Drawn to Win

Tim Barr by Art Mentor Don Victor

Artist, David Sommers, encourages us:

Study the masters carefully. View the Myron Barnstone video series on design, drawing, and color theory. Find a mentor whose work inspires you.

Here is a little about David Sommers.

Not sure what you mean by pillar moments. My artistic journey might give some insight at http://www.davidsommersart.com/artists-statement.html

What does David Sommers find yummy?

Curried food, Latin fusion.

Here is how to connect with David Sommers.

http://www.davidsommersart.com/

[email protected].

Artist, Stapleton Kearns, encourages us:

It's difficult to pay too much attention to what the painting actually looks like.

There's a trick to this, just get up and do it every day.

Put butter in your shoes, it makes of your entire body a giant electromagnet

Here is a little about Stapleton.

Studied with R.H.Ives Gammell

1983 opened my first gallery in Rockport, Massachusetts

Elected to the Guild of Boston Artists

What does Stapleton find yummy?

New York strip steak

Wild Rice Casserole

Rueben sandwiches

Here is how to connect with Stapleton.

www.stapletonkearns.fineartstudioonline.com

[email protected].

Nanette major artistic pillars are her mother saving all of her artwork as a child, Meeting John Murray (teacher that changed my life), Painting at the MET, entering/winning 1st art completion, teaching, having work selected to go to six- museums in China to represent US and that experience. (6 sorry) lol

Nanette encourages you to hone skills find a great teacher and learn, drawing, painting and picture-making. Study the old masters (no greater teachers) paint at the Museum if you are possible. Be a student of life, study nature and people and continue to work from life. Always keep yourself sharp

When it comes to food, Nanette loves vegetables, fresh, sautéed in olive oil or over pasta. Loves making homemade soups, smoothies, salads, desserts. Eat all the good stuff but also obsessed with avocados, ice cream, and chocolate.

Contact Nanette here.

www.nanettefluhr.com

website has contact info

Artist, Sheryl Boivin, encourages us:

Study, study, study. Practice, practice, practice. And know your basics.

Here is a little about Sheryl Boivin.

Connecting with other portrait artists has pushed me to begin bettering my techniques via workshops, videos and by asking questions in various forums on applications and materials. I am also pushing myself to work outside my comfort level and am working on the concept that if I don't think I need particular teaching or am not interested then that is the one I should take. I have been working on studying the principles of classical drawing in terms of the human figure. I entered my first big competition this year with the goal of entering more. Once again this is to help push me to up my ante so to speak.

What does Sheryl Boivin find yummy?

oh my. hahaha. I love moose burger and fresh fish the most. But basically I love food. I made a mean stir fry the other night and it was shredded cabbage, sliced zucchini, fresh chopped cremini, white and portabello mushrooms, onion, garlic, celery and fiddleheads, sauteed in olive oil. Yummyyyyyyy...

Here is how to connect with Sheryl Boivin.

https://www.instagram.com/sherylboivin/

Email is always the best way as it won't get lost whereas FB messages do.

Artist, Nicole Alger, encourages us:

Cultivate artist friendships so you can talk shop and critique each other over the years. If you stick to it and succeed in being alone, which is what is required, you will need to counterbalance the solitude and tendency to sink into your little bubble. Develop the ability to track the little things you find interesting. What moves you, intrigues you? Over years, fan those flames so you can develop work from your heart and not just from the neck up which can get stuck in cynicism.

Here is a little about Nicole Alger.

the moment I ushered the inner jury out of my creative process and trusted my toolkit ( 2003); cultivation of self-trust without which my endeavours would be wasted; keep drawing and painting from life to maintain flexibility

What does Nicole Alger find yummy?

I love to cook pancakes and eggs for my boys.

Here is how to connect with Nicole Alger.

www.nicolealger.com; insta: Nicole Alger

[email protected].

Artist, Thomas Caleb Goggans, encourages us:

- Take what you are given by life and your experience, with gratitude, but also a determination and passion to make the most of it. Even out most difficult and painful experiences give us things to learn, to paint about, to say and connect with others in the world. The is goodness and beauty in sorrow.

- Paint from what you know, what is inside of you, and what truly interests you and that you truly love. Don't waste your time, gifts, and life on someone else's vision or enterprise.

- Be where you are. See it, study it, know it, and share it.

Here is a little about Thomas Caleb Goggans.

1) Working and studying under Gordon Wetmore, founding Chairman of the Portrait Society of America

2) Studying at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Art

3) Studying from life and direct observation

4) Travelling to the western US; seeing the art of the west, and painting that environment.

5) Being commissioned to sculpt 7 portraits busts for the Coolidge National Medal of Honor museum.

What does Thomas Caleb Goggans find yummy?

- Fire-roasted prime rib or sirloin

- Blackberry Cobbler

- Seared Tomatoes with Burrata and flame toasted baguette.

Here is how to connect with Thomas Caleb Goggans.

www.thomascalebgoggans.com, facebook.com/tcgoggans, instagram.com/tcgoggans

Email, social media, or my website. .

Artist, Orit Reuben, encourages us:

1. Skill development is an essential step and we never stop learning. I love taking workshops from artists I admire. Sometimes I need to take a break because too many workshops can be confusing if they teach contradicting information. It's good to take a break from workshops and just paint but then return to learning. I recommend picking a master you would like to study under and take repeated classes and workshops, rather than taking many workshops from different people close together.

2. Marketing is as important as art-making.

3. Focus on the positive aspects of your journey and celebrate your achievements. Be thankful for opportunities.

Here is a little about Orit Reuben.

