Blog Archive

I RECENTLY added two new videos about painting with palette knives to my Gumroad site (download for $9.95 each). I…

“CAN’T you see the red in that shadow?” I was taking a painting workshop at the Grand Canyon from one…

—I’VE been involved in art all my life. I have illustrated book covers, executed editorial work for publications such as…

–ONE of my early influences was Maxfield Parrish. I loved his bright color and unique subject matter. I admired his…

The object becomes aesthetically significant when it becomes metaphysically significant. –Joseph Campbell I RECENTLY had an interview with Jerry Hardesty…

REALIST ARTISTS believe their work explains itself. They think what the viewer sees and feels is adequate. I sympathize with…

zzz GENERALLY speaking, it is easier to paint thinly than it is to paint with thick, rich strokes of color….

–I HAVE read how many artists avoid using black paint at all costs. Some even decry it as not being…

–LEARNING to replicate the energy of your drawings in your paintings is one of the most productive advances you can…

–SIXTEEN years ago I read an art instruction book that recommended making color charts. I used artist tape to mark…

–I published a new instructional video with Gumroad (see preview below). They provide the best download speeds and easiest purchasing options (Paypal or credit card). The…

–MANITOU Galleries suggested I make a short video giving collectors a view into my studio and my process. I filmed a…

–IT has been a lifelong ambition to get gallery representation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is the third largest…

–WHY do some people love art and others seem unmoved by it? I’m always interested in the reaction of people who visit our home….

–A few readers who were unable to attend the Persistence of Vision Show requested I upload some footage. I forgot…

“Out of the fires of desire and despair are forged all the formerly irreconcilable opposites of paradox.” –Cypher –OVER the…

–TO be in the company of those who wish the best for you is one of the greatest blessings a…

–IT is a good idea when having a show to write a brief press release. Press releases are prewritten articles to intrigue journalists into…

Marker painting, Dali, 12″ x 14″, with QR code –I was honored to be interviewed for James Gurney’s blog about…

Closeup of Summer Sky, 48″ x 48″ –PAINTINGS with thick applications of paint are especially prone to cracking. So I’ve…

Cypher Graphic Novel, by Brad Teare –I was honored that clinical psychologist and Youtube superstar Jordan B. Peterson sent me…

–I recently published a book with Zno and found it to be an easy way to print on-demand books. The prices…

–I was honored to receive a review copy of Nobel Prize recipient Dr. Eric R. Kandel‘s latest book Reductionism in Art…

–I recently made a new portfolio magazine via Blurb (you can preview the entire magazine below). I find the method vastly…

–IN time nearly every oil painting will crack. But the challenge is to postpone that inevitability as long as possible….

–I HAVE mentioned several times that Pinterest and Instagram are my favorite social media platforms. Instagram has proved useful, and I’ve sold…

–ONE of my favorite philosophers, Jordan Peterson, wrote; You are neither your own master nor your own slave. You cannot easily tell…

–MY original article about defeating a creative block was condensed and included in a newsletter for Plein Air Magazine (read…

–AS my exploration of digital media continues I decided to check out Quora. I’ve answered a few questions relating to art…

–I transferred my acrylic supplies to my new studio in the hopes of doing some large abstract landscape acrylics–even though…

–IN an attempt to unify my woodcut and my painting style I’ve been experimenting with using a woodcut-like underpainting as…

–IN a previous post, I mentioned that I avoided plein air painting for three years. When I returned to the…

–ALTHOUGH I always loved painting outdoors, my plein air work lagged far behind the authenticity of my studio work. On…

–I AM just one exhibit away from being able to finish my new studio (my latest show will be this…

–RECENTLY I was preparing a set of paintings to send to my new gallery, the Leopold Gallery in Kansas City. To…

–MANY writers have remarked on an overall drop in blog readership. This blog is no different and reflects the trend….

–MY favorite social media platform is Instagram (if you want to see painting updates click here). Many assume that internet sales are…

–THE best insurance is taking measures to keep ourselves safe and healthy. To comply with that belief I recently made several adjustments…

–THE poet Alexander Pope, describing the slippery slope of degraded expectation wrote, “vice is a monster of such frightening mien, that…

–AS promised I finally put together a video outlining all of my favorite palette knives (see below). I’m using all…

–I recently switched over to using palette knives for the entirety of my painting process. I cross-examined my motives, as I…

–”YOU can’t till you can” sounds like a quip from baseball’s low-brow philosopher Yogi Bera. But it’s actually a quote from…

–IF you are in Salt Lake City from June 1 to June 17, 2017, I hope you will drop into Alpine Art…

–EVERY artist knows the importance of a daily sketchbook. My problem has been that I often don’t have my sketchbook…

–WHY do people like paintings? Why do they hang them in their homes and offices and travel to see museum…

–I recently came across a video by Jeffrey R.Watts that had a lot of valuable information, especially for young artists. Watts…

–WHY is art important? This is a question even artists, who should appreciate art the most, have trouble answering. When…

–RECENTLY I was a guest on the Zion Art Society podcast, with Dr. Micah Christenen, and was asked about my experience as…

–WHEN you learn about the techniques of fellow artists, you come across suggestions that have the ring of truth, such…

–WHAT type of artist are you? When I began my illustration career, my intent was to be a science fiction/fantasy book…

