for the official Exposition Poster.

First things first. Both Anna and her grandfather were hungry and ready for a typical Quebecois lunch. Where better to receive such a culinary delight than Nichols Cafe? It would be Anna’s first opportunity to move away from her normal chicken based food groups into the realm of never before tested tastes. Poutine and Smoked Meat sandwiches are the order of the day at Nichols and it never hurts to have Molsen Golden Ale to accompany the meal. In Anna’s case a chocolate malt was the drink of choice. Poutine is french-fries with a white cheese sprinkled on top and then smothered in rich brown gravy. Smoked Meat is similar in texture and taste to corned beef only spicier. The result is a French Canadian heart attack on a plate, but as long as one gives a two or three year interval between orders, it really is something you wouldn’t want to miss. I was able to evoke a wide-eyed look from Anna when I ordered “beaver-tail” for desert, a trick that Suzanne Godbout the retiring PSEC president had pulled on me during my first visit to Montreal back in 2005. Beaver-tail is a waffle like cake in the shape of a tail topped with a variety of optional sweet delights.

Still four hours remaining to the Vernissage and time enough for shopping.

First briefly this business about “foreign squirrels”. Anna had made a declaration on the way to the airport in Detroit. Before she becomes a successful artist she wants to do a brief stint as a veterinary doctor. She thought it would be best if she could get a few photos of French Canadian squirrels for future reference. Luckily on Sunday, before we left, the new PSEC president Reine Goodrow would take us on a driving tour of Montreal and we were able to garnish a number of squirrel photos. Although I’ll be darned if they looked any different then state-side squirrels to me, I’ve been waiting the photo prints for Anna’s analysis.

The way to a young girls heart or probably just about any girl’s heart is to offer to take her shopping. Montreal is one of the best shopping destinations around. We looked at elegant handbags with matching shoes. We saw some of the latest fashions and we were in and out of more souvenir stores than I dare count. With bounty in hand, we headed back to Le Square Phillips Hotel to dress for the opening.

The Vernissage was packed with people and Anna was an immediate hit with my Montreal friends. She looked fabulous in her new dress and she was the perfect lady. When Claude Texier and I were being honored and it was my turn to speak I paid my gratitudes and then spoke two sentences in my best French. My French teacher Michelle Declare is fond of this saying and it goes like this; ” Les bons amis sont des fils d’Or qu’il ne faut jamais casser. Il faut toujuors les garder au plus profond de son couer.” It translates to: “Good friends are golden threads that should never be broken. We must always keep them in the deepest part of our heart.” When I finished a spontaneous applause and a cheer broke out. I only make mention because if you could have seen the look on Anna’s face you would have witnessed the proud love I was being given. With out intending I had scored a touchdown.

Soon I could see that Anna was getting tired and we left the Vernissage a little early. Walking back to our hotel the streets of Montreal were alive with people and lights. A bit of early Christmas was in the air. We passed a number of restaurants and Anna was having trouble making a choice. Suddenly a spark of genius struck; “Anna how about room service?” As you can well imagine grandfather was on a roll with this idea. We dined in luxury that night– two different generations of life looking out onto a city full of brilliant lights talking of dreams and art.

Saturday morning brought Anna her first croissant and first Nutella-filled crepe topped with whipping cream. Being a grandfather was getting easier by the hour. Naturally after breakfast we did a little more shopping and then took a quick cab ride with my pastel box back to Olgivy for my demonstration. Upon our arrival we were met by new PSEC president Reine Goodrow. Reine presented Anna with a wonderful gift bag full exciting things meant to warm a little girl’s heart. I now had an accomplice in my efforts to create a never to be forgotten trip for Anna.

The demonstration area and Francois were well prepared and cameras were in place. I sat Anna in the front row near where I would be working and Reine Goodrow had graciously offered to translate into French for me. My model, Suzanne Godbout is a beautiful women and I have had the honor of her and her husband Francois’s friendship for a number of years. The same thing holds true for Reine and many other French Canadians as well. All of my Quebecois friends being there made my nerves rest easier.

As I worked the portrait, I would pause every fifteen minutes for questions. It didn’t take Anna long to raise her hand and much to even my surprise she asked one of the most insightful questions of the afternoon; ” Grandpa Bill, why do you put so much red in the dark places? “ This is a principle that I have taught for years; “When a form turns away from the light, tucks in to a crease, it becomes very hot, darker too.” An interesting observation coming from a nine year old!

