Holiday Inspiration

It seems like after the first snowfall, the landscape takes on a very whimsical nature.  Around the holidays, I'm inspired to paint in that same whimsical way.  The two paintings shown today are "A Dickens Christmas" and "Snowmen: Oh Holy Night."  For some reason, the holidays always inspire me to paint in a whimsical manner.  It's a nice break from abstracts, florals and landscapes, and allows me to practice different techniques.  My snowmen paintings and prints have been relatively popular.  The Christmas Critter dog painting featured on my Facebook page, has drawn a lot of attention. 

When I create a painting such as A Dickens Christmas, it's a culmination of memories from childhood and inspiration from this time of year.  All three of these images are still available for sale and are 30" x 40" oil on canvas.  I have several other snowmen paintings at The Red Geranium Framing & Gifts in Mauston, WI.  They have been a popular draw and gotten many positive comments.  In fact, the store might even display them year-round in a designated Christmas area.

Doing these types of works gives me a break from the traditional, and continues to expand my horizons.  It gives me the courage to venture into other areas with my art.  Many times I surprise myself with the ultimate outcome.  Even though these paintings are seasonal, they're available year-round.  In fact, summer is a great time to contact me about doing a holiday commissioned piece. 

From all of us at Blind Guy Studios (ha ha ha), wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy 2014. 

Critique and Criticism

It's been my experience in the past, whether it be an art show that I attend, or just have my paintings featured in, that everyone has an opinion.  These opinions are something that I treasure, good, bad, or otherwise.  Ten people viewing the same piece of art see it in ten different ways.  This to me is amazing, and one of the reasons I shy away from titling or pushing too much of my interpretation into a piece.  The feedback I receive continually helps me to grow as an artist, and challenges me to find new ways to apply the oils to the canvas.  I'm continually looking for new and exciting ways of accomplishing a piece of artwork.

 I welcome criticism, constructive or not, because the opinions voiced leads me to greater expectations of myself.  One of the only ways to grow as an artist is to get your work out there.  You'll find ways to improve it, and to try new things.  Not everything works.  Not everything is perfect.  Not everything is going to be liked by everyone.  Sometimes controversy or the shock factor is what gets you  noticed.  Being legally blind and having my perspective skewed due to the lack of visual acuity, I am continually interested in how the sighted world views my art.  How they see things, though not intentional, show up in some of my work. 

In one of my past floral paintings, my mother in law swore that beneath one of the flower petals was a dwarf peering out at the viewer.  Again, this was not intentional, but if a sighted person says it's there, I'll take their word for it!  Another happy accident.

Being Interviewed

One of the most unique experiences I've had since becoming a legally blind artist has been being interviewed by TV stations and newspaper journalists.  It amazes me as to how quickly they can capture a mood and turn it into a story.  My very first television interview was a Live at Five segment by Pam Towsier of Channel 3 news at the Wisconsin Council of the Blind in Madison.  The first thing they have you do is to get into position.  Then there's a brief countdown, a huge light turns on above the camera, and the next thing you know, you're being asked questions.  It's kind of hard to keep your focus, and it almost seems surreal that your image and words are being projected out to thousands of people that very minute. 

The next experience I had was more along the lines of a documentary type taping.  This is not scripted, but you do have the ability to edit and put together pieces that flow into a complete story.  This is a more relaxed setting and to me, was most informative.  This was done by Sam Sorenson by NBC 15 while doing a "Your Stories" interview.  This showed me painting, a brief interview in my living room, and a back history of why I started my artistic endeavors.

 My last television interview was done in a studio in Tomah, WI by Steve Peterson and was geared around the launch of my website.  This was a totally different experience, as a group of people came together to make the news brief happen.  This also was very relaxing, and had a wonderful atmosphere to project creativity.  In none of these situations was I nervous at all, but rather excited to have my art and story being showcased that capacity.  Through these stories, being told on the airwaves, you never know who you're going to affect, or who may hear them and receive inspiration.  This is what is very meaningful to me. 

See these interviews here.

Speaking Engagements

One of the things I enjoy doing that correlates with my art is educating and speaking to people about my visual impairment and how I go about completing an art project.  Back in 2001, I was in charge of the outreach mission for the blind at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Baraboo, WI.  I coordinated many events and grew from three people t our first meeting, to 75 at our last.  Since then, I have been asked to speak at several other churches, the Wisconsin Council of the Blind in Madison, and to a local boy scout group in Mauston, WI.  I really enjoy the one-on-one connection with the audience in explaining how I got to be an artist and following my passions. 

My most recent request to speak is at a women's gathering at a Methodist church in Wausau, WI.  This group is doing a mission encouraging people with disabilities, which falls right into one of my favorite speaking topics.  This is supposed to take place sometime in July, and in between now and then, I'm working on several original paintings that I would like to submit to the Second Sense art show for the blind in Chicago.  I continually look for new ways to promote my art, and I'm always encouraged by the responses I get. 

"Circles" - This piece was created to represent the different facets of eyesight.  Everyone sees differently.  Some problems can be corrected, some cannot.

Emotions in Motion

Every painting that I complete has a certain amount of emotion within its frame.  Some a little more than others.  Some pieces are what I call "emotion paintings."  In this process, the paint, the boldness, the swirls, tell the story of how the composition is laid down.  It's almost like going into a trance and allowing the paint to come alive.  This can change depending on mood, surroundings and other external forces.  These are some of my most favorite paintings because not a lot of thought goes into the finished product.  I also use other ways of getting the paint on the canvas, such as paper towels, fingers, cotton swabs, and very seldom, a paintbrush.  These paintings are free flowing, and a lot of them, I can complete within a day (6-8 hours).  These paintings are a great diversion from trying to compose a landscape or an intricate floral.  The sky is the limit, and you definitely need to know when to stop blending for the end result to have the greatest effect.  I myself am hesitant to title any painting, as I feel that the viewer should take in their own meaning and title it themselves if they wish.  I try hard not to put my influence other than my creativity on the canvas.  Doing these emotion paintings are one of the few times that I can really get in and feel my work taking shape.  This to me is extremely enjoyable, as all my art is, but I feel a greater connection to this type of free-flowing art. 



"Untitled Abstract"



This painting is a great depiction of what I'm trying to explain.  Each swirl tells a story and each color connects with emotion.  From the top of the canvas to the bottom of the canvas is the completed movement.  The movement creates its own energy, and its as if you're sucked into the vortex of the essence of the painting.  This, just like any other piece of art, you can either love or hate.  But in my experience, the connection made with these emotion paintings is immediate. 

Splatter and 3D

Every time I sit down and try to start a new painting, I continually try to think of new and inventive ways of putting the paint to the canvas.  The first time I tried to do a Pollock-esque painting, I came up with my own individual splatter techniques.  I start with a solid color background, and then basically just continually try and create a composition.  The boldness of the colors and the composition is what makes the painting.  This I found to be quite fulfilling, as I never knew what the end result would be. 

"Untitled"

Eventually, I wanted something more challenging, and decided to try my hand at 3D works of art.  I start with a blank canvas, and rather than applying paint right away, I work with a clay substance called Sculpty Mold and put down a foundation of trees, mountains, streams, etc.  This proved to be quite tedious and time consuming, as the clay was the same color as the canvas.  So not only did I have to find again the sculptures that I made, but had to feel them before I painted them.  I would then go in and put background color on, usually a sky or any type of water (if the landscape required).  Then I'd go in and create the mountain, which the clay itself helps it to look like actual rock.  I surround a lot of this with dark color, which makes the color in the forefront pop, giving it more of a 3D effect. 

"Moonlit Mountain Pass" - 3D Sculpted Art

Currently, I have several of these paintings, one is for sale at Artistic Expressions in Wisconsin Dells, WI.  The others are in my archive collection, and unless they currently exist, I'm only doing these on a commissioned basis.  These two techniques totally help me to stay creative, be constantly challenged, and strive for a better quality in my art.  The end result is always amazing to me, and I can't wait to see how this gets incorporated into future paintings. 

Full Circle

Many years ago, while attending an NFB meeting, I was told by one of the patrons that I was considered in the blind world what was called "a partial."  This basically means that I don't have enough eyesight to drive or function fully as a sighted person, but yet I have too much eyesight to be considered fully blind.  Again, I see peripherally, which means to the sides and up and down rather than the use of the central vision, which is where all your acuity lies.  This is why in many situations, I have learned to use a cane whether I need it or not.  It answers a lot of questions, especially in places like airports.  Several times, while travelling to art shows, I have been looking for a specific concourse and could not find it.  One particular time, I asked a lady behind a customer service counter.   She sheepishly looked over her right shoulder and pointed to the huge "D" marking the concourse, as if to say "duh, there it is..." Instead of responding like "oh, sorry I didn't see it, I slowly raised my cane and she went "oh."  It's situations like that that keeps life amusing and very interesting at times. 

Another thing many people don't realize is that when you are visually impaired and travelling through an airport, they put you in a wheelchair.  At first I was taken aback at this, as I am quite capable of walking, but again, the wheelchair actually speeds up the process of getting from one end of the airport to the other.  It's like getting the rock star treatment, or in my case, aging rock star!   My escape from the headaches of these situations is working on my art.  There, there are no rules, no limitations, and no restraints that hold me back creatively.  If I start a painting, and it doesn't quite work out, oils are very forgiving.  I can wipe it clean and try it again.  I've done this many times, and I call it "mushing."  Its' amazing how out "in the real world" not having good eyesight causes many different problems.  The escape to my studio alleviates all of that. 

