The best way to grow as an artist is to paint what you love! But never be afraid to try everything! Ballerina 5x7 oil on canvas panel -$50.00 plus $10.00 shipping and handling. Please leave a message in the comment box if you would like to make an offer on this painting.

#6 Learn By Teaching!

One of the best ways to become a better artist is to teach art. As I mentioned before, I considered myself to be strictly a still life painter (one of my earlier works). Having students who loved landscapes, seascapes, figurative and abstract art helped me grow to appreciate and fully embrace ALL of these genres. Money was never an object for me as a teacher. My goal was to take individuals who had never painted or perhaps even drawn before in their lives - and teach them how to do a painting similar to this one - in one classroom session. I will post the actual first painting I use in the classroom to start each student on their own individual journey as an artist soon. What I learned from each student’s growth and own interpretation - priceless!

#5 I love to practice using pastels!

Another way to improve your skills is to do small pastel studies. Not only will your drawing skills improve - you can work out compositions and color combinations for your oils. You don't have to complete a whole painting during any practice session. Just do enough to satisfy what you were trying to accomplish as in this example.

#5 Practice, Practice, Practice Part 2

Suppose you have to go on a business trip and you want to relax and stay in good painting shape without bringing out all of the equipment - the oils - the paint - the turps. You can get a little clipboard and do some small watercolors. These are examples of 4x6 watercolors that I keep in a 4x6 photo album. I can carry this small album with me for inspiration or when a friend wants to see my art. And of course - the finished paintings look great in a frame!

#5 Practice, Practice, Practice

Sometimes we may want to practice, or perfect a technique, or visualize an idea without 'eating up' all of our canvases. One thing that we can do is to 'practice' on cardboard as in this example. They make wonderful and enduring paintings when finished and framed.

#4 Degas 'On Paper'

Of course Degas executed well over a thousand paintings and drawings of the ballet (actually I read somewhere - over 2,000 - I have been trying to relocate this fact - I will investigate and report back). My point at this time however is that he often worked directly on colored paper like this one entitled Dancers At The Bar (essence on green paper). He combined paper and just a few touches of oil paint. Like many of his other preliminary sketches this one exists as a work of art in its own right. Just for fun I did this painting using oil on black paper. Will it be as timeless as a Degas?

#3 'Concentrate!'

Because I love to paint ballerinas, my goal is to do what is called a 'concentration'. As the word implies it means to 'concentrate' or focus on one particular subject in order to master that subject. So, in order to improve in my paintings of the ballet, I am going to draw at least 3 to 5 small ballerina pencil or charcoal drawings at one time - several times a week. One of my past concentrations was to paint 'beautiful ballerina backs'. Here is one of my first examples of 'concentrating' on this subject. Not too shabby?! Huh?

I love to paint ballerinas!

I love to paint ballerinas. Sometimes I practice painting in black and white as in this 12x16 oil painting on canvas panel entitled 'ballerina after the dance'.

#2 I Love Art Patron Paintings

I also love to paint art patron paintings. These paintings are quite popular because they let you create an imaginative 'foreground' as you learn techniques from the old masters, the impressionists, or the expressionists by copying their works in the 'background'. Here I was practicing painting an art patron admiring a Matisse. This is a good way to combine the love of figurative as well as still life art.

I love peaceful mountain scenes

As I mentioned I am trying to master the peaceful scene. One good thing about scanning and uploading your painting on the computer is that it certainly helps you to identify things you may want to 'fix' in your work. I will especially be working on the details in the clothing and will post the results soon!

I love to paint peaceful scenes!

I began as a still life painter. I would also love to paint beautiful, peaceful scenes. That's why I was reading Barron's Landscape Book. I can't wait to try that technique I mentioned earlier. In the meantime, here is a painting that I am working on right now. I am halfway done and will post the final painting soon!

#1 I Love Van Gogh

Many of Van Gogh's paintings are dense and very textured. The use of the spatula in this painting contributes to the expressiveness of the scene. Vincent Van Gogh, Starry Night, 1888. From the Barron's Book 'Landscape' page 23.