–I AM enthused to announce a new oil painting workshop Thursday, May 25, 4-8 pm, at Weber State University (click here…

–I HAVE often said in my posts and Youtube videos that the color it looks like is the color it…

–THE temperature of a painting is always relative. If a painting is mostly made up of blues nearly any color…

–IMAGINE being invited to your favorite artist’s studio and getting a chance to thumb through his or her sketchbook. That’s…

–I’M enthused about an upcoming landscape show at my new gallery, Anthony’s Fine Art, on March 17. As suggested by…

–THE internet offers an unprecedented means to connect with fellow artists and potential art collectors. But the connection is only useful…

–SLEEPING well is a struggle for me. I often face the easel wishing I could have slept better, more prepared to…

–TO be successful artists need to learn how to generate and maintain energy. The best ways are to eat well,…

–ONE of the worst creative blocks I ever had was when I contracted to complete a 112-page graphic novel. I…

–ONE obstacle to painting thickly is the limit of one alla prima painting session. Once the highly textured paint has dried,…

–WHEN we are unhappy, we fixate on what is wrong. It becomes difficult to focus on the positive. Our current unhappy…

–I DON’T struggle with creative block often–but when I do it is overwhelmingly painful. It usually happens when the stakes…

–CARROT.FM is an online service that lets you consult with a wide variety of experts via mobile phone video. This Friday (tomorrow,…

–AS a contrast to abstract elements in my new, looser painting style I thought I should improve my linear composition skills. (For a discussion…

– WHEN I worked in the animation business, the sentiment was expressed that if you weren’t drawing enough to need…

–I’M coming to the end of an incredibly productive period. I want to thank everyone who gave me a boost…

AS you know I love experimenting with new and innovative online opportunities. I was recently contacted by Carrot.FM to be…

–FOR years I resisted using a palette knife simply because a famous local artist used the knife exclusively and I…

A gallery I follow recently asked the question, “Can you name five women artists?” In the comments section I typed Mary…

–TWO decades ago I was speculating with a fellow artist about the future of fine art. I predicted that after…

Click to view book –A THWARTED dream of mine has been a print show exhibiting the sketches that inspired the…

AS many of you know I’ve experimented with online learning although the major venue for my videos has been Youtube….

–AT A CRITICAL moment in my plein air development I attended a prestigious art festival. My studio painting was in a precarious evolutionary phase–I…

Work in progress, 48′ x 48′, acrylic –I FIRST met Dan McCaw at a guest lecture at Utah State University…

–IN this video I demonstrate how I fuse my experimentations with abstraction with conventional landscape. I use the underpainting not…

IS ART the most important aspect of human culture? Or is it of no importance at all? Many might deem…

Spring Road, 12″ x 16″ –I PAINTED this painting at last week’s workshop. I did 90% of it with palette…

–AFTER my abstract painting reception (tonight at 8pm) I will be starting a new project. A few weeks ago I…

—AFTER several incorrect posts I finally conferred with the gallery director and confirmed that the artist reception for my abstract…

–AS many of you know I love exploring digital possibilities for artists. I’ve explored making books for the Kindle as…

–I RECENTLY received an advanced copy of Daily Painting by Carol Marine. As I opened the packaging I read the title on…

–FOR those attending my workshop at Weber State University this Friday, June 24, 2016 I thought it would be beneficial to review some…

Subterranean Heat, 48″ x 36″ –IN this short video I discuss how and why I paint abstracts. Concurrently I also…

On view starting June 28, Dream of Blue, 36″ x36″, acrylic –IF you are in Northern Utah from June 28 to August…

Cover to new abstract collection –IN my continuing quest to secure quality promotional material I assembled a new collection of abstracts…

Dry pigments from Lilly’s paint lab I MET Walter Haas online in a group about painting with thick paint. During…

–MY Wattpad book, The Art of Thick Paint, is being featured this month as an example of a book with embedded…

Abstract as it appears at Alpine Art in Salt Lake City –I WAS talking with a fellow artist who was…

Cloudscape, 12″ x 12″, Oil on Canvas – I WAS invited to an online group about thick paint from a…

The Gravity of Light, 48″ x 36″, acrylic FROM time to time controversy emerges about the archival reliability of acrylics….

Eight block color woodcut I AM enthused for my woodcut show opening 15 April 2016 at Alpine Art from7-9. It is…

(NOTE: The class sold out on April 27 but the University is scheduling another session. If you add your name to the waiting list you will be added to…

Long Valley Morning, 12 block woodcut COLLECTORS need to understand why you create your art. Additionally if no one understands…

Persistence of Vision, by Debra Teare, oil on canvas Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible. –Richard…

ART culture has problems. One of them is the rise of celebrity culture eclipsing 99% of art being created. For some…

If it bleeds, it leads. — Newspaper adage I HAVE bad news–everything you’ve learned about how to become a successful…

6″ x 6″ closeup HERE are parts 3 and 4 in which I finish the 36′ x 36′ acrylic, Waiting…

RIGHT before I went to New York I was advised by a mentor to “look at everything–suspend judgement and just…

WHILE I was painting my newest acrylic I reflected on the impulses that drive us to find our particular styles. Although…

HERE is the second part showing how I finish  the underpainting. It is now ready to apply a layer of…