In a couple of hours the portrait sketch was complete and I had done my best. We cleaned up and I presented the portrait to Suzanne in gratitude for her years of hard work as president of PSEC. The men and women who take on the responsibility of a pastel society presidency are the unsung heroes of the pastel world.

Anna and I would enjoy another evening dining with Suzanne, Francois and Claude Texier. They all generously spoke in Anglais as I had used up a good deal of my repertoire en Francais at the Vernissage. I’m going to have to work harder.

Our last day, Sunday, was another bright day. We spent the better part of the morning with Reine and took a good number of pictures beyond the squirrel motif. We completed our visit to Montreal by having a lovely lunch with good friends Anne and Guy Rochefort in Centre Ville. The flight home was a casual conclusion to a weekend of unique revelations including grandfather becoming an even greater admirer of his granddaughter.

On the drive home I asked Anna what were some of the highlights she remembered. Anna’s response went as follows; “What a nice man Francois was, how cool Claude Texier dressed, how nice Reine was (gift bag and all) and how nice and beautiful Suzanne was.Oh yes, Poutine and the foreign squirrels were not forgotten.

I will always remember the special hug we shared and the look in my granddaughter’s eyes as we parted.

The Open Air

For a Career

“Enthusiast of simplicity to the profit of emotion, William Hosner searches, in direct contact with nature, humilities lessons. In Brittany, just before the Salon de Giverny, we interviewed him while wandering through the countryside, for which he has a look of wonder.”

Pratique des Art

“LE  PLEIN  AIR  FOR  A CAREER”

Facing the Rance river in Dinan, Brittany stands a modest house, located at 103 Rue du Quai, surmounted by wooded hills where we distinguish in the background a vast property. This was the home of the late artist Yvonne Jean-Haffen. “La Grande Vigne” today is a museum, and a central location for artistic life.

Through a window in the lower floor, a man’s silhouette can be seen, drawing, or perhaps, reading, seated peacefully in front of a small table. The interior décor of the studio apartment, in its simplicity seems to say; “Here is La Vignette.” A ray of light suddenly penetrates in the alcove to reveal large pastel paintings posed against the wall, relating local life scenes, landscapes in monochromes of gray and brown softly blended with touches of violet.

With impressive sky blue eyes in the fine features of a chiseled face, and a soft, decisive voice, William Hosner, inspires the calm. Rising from the chair, his slender, well fitted  posture, is that of a gentleman with discreet elegance. Taking hold of his large pastel box with a few leafs of paper (Wallis is his choice of brands) William invites us to conduct his interview while wandering with him through the countryside. On the way, the conversation follows different topics. If we are aware of his extensive work, without a doubt, his landscapes are about to fill us with wonder.

Pratique des Arts: Across the Atlantic, you are well known for your portraits created exclusively en plein-air, reflecting romantic inspirations.

William Hosner: Romantic, naturalist, impressionist? I do not search to define myself in comparing a certain school. Above all, I feel free in accord with myself. Regarding the portraits, I work evidently with models that please me for the situation, enjoying bringing them in focus. Differently from landscapes, one must create with a live model, the emotional insight and aura that that person will inspire in me. Importantly, nature is dominant as well as the respect for the model. Holding a pose for a length of time is not easy, especially in outdoor painting.

The light, the wind, the heat as well as the cold can effect the outcome of  these delicate sessions of painting. In addition, I must work in common accord with my model, sometimes for periods as long as three hours in duration. I usually have the sketch done rapidly, so two sessions are generally all that is needed to execute each painting, which I never take back to the studio to finish.

PDA: How do you bring your portraits into reality?

WH: Let’s start mostly with the outdoor situation. For instance, I seek the quality and effect of the natural light to characterize the moment, for two moments are never alike, next I bring the large shapes into focus to establish the shadows, all the while emphasizing the skin tones, and textures on a garment. When I throw myself into a portrait, my interest is in the body language as well as the internal mood of the model. I purposely give much liberty to the model in choosing a pose that will be most comfortable and natural. I have often observed that in allowing natural responses, I obtained the most from my models. Therefore, I keep myself from being to directive. I observe.

PDA: After 40 years of work, what according to you, are the principal qualities required to paint the subject?

WH: The mastery of time proven painting principals, and a certain capacity to react in the course of the painting. Also, a synthesis of spirit. One must always have inner senses in alert, be able to feel beauty at every second to reflect this in the painting, all the while keeping ones concentration. It is an equilibrium difficult to maintain.

