Interview With Artist Roby Baer

Continuing with my "Artist's I Admire" series, I recently interviewed artist Roberta (Roby) Baer. I have been an admirer of her work ever since I happened upon it on Etsy. The level of realism that she's able to achieve is incredible. Please read the interview below and take a look at a few of Roby's beautiful paintings.

"Glass Beach"

Can you share a little bit about your art background?

Other than taking a couple high school art classes, I am self-taught. My mother was a recreational painter and my grandmother was more of a professional painter.

Which mediums do you work in and why?

I work in pastels due to my grandmother's influence. While she would paint with oils, she would let us use her pastels and it carried throughout my entire life.

How often do you paint?

I paint from 5-7 days a week depending on what is going on.

"Eye Of The Storm"

What subjects do you most enjoy painting and why?

I most enjoy painting wildlife because of my parents' love of nature. We were always outside and I gravitate towards mammals.

How would you describe your painting style?

My painting style is photorealism.

Can you tell me a little about your painting process?

My painting process starts with Bristol Board 500. I begin with a graphite sketch... The sketch is very accurate and this keeps me on track when I start to add my pastels. I begin with stick pastels smudging that into the tooth of the board. After achieving the desired foundation, I start to lay in hairs or detail with CarbOthello pastel pencils. I choose not to use any fixatives as it darkens the overall appearance and the painting is no longer achivally sound.

"Wind Chaser"

Do you set art related goals for yourself?

I have deadlines for everything that I do. I challenge myself by entering juried and national juried shows.

What is your favorite part about being an artist?

My favorite part about being an artist is the interaction I have with fellow artists and other people. I very much enjoy hearing different interpretations of my work.

"Self Portrait"

How has blogging and the internet changed your life as an artist?

The internet is integral part of how I do my research (e.g., making sure my animals are factual and true to their habitat at any time of year). The blog is a place for me to share with people new paintings I have completed and has allowed me to connect with others.

Do you have any advice for artists just starting out?

My advice is to practice your drawing skills if your goal is realism. This is the most important foundation towards being a good artist. Do your homework... learn tones, values and good composition. These are the building blocks to achieving success.

You can see Roby's Etsy page here, and her blog here.

Thanks Roby!

Interview With Artist Nancy Medina

Continuing with my "Artists I Admire" series, I recently interviewed artist Nancy Medina. I have been an admirer of her work ever since I first set eyes on one of her large flower pot paintings.

Please read the interview below and take a look at a few of Nancy's beautiful paintings.

"Summer Wish Sunflowers"

Can you share a little bit about your art background?

I began drawing and sketching in the first grade, and I used to get in trouble for doodling in the margins of my homework. I remember drawing the Frito Bandito on a blank page in the back of my first grade reader. I just couldn't let that entire white page go to waste! When I turned 30, I made a new year's resolution to begin painting. I studied art in College, and then took some workshops but mostly I am self taught.

"Sapphire Iris"

I know you mostly paint in oil but do you ever, or have you ever painted in other mediums?

I began painting in watercolor, mostly large botanical works on heavy 300 lb paper. I was single and poor and living in Santa Barbara so I would trade paintings for furniture.

"Pas de deux Poppies"

How would you describe your painting style?

My painting style is impressionistic, with an emphasis on bold color. I like my work to feel as if it is moving, as if the color is vibrating, in the tradition of the old impressionist masters.

"Fleurs dans Blue Hydrangeas"

Can you tell me a little bit about your painting process?

Now I work mostly in oils, starting with transparent underpaintings and building up to opaque, brighter colors in the final stages.

Your florals are beautiful. Can you tell me why you enjoy painting them so much?

I love painting florals because color makes me happy. Mother nature gives me free material to work from every day. How can anyone look at a rich red geranium and not want to paint it?

"Silent Serenity White Poppies"

Did you set any art goals for this year?

My art goals are lofty, I want to be able to make enough money with my art so that I can quit my full time job and become a full time artist someday. For now, that pesky mortgage is in the way.

How has blogging and the internet changed your life as an artist?

Blogging and the internet has really helped my art career, especially after I was juried into the original Daily Painters group, http://www.dailypainters.com/. Micah Condon and a small group of talented artists created this online gallery, which has thousands of viewers each day.

"Hearts Ablaze Sunflowers"

Do you have any advice for artists just starting out?

For artists getting started, I would encourage them not to get discouraged, but to work hard. Put that energy into your canvas and spend time in the studio. Look to the masters and the great teachers when you feel lost. My art has grown over the past four years, you can see my style has changed drastically if you look back in time on my blog. I still have a long way to go, but I am enjoying the journey.

