(An Artist’s Insight) if you’re an artist, can you paint anything?
As a “fish artist” folks often assume that I paint fish because that is the only thing I know how to paint. And although I’ve become very proficient painting fish because of the many, many fish I’ve painted, I can still paint other subjects, (with varying degrees of success).
The painting above is a grizzly bear, a Christmas gift for my wife Janell. In researching for this painting, I was at a local book store, paging through bear books. After hearing of my plans to paint a bear, the store owner asked, “but you’re a fish painter…are you sure you can paint a bear?”. I was a little insulted by this question, but I guess that is a common misconception, that what ever an artist is known for painting, is probably the only thing he or she can paint.
I will admit that to paint a landscape, it takes me a good bit longer than a fish painting does. When painting a landscape I can see that I’m out of practice in rendering trees and fields and such… where as I’m very in practice in rendering a fly, or a fin…
I guess the point of this “Artist’s Insight”, is that artists focus on working in a single medium, and choose a specific marketable subject matter in order to build a career as an artist. But behind that polished portfolio of fish, horses, or seascapes etc., is often some pretty nice work in other mediums, and of other subject matters. I recommend looking into the background of your favorite artists, to see what else inspires them to capture it in their form of art, and what other mediums they are skilled at working in.
As for me, when I’m not painting fish, I like to paint portraits, other forms of wildlife, and seascapes (though I haven’t done many). Outside of the oil painting medium, I love drawing with pencil, creating funny fly fishing characters and such, it makes me laugh the whole time I’m drawing them. I also enjoy throwing pots on the ceramics wheel. I think the next big investment for my studio will be a ceramics area, not so much to market “fish pots” or anything, but just as a completely different creative outlet.
D, I thought this was a very good read… and the bear painting is Killa!!!!
D, The painting is absolutely perfect, great job my friend!!
Derek,
Their has to be a story behind this bear. His eyes tell it. This is a great work…one in which Janell is surely happy about. I can remember a time when you let me look into your sketch book. Very funny things in there that had nothing to do with fish. “Do what cha like…like what cha do.”
That bear is looking at a fly fisherman with long hair wading in a Mt. river and thinking, shall I eat him now or save him for later. Don’t forget your pepper spray. It’s a real tallent to paint an animal that by just looking at it, a person can come up with a story of what the bear is thinking.