Sometimes the defining moment produces itself out of nowhere, therefore, one must be ready to takes some risks in letting go of the first idea. I often speak of “crash and burn” like in racecar driving, to characterize the dangers in chasing changing action. I believe that in French you call it:  “Ca passe ou ca casse”

PDA: We noticed how much white is present in many of your paintings. The light which you project is often quite strong and crisp while the colorful shadows add much structure. Is this the stylistic fruit of designing, and orchestrating the light to emphasize color?

WH: The natural light in Michigan is quite different, by observation stronger, more radiant than here in Brittany. I use white in my paintings to judge the nature of the light I am observing. By the way, I seldom use white in its pure state. Instead, I tone down white in order to obtain a “Blanc Casse” (broken white) often I use colored grays, to soften landscapes, harmonize areas or moreover, to emphasize a focal point. These toned down passages can bring a “breathing space” as a counterbalance to my more energetic passages.

PDA: Your models are often dressed in long garments, hats, or stoles which reflect the timelessness of a woman. Also, your scenes are frequently at the beach side in a marine surrounding. This is not trivial, is it?

WH: I do indeed prefer elegance in moderation for my models, a synonym for me of feminism and beauty. In a sense, it is my personal way to stylize my subject. Regarding the environment, I appreciate the water landscape which puts my model in motion without congealing the scene.

Quite simply my backgrounds are animated by the movement of the waves. I love to accentuate the way the light brings a certain poetry to the blues camieux (hues) as well the chromatic grays in comparison. My paintings are not about the backgrounds, but rather a story of where I live in Michigan, a region of big lakes that are like inland seas. In the summers people love to come to the beach to swim and to rest. And I come to observe them living life.

Highlight Sidebars

“To paint en plein-air is to live. One must know how to improvise, I do not hesitate to remove or add new elements in my scene, even if this means to stop if not obtaining my goal.”

Laundry Day:

During the creation of this pastel, the summer light suddenly intensified itself, projecting a strong shadow on the sheet, not there when I started the painting session. Although the model had already posed for two solid hours, in a few seconds, I made the decision to accept this somber mass, including it in my painting, which brought movement and great depth to the scene. By being reactive, audacious, or sometimes, accepting that you have failed and must start all over, you can accomplish the best. These are the qualities, among others, that I try to develop in my students.

Against the Sea:

Character:

The model simultaneously occupies two themes in the scene, while the tight framing gives it all its intimacy. The hands on the hips, show the young woman’s personality as I perceived it; opinionated, combative, facing the wide extent in front of her, turning toward her future. In this case, I choose to reinforce the orange-red of her dress to emphasize her personality.

Colors and Light:

The contrast between her light blouse and her red skirt, put in harmony by the warm blended hues, of browns, ochre, rose-orange in her face and hair, centralize the theme. Looking closer, the white of her blouse is in fact the combination of numerous hues, which we can find in other areas of the painting; browns, blue-violets, ochre. The effect of light bring the viewer’s eyes to the main focal point in this painting. The coat, of which the black border literarily slices this ensemble, gives her movement and brings a certain eloquence as well.

Generous Matiere:

The pastel strokes are generally full of motion and are more and more allusive, as the eye focuses itself to the background. Interlacing lines and colors superimpose, crossing each other, to finally blend themselves. My choice of the “Wallis Paper” is not with out purpose. Its texture quality holds all types of saturation, when someone, even myself, might overwork a passage. I also allow the white of the pastel paper to “show through”. This breathes “air” into the areas of broken color.

Highlight Sidebars

“UN  AMERICAIN EN BRETAGNE”

“While painting in Plein Air, I search before all else, to celebrate my subject without being over theatrical, to get closer to the truth of nature.”

I do not know which way to turn, where to start first. As soon as I select my sight, l isolate a composition. I must then, formulate my choices with confidence.”

To Prove his Humility:

In observing nature, I discover who I really am. Face to face, she keeps me humble and honest. I learn to accept myself as I am with my strengths and my weaknesses and  my contradictions. I strive for sincerity and beauty, searching for simplification and truth to achieve what I am aiming at, a great painting!

A Diffused Light:

The depth of colored grays, the camaieux of majestic browns, contrasting  with powerful spring greens…. Here in Brittany, the light quality is different from my native Michigan. I have noted a dominating violet-gray. The tides definitely influence the weather, bringing a variation of Chromatiques. I have discovered harmony in the hues which brought me to distinguish new effects, to interpret differently the symphony of nature.