1. The beginning: stumbling into art classes at a local (but very good) art school. During the financial recession, while being unemployed, I got a speeding ticket and requested community service rather than paying the almost $300 ticket. I had more time than money. For my work hours, I volunteered at a local art school as a receptionist and found out volunteers receive free classes. I have already been longing to start my art journey years back but didn't know how to go about it.

2. Discovering pastels. At the art school, people donate art supplies. A woman dropped off a box of pastels at the front desk during my shift, and I asked for permission to keep it. I started taking classes and fell in love with the medium.

3. The third item is a concept of continual goal setting and the achievement of those goals, that has resulted in the many moments and steps that comprise my artistic journey.

What does Orit Reuben find yummy?

I love fish cooked in many ways.

I'm mostly a vegetarian (and also eat fish) I love dishes with good ingredients that are healthy with a lot of flavour and spices, I follow mostly a Mediterranean diet.

I love making shakshuka. It's eggs poached in tomato sauce. I make the sauce from scratch.

Lately, I've been making a gluten-free minestrone

I stay away from overly processed food and sugars.

Being from Israel I grew up in Israel, where very fresh fruits and vegetable are plentiful. I grew up at a time where everything was homemade. My mother was a stay at home mom and a very good cook. My grandmother baked cakes and desserts for the hotel at the kibbutz where my grandparents live. I may cheat and eat desserts every once in a while, but only if it's really worth it. I find most baked goods not good enough to cheat for unless they are made by someone who really knows what they are doing, which I find rare.

Here is how to connect with Orit Reuben.

www.oritreuben.com

my website www.oritreuben.com, email: [email protected], Facebook messenger.

Here is a little about Ingrid Thortveit.

- I remember the first time I won a prize. I was about 9 years old. Primary School. We where drawing our favorite fantasy house. My drawing ended up to win the prize of the best drawing in my class, and they hung it on the wall through the rest of the years. I was super proud and it felt good.

A year later we had to paint our classmates, in pairs. I painted my best friend at that time.

I remember the teacher was very pleased with my painting, as I managed to make the nose look three dimensional. It ended up hanging at the Headmaster's office the rest of my time at primary school. I realized how much I loved painting portraits.

- High school I did not study art, it was something I did a bit on my free time. It studied maths, chemistry, physics and biology. My plan was to study maths at college. I got in but I had this feeling that this was not right. I didn't feel passionate about it. I loved doing art.

Completely change of direction as I one day woke up and decided to pursue art instead.

I moved to Paris in 2006, and got inspired. Buildings and portraits.

Got super inspired in by all the portrait painters in Montmartre, the artist area of town.

- In 2007, I loved to London to work like a nanny. On my free time I did portrait commissions. Lots of families saw these portraits and I did a few commissions of kids. I loved it. My passion for portraits where growing.

- Up until now all I did was self-thought. But I wanted to learn how to paint professionally. In 2011 I enrolled to The Florence Academy of Art, Swedish branch, in Gothenburg. One of Europe's best academies for fine classical art. The traditional techniques and secrets of the old masters. I lived in Gothenburg for 3 years. I won a scholarship and lots of prizes for best paintings throughout the years I was there.

- In 2014 I won a prize, Fourth year prize. I got another year for free at The Florence Academy of Art in Florence. Also with specialized studies with the founder and Director of the school, Daniel Graves. I was teaching there too. Such an inspiring year.

- In 2015 I moved back to Norway where I had my very first exhibition. Did very well. Stayed in my home town for half a year, with atelier in nature. In 2016 I moved to London again, where I worked full-time with art.

- Settled in Oslo in 2017 where I now do art fulltime. Lots of exhibitions, commissions and workshops all over Norway, in Provence and also in London. Would love to get to Usa as well at some point. I keep on climbing to reach out more places with my art.

What does Ingrid Thortveit find yummy?

I don't have lots of time to cook, but if I do, I love salmon(of course, Im Norwegian ;-)). I'll say that if I went to to an island where I had to survive with two foods the rest of my life, I'd bring salmon and avocado. The avocado is also inspiring to paint, it has a beautiful color and shape if cut. Or any fish with Omega 3(tuna, Marcella etc.) I feel omega 3 is important for my art brain.

I will go to a workshop to make Thai food the beginning of March, I love Thai food.

If i cook I would put weird things together. As a student at FAA I was called the ""bird girl"", as I managed to make strange meals out of seeds. I eat oat porridge for breakfast every morning.

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Here is how to connect with Ingrid Thortveit.

www.ingridthortveit.com

Through my website: www.ingridthortveit.com, or e-mail: [email protected]

I would love to exhibit all over the world, USA in particular. Also I do all sorts of commissions, portrait commissions in particular. From life or from photo..

Laura Atkins encourages artists to immerse themselves in art that speaks to you. Really study it. Read everything you can. See it in person. She also says we should listen to artists on podcasts such as this one and John Dalton’s Gently Does It. As an artist, Laura says we ought to push ourselves past the point of frustration because there are problems that need to be resolved. Lastly, she says we should learn from each painting and play around with different approaches or materials.

Discovering Hi-Fructose magazine was an important moment in Laura’s artistic journey. There she found contemporary artists painting realistically such as Pamela Wilson and Alexandra Manukyan. Another moment was when she switched from acrylics to oils. Lastly “finding my tribe”, Laura says was key to her journey.

When it comes to food, Laura loves tea and chocolate. When she cooks she knows the food is ready when the smoke alarm goes off.

To connect with Laura goto her website at LauraAtkinsart.com You can send her a message via her website. Sometimes she checks into IG and infrequently I check in to Facebook.