Thank you Nancy for a great interview!

You can check out Nancy's blog by clicking here, and you can visit her website by clicking here.

Interview With Artist Paula Ford

I recently interviewed an artist who I greatly admire, Paula Ford. Please take a moment to read about Paula and to view some of her beautiful paintings.

"Blue Boat" - Pastel

Can you share a little bit about your art background?

My first exposure to art was when I was a kid. My mother was an artist. She painted abstracts in oils. She would paint at the kitchen table during the day before my father got home from work. She would enter shows, and win too! She was really good! My brother also liked to draw and he was really good at it. It really didn’t interest me in the least, though I loved to watch while they created.

I remember taking Art History in college and found it to be boring. I was a business major with a very left brain.

It’s funny, when I was about 12, one day I got the urge to draw so I got out a piece of paper and a pencil and was sitting at the other end of the couch from my father, who was taking a nap. I drew his profile and it looked exactly like him!! I was shocked! I never picked up another pencil for 30 years.

"Wenatchee River" - Pastel

Which mediums do you work in and why?

I work mainly in soft pastels and am re-learning oils.

Years ago my husband and I lived in Abilene, TX. For a kid from the northeast (Upstate NY), Texas was quite different. It was really hot and flat and there weren’t many trees. I missed the northeast so bad that one day I decided if I couldn’t find anything beautiful to look at, I was going to learn to paint something beautiful.

Fortunately Kay Walton was teaching at the local Hobby Lobby. She is a famous bluebonnet/landscape artist and is represented by many galleries around the country. I attended her classes for almost 2 years. Then I found Wetcanvas.com. I went to many of the forums and ended up in the pastel forum. I didn’t even know what pastels were. That began my journey with pastels. Again, as luck would have it, Paul Friske, PSA, lived in Abilene (was this all meant to be?? I think so!!) and taught pastels. I studied under him until we moved away from Abilene about 5 years ago.

Pastels are much quicker to use than oils. You don’t have to wait for them to dry and if you make a mistake, brush it off and reapply pastel over the top. Clean up is a breeze too. Just wash your hands and you’re done!

Now that I’m more experienced, I’ve gone back to oils again and am loving the challenge and it’s so much fun to do something different.

"Dandelion Dance" - Pastel

How often do you paint?

I paint almost every day. Once in a while if I don’t paint, I’m still puttering in my studio.

How would you describe your painting style?

I would say, besides representational, soft, romantic, and happy.

"Aspen Valley" - Pastel

Can you tell me a little bit about your painting process?

I always start out by doing thumbnail sketches. That shows me if the composition is good and if the painting is going to work. I may take it one step beyond that and do a value sketch to show me where my darkest darks, and lightest lights will go. I believe in being prepared before painting. Can’t remember who said this, but in my head I can hear the words, “An unprepared painting is a failed painting.”

I then make a quick sketch onto my surface, making sure I accurately follow my chosen thumbnail sketch.
Most of the time I work on either Ampersand Pastelbord or Uart and almost always do a wet underpainting by using pastels for the first layer and then washing it in with rubbing alcohol and a ½” flat synthetic brush to set in the colors and unclog the tooth. It’s just a matter of putting in my darks first, then mid tones, and then a few highlights to finish the painting. I work all over the painting all at once, going back and forth, back and forth throughout the painting until it’s done. Layer, layer, layer.

"House of the Rising Sun" - Pastel

Did you set any art goals for this year?

Not really. I just always try to paint and study as much as possible, exercise every day, eat right, and stay healthy.

How has blogging and the internet changed your life as an artist?

Oh my gosh, I am such a hermit and recluse and hardly ever go out. Most of my social interaction is online, except when I teach workshops, that is. I have a huge blog, a website, belong to tons of art groups online, am on FaceBook, use Twitter and several other social networking sites, and sell my paintings online. The internet has changed all of us! I wouldn’t be able to live without it!

Do you have any advice for artists just starting out?

Do something artistic every day. Try to paint and sketch every day too. Go out into nature and study everything you see. Study everything you can get your hands on about composition and color. Learn to draw accurately. Study other artists’ work every day. Start a blog with your real name (that’s a pet peeve with me! How do you think you will ever be known if you don’t use your real name?) and blog all the time about your paintings, your thoughts about the painting process, and about other artists. Join a local art group, join FaceBook, join Wetcanvas.com. Think art, breathe art, live art, and share art, all the time.

Thank you for the interview Paula!

Click here to visit Paula's website.

Click here to visit Paula's blog.