La Lumiere Bretonne (Brittany light) is diffused, subdued, as soon as the sky becomes overcast. Each element of the landscape seems to stay suspended as if the light touched everything. I find these unique dimensions profoundly poetic.  My palette simplified itself. A few grays blended to earth tones, blues and greens, no more than five or six at once, often reinforced with white. It took me a while to see her poetic nature, eventually I became enthralled with it.

UN  AMERICAIN  EN  BRETAGNE

Invited for one month in the residence des Artists de la Grande Vigne, historical home of Yvonne Jean-Haffen, located in Dinan, Brittany, William Hosner was fascinated with France, loved the countryside, and discovered new horizons to influence his palette.

Born in Detroit in 1950, in the state of Michigan where he lives today, William Hosner worked for a long time as an illustrator. In 1993, he left his career as Commercial Artist to devote his time uniquely to his painting, which he continued to study and develop in the renowned Scottsdale Artist School in Arizona, at the side of two great masters, Harley Brown and Dan Gerhartz.

William Hosner is today a signature member of the Pastel Society of American as well as a signature member of the Pastel Society of the West Coast. His great work has been recognized with the Gold Medal from the International Association of Pastel Societies, as well as numerous other International Awards.

The great artist Yvonne Jean-Haffen was close to Mathurin Meheur and many other famous painters, and she welcomed artistic exchange. La Grande Vigne propriety located at the entrance of town, is today a site for expositions.  Therefore, loyal to that artistic hospitality, The Association des Amis de la Grande Vigne, proposes to artists the gracious benefit of a studio apartment in La Vignette, to work in Brittany for the duration of one month. In exchange, the artist must leave a painting for the museum. Every five years, an exposition reunites all the chosen paintings.

"The Measure of Her Day" by William Hosner

After living and painting in France for two months, Traverse City based, Northern Michigan artist, William Hosner, returned home to America with a special surprise in store for him. Hosner flew directly from Paris to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) bi-annual convention, where he was part of an international group of 25 artists asked to demonstrate and teach.

The IAPS Convention was holding its first Masters Circle Exposition. Only artists with the designation of Master Pastelist were invited to enter. His painting of Katie Stanton (daughter of Traverse City’s renowned authors Doug and Anne Stanton) was given the Gold Award in the exposition. Hosner painted The Measure of Her Day live and on-site at Traverse City’s Bryant Park last August. He said that people at the exposition were especially fascinated with the image of Katie. “Many people asked me to tell them more about her. It was as if the painting acted as the cover of a good book and the image of Katie drew them in. Katie is very sophisticated for her age (15 at the time) and we both worked hard to bring the painting off.”

At the end of his stay in France, Hosner was the Foreign Invite d’Honneur for Art du Pastel en France at their International Salon Exposition held in Giverny, France (where the home and gardens of French impressionist Claude Monet are located).

In 2013, Hosner has been invited by ASPAS (Pastel Society of Spain) to lead a delegation of 10 American artists as the US will be the country of honor in the ASPAS International Salon Exhibition.

William Hosner’s art may be viewed exclusively at Suttons Bay Galleries in Suttons Bay. Contact Suttons Bay Galleries at www.suttonsbaygalleries.com or 231 271 4444.

Katie Stanton and "The Measure of Her Day"

Double Honors in France this Spring

William Hosner is an internationally recognized pastel painter living in Traverse City, Michigan. At the end of this week, he will embark on a two month trip to France.

Village of Dinan, France

Hosner has been accepted as artist in residence into the prestigious l’Atelier d’Artiste de Grande Vigne in Dinan, France for the month of April. The program in Dinan is a tradition that has been perpetuated since the end of the 18^th century.

Following his residency in Dinan, Hosner will spend the first 10 days of May in Paris where he will be studying at the museums and do further painting.

The last two weeks of May will be spent in Giverny, France. Giverny is where the home and gardens of French Impressionist Claude Monet are located. William is the Foreign Invite de Honour for Art du Pastel en France (one of two pastel societies in France). In the Summer of 2009, Hosner received the top prize, the Prix de Sennelier, in their International Pastel Competition. In a unanimous decision by 5 international jurors, his work was chosen from a field of 40 artists, representing 12 different countries in that competition.

As Foreign Invite de Honour, Hosner will be demonstrating and teaching and will be a featured exhibitor with about 20 of his works from his stay in France on display.