"A Floral Frenzy"

Getting Started

One of the hardest things for me as an artist is similar to a writer staring at the first blank page.  Generally, I have an idea of what I want to create in my mind's eye, but more times than not, the painting takes on a life of its own, and I basically fill in the blanks.  During the process, I have to keep tabs on where my colors are.  I mix my own colors, and only buy the primary colors, which are red, blue, and yellow.  Not being able to see these, I keep them in a very orderly fashion in my studio.  Many times (more than I want to count), I've mixed the wrong color and came up with a "happy accident," which could consist of a purple tree or water that is not as blue as the Bahamas. 

It isn't unusual for me to be working on several canvases at the same time.  When an idea pops into my head, I like to get as much done as possible, then continually come back to it and refine the painting.  I have been called very prolific and eclectic when it comes to my work.  It may take me several weeks to several months to complete a project that I started in this way.  It mostly depends on the content of the painting. 

Over the years, I have been my own worst enemy in overworking some of my art.  Knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing how to start.  The completed work usually speaks for itself.  I am my own worst critic when it comes to knowing when the piece is finished.  It's not unusual for me to place a finished piece in my drying rack for several months, then learn a new technique, and then go back and rework a finished painting.  The abstracts obviously are the easiest, but I work really hard on their composition.  The florals seem to come relatively easy to me, and I have been told they look like Van Gogh rip offs.  The landscapes are the most detailed and take the longest, but in the end are the most fulfilling for me as an artist.  It never ceases to amaze me seeing all my works at a show and thinking, "wow, I created that," especially knowing how they got started.

One Thing Leads to Another

My first real art show was at the Memorial Union Galleries in Madison, WI.  This was back in the summer of 2006.  Someone who viewed my paintings contacted the Wisconsin Council of the Blind, and from that, I wound up not only showing at the council, but got a live interview on Live at Five with Pam Towsier.  The Council show led to them asking me if I ever heard of the VSA. 

"Pegasus" - one of my earlier original pieces, now available in my etsy shop.



The VSA sponsors a call for art twice a year: one in the fall, and another one for the Art Fair on the Square in Madison at the end of the summer.  The VSA has proven to be worthwhile endeavor.  The next show that I found out about was an international show for the blind in Fullerton, CA called Shared Visions.  I have been with the Shared Visions show now for 7 years.  That show led me to the Second Sense Passionate Focus Show in Chicago.  These two shows are geared toward people with visual impairments, but the shows are juried and the quality of work is phenomenal. 

I'm very honored to have gotten to the point that I am in my art career.  I never know what's around the corner, who will see my art, and what it will lead to.  In the future, I am working on branching out and entering other juried shows, not specific to the visually impaired.  In conjunction with this, I truly enjoy doing local shows such as at The Red Geranium here in Mauston, WI, the Fountain Chateau in Hustler, WI, and an open house coming up soon at Diane Dahl's home, another local artist from Mauston.  These gatherings help to showcase not only my talent, but also the products that feature my original art.  These are the most recent things that I am actively pursuing over the holidays. 
Before I know it, it will soon be spring, and the whole cycle of opportunities will start all over again.

The Process

After any showing or art venue, the question I'm asked most often is: "Okay, you're legally blind, how do you do this?"  I first start off by explaining my vision loss, which is my entire central vision.  It's skews color and depth perception.  I do have peripheral vision, which is lacking the acuity so I substitute that with contrast.  I try to focus on quadrants of the canvas, rotating in a clockwise position, working very close to the canvas until the picture is completed.  Many times I try to mix my own colors, and I come up with what I call "happy accidents."  It's not unheard of for one of my landscapes to contain purple trees. 
Depending on the size of the painting, and whether its a landscape, abstract or floral, it can take up to 8 weeks to complete a painting.  Many of the landscapes, I will go back to several times before they are totally finished. 

In  many cases, I can have up to three different paintings at the same time.  One can be a simple abstract (in which I focus on composition), a more intricate landscape, and a fun floral.  Depending on my mood, I can spend as much as three hours on each painting during each session.  I don't necessarily stick to these three genres, as my commissioned work has included animals, themes from music CDs, etc.  In other words, I change things up all the time.  It's never a dull moment when painting.

Check out my gallery!

One of the great things about my web site is you now can buy my paintings on line.  I also have other items with my work on them for sale too.  Please take time to browse my gallery store.