My question is about the photos you post. Are these shared for painting as well as enjoyment? I would love to try a couple from your post of the UK. These would be for my own practice only, not for sale.

I appreciate you asking. I tell my students to take their own photos, because that is how you learn most and have the best results. You will have been there, felt the light, atmosphere, and ambiance; all that translates into your painting. And I also think bad reference photos make the best paintings, since you feel more artistic license, and are not just reproducing them.

You resonate with these photos of mine because they are highly composed, so the composition is already there doing most of the work for you. You would be best served analyzing exactly why the photo you are looking at works as a composition, and try to incorporate those principles in your own photography.

I also discourage painting from other’s photos, since you think it may only be for practice, but who knows? Anything may turn out as something to sell or show, so I would advise not limiting those possibilities before you even begin. I think every artist’s art should be completely and throughly their own in every way, from the outset.

This is not so much about me feeling proprietary– although there is a bit of that, which I feel is legitimate– as it is about wanting to nurture your genuine progress.

Having said all that, I consider my blog photos for enjoyment, inspiration, and mostly for teaching by example. My blog is about an artist’s lifestyle, showing all the components that go into the vision and execution of my creative life. I hope you learn through the blog that I spend a lot of time looking closely at the world, photographing it, exalting in it, and studying it, even if my work is completely an abstraction of it.

I am interested in my blog readers learning to see the world as I do, through close attention and love, finding there the ever-present and essential good. I hope it inspires you to do likewise. I, myself, don’t even paint from my photos the way you are talking about, but let it all pass through me, like carefully reading textbooks or literature, before writing an original, perceptive essay.

And I suppose, yes, the blog is full of reference photos in the sense of “hum, I want to add a sheep to this painting, what does their stature look like from far away?” Then you can type sheep in the search bar, check it out, and get your answer.

How is your “No Buy Year” going?

In one way, well. In another, it is a bit of a farce, because I had built in caveats, and I’ve started gaming the system. I could buy replacements of things, so that came to count not only for soap and umbrellas, but pastels as well.

Another example was I was supposedly trying not to purchase any new books or art materials, but was allowing myself to spend money while I travel, so what did I buy in the UK, but books and art materials?!

Recently, when I juried an art fair, since I was on my way to Monhegan, I decided I was already on a trip (my luggage was in the car) so I allowed myself to buy necklaces there, where if I hadn’t been on the trip I would have had to say no. Then on Monhegan I bought scarves. I feel like if I hadn’t been on a “no buy year” I wouldn’t have bought all of that, but it was a bit like going to the grocery store when one is hungry.

I also bought my new computer this summer, which was grandfathered in and overdue. Spending all that money had the effect that spending less money in other ways was easier, since I already had something new.

In retrospect, I feel like it would be good to pick one month for a no-buy-month, where you literally plan only to buy gas and food. A whole year is a very long time. I think on balance I’ve spent less money, but haven’t let myself feel very denied, because I found all sorts of work arounds if I really wanted something, like buying a book for someone else as a gift, but reading it first. I will say, this exercise does make one conscious of using what one has and questioning the need for each and every purchase, and this habit feels now well ingrained. That feels worth it to me, as I don’t want to be a mindless consumer, and want to save my money for bigger experiences, like more travel.

Do you ever give live talks on Christian Science?

When I am asked to, I do!

I love doing this, since I’m passionate about this subject, and feel it is incredibly important. I am very comfortable sharing spiritual ideas in a fresh and accessible way, which many people have found enormously helpful. I’m well qualified, after having been in the full-time public practice of Christian Science since 1997, and know from experience that it is very effective.

If your group, association, or church is interested, let’s explore the possibility of me speaking to you. You can contact me here. 

Let me know any questions you have that you want me to answer!