More About l’Atelier d’Artiste de Grande Vigne:

Mme. Yvonne Jean-Haffen (and her family in Dinan), the town of Dinan, and Les Amis de La Grande Vigne have created l’Atelier d’Artiste de Grande Vigne. The purpose of the l’Atelier is to perpetuate a tradition that goes back to the end of the 18^th century, where by artists from around Europe and the world are invited for a one-month stay. If accepted, the artist receives the use of a studio and housing in Dinan for 1 month in exchange for a painting of the artist’s choice from the body of work created during the stay in Dinan. The painting is then put into the permanent collection of La Grande Vigne and will be used in exhibitions by the association.

Al Aire Libre/Painting Open Air

By William Hosner, PSA

-Willa Cather, “Song of the Lark”

Why would any reasonable artist want to leave the comfort of the studio and go outdoors and deal with changing light and challenging weather to paint people from life? After all, everything in nature is in constant motion. It would be easier to take a photograph to hold the scene and then work from the photo. The simple answer: temperament!

Temperament has a great deal to do with the manner in which an artist works. I once visited with an Ohio artist who came to talk with me about open-air painting. He said he had always worked as a photo-realist on very large canvases, but having decided to give up smoking, was no longer able to do the same work. I took him to mean that he was no longer willing to do the tedious detail demanded of photo-realism. His temperament had changed.

My journey as a painter has been a winding road, full of exploration and discovery. As I look back, it seems as though the purpose of all that exploration was to return to the beginning, rediscover the essence of my temperament and accept who I am.

I started in art with five years of university studies; my experience consisted of mostly abstract and non-objective painting. Then, needing to support a young family, I spent the next 17 years as a professional illustrator.

World of Illustration

As an illustrator, I was surrounded by artists performing artistic miracles in realism. Their use of photos, an airbrush, or other tools could be amazing. However, I was truly enamored with the illustrators whose work seemed to express what I recognized as a spontaneity and directness, making works sensual and fresh. You know, the great ones like N. C. Wyeth, Harvey Dunn, Howard Chandler Christie … and on through the twentieth century to include illustrators like Al Parker, Rene Bouche and Burt Silverman. There was passion in their work!

I remember when the Society of Illustrators asked for a retraction from Time magazine following a critic’s remark about Andy Wyeth’s “Helga” series. This critic had posed the question, “Is this fine art or mere illustration?” I also recall thinking at the time that I agreed with the Society’s position and that indeed the line could be blurred between the two. It wasn’t necessarily an either or, and there was nothing “mere” in great illustration. Today we are seeing more and more acceptance of this genre’s work; it is being collected and showing up in fine art museums. I believe Rockwell was even seen in the MoMA.

The good news was that, had I not stumbled into commercial art, I may never have learned much about these great illustrators’ works. When I came into the field in the mid-70s, I learned to project a series of photos onto a surface and paint directly from them. I achieved good success doing this. The difficulty was that what my temperament was asking of me was not coming across in the work I was doing.

In 1993, tired of the continued pressures to paint with more detail and in the face of computer-generated illustration, I left that field to pursue fine-art painting. I needed to do that or “take up smoking” because what I was doing was taking me farther from those great illustrators. It also was becoming an increasingly painful rub against my temperament. Then I discovered the luminists like Sorolla and Zorn and the great Russian romanticists like Serov and Repin, along with the great Russian lyrical landscape painter, Levitan. These late nineteenth, early twentieth century painters often knew each other and were influenced by the French Impressionists. Then, while attending the Scottsdale Artists School, I came to know the work of the Russian Impressionists. They worked from about 1920 to 1970. I began to recognize a bridge for a way to see and paint.

New Way to See

When I left commercial art I had a fine ability to render a subject. What I was lacking was an ability to look at things in three dimensions and translate them into the two-dimensional magic we call painting. My mind wanted to act like a camera and capture every detail down to the smallest bits of information. I could tell that the great painters I admired were using a common system of editing the information before them, whereby they would state the essential and eliminate the obvious. Something I was not doing.

I then decided to study with Harley Brown and Dan Gerhartz at the Scottsdale Artists School. I took one- and two-week intense workshops focusing on the craft of painting. These workshops, with two of the best living painters I could find, sped up my learning and taught me to not copy the masters but rather seek what they sought. It was at this juncture that I learned the technique of squinting-down the subject (a gentle half closing of the eyes). Now, I was able to read values and edges correctly and to combine shapes for simplification.

One problem existed yet, and that was, while I had come to a new understanding, I was unable to use this new knowledge. A small thing called practice came into view. I knew it would be a long and at times a trying road. And I came to believe that style and originality were not something you could just snatch off a shelf like a can of soup. I thought that if there would ever be anything original in my art it would ensue through years of hard work.

The Out-of-Doors

I began to work every day from life. At a point fairly early on I quit using photographs. I felt their use was hindering my ability to get true reads of the subjects I wanted to paint, and I soon fell in love with nature and the effects of outdoor light! Excited by this new love and my observations of outdoor light on flesh tones and clothing, I started to take people out into nature to paint them.

Now, 18 years later, I can finally say I am true to myself and I do my best to walk in the light of a personal vision, much of which has been revealed to me through that hard work. And so, here is where my temperament thrives and why I choose to paint outdoors, directly from what I see.

I like to paint everyday life themes and treat them in a direct and natural manner. My models are all people I know personally. I am enthralled with nature and I like the work to be born in a spontaneous and natural way from the intense experience I get working from life. Galileo said that to be ignorant of movement is to be ignorant of nature. I love the movement I see in nature and I want to play it out in a vivid narration of light and color!

The colors I see in the natural world, speak to my creative spirit within, and this has been the case since I was a child and discovered color through taste. Like when I would sneak into my mother’s vineyard and eat her luscious French-ultramarine grapes. Color is music and taste and why come to it by second-hand knowledge? The effect of light is like a great composer; the colors are her notes and I am her transcriber.

If I am able, I try and imbue the action I observe: the constant continuation, the pace, the people full of life. I want to reflect not just what I see with my eyes, but what I feel with my heart. This is my temperament, and therein lies my joy of life. I celebrate what I see!

A French artist I know expressed that he thought painting was like being a race car driver, having to make instantaneous decisions, knowing at any time you can crash and burn. I know of artists whom I greatly admire for their ability to hold long conversations with themselves over passages in their paintings. Whenever I try that, I rediscover that this is not me.

I have become quite comfortable making instant decisions, and I can and do crash and burn. I accept that as part of the cost of success in my work. However, since I was a child I have loved the thrill of a roller coaster. I think I’ll just keep on riding it. When I set out to make a painting the first thing I do is decide if I want to make it a one-session painting (a typical painting session outdoors is about three hours and then the light has changed too dramatically to continue), or slow things down and let the painting develop at its own pace. In that case the painting may take two or more sessions. Each of these paintings is unique and is complete when it is ready to harvest! When I tell people how long it took to finish a work of art, I like to say, “Forty Years!” It’s an honest answer; every bit of forty years of successes and failures go into each work.

Taking Chances

Painting outdoors, I have to make things as correct as possible right away. I have no time to hold debates with myself. It is a delicate balance where I need to be decisive and move quickly yet not lose my concentration and become sloppy. A typical way to “crash and burn” is for me to be in a rush at the beginning and start to compound mistakes; before I know it I can find myself afloat in a sea of corrective passages. The light then moves on and the day is lost, as is the painting. Over the time span of any painting I am constantly on the watch for important observations that may not have been there earlier in the session. For example, once I was painting a young girl hanging clothes on a laundry line during a late summer afternoon. Just towards the end of the painting session, the sun had lowered to a point where she cast a shadow on the sheet she was hanging. I quickly painted it in. It actually refined the existing composition by giving it more movement. At other times I have done things like that and it detracts from the work, and I have to remove what I have just put in. If I am not skillful enough in this removal, I can and have lost the fresh, direct look to the piece and I consider it ruined. However, I always take the chance!

Since around 1993, I have exclusively used pastel. I prefer to call myself a painter (who chooses pastel) more than to refer to myself as a pastelist. Painting is more a manner of thinking than a matter of medium. To me, the distinction is important.

I’ve been asked to describe my work. Is it naturalism? Positivism? Impressionism? I don’t really care much for labels. What I can acknowledge is that I love to pour my heart, my soul and my  passion into what I see and experience and do it as directly as possible, at any cost. Painting in the blistery cold climate of Northern Michigan, I’ve even suffered frostbite – twice.

Maybe my brother was right when he teased me awhile back about my living space. He’d found out that the loft I had rented was in the former state mental hospital building that has now been transformed into beautiful living and shopping spaces. Teasingly, he said to me: “Finally, my brother the artist is where he belongs.” Did Vincent get this kind of grief from Theo?