Oil Painting

As artists, we have all read or heard stories about American artists traveling abroad and returning filled with new ideas, having had great adventures and learning from the masters in the museums. As a curator, a gallerist, editor/writer and fine artist, I have seen and learned first-hand the value of travel abroad with peers and its positive influence on the work we are all creating today, as well as the new opportunities it can offer to us all.

Mary Cassat who was lucky enough to be an American woman who journeyed to Paris and studied the masters, learned from and painted alongside the Impressionists, then showed with them. From the intriguing stories of John Singer Sargent and his portraits of Parisian aristocrats, to the California Impressionist Guy Rose, who then went to Giverny, France and painted alongside Claude Monet, and brought back a fresh palette, and inspired light filled canvases for a movement that lasted over 30 years. Paris, with its plethora of art museums, ranging from the Louvre with the Mona Lisa and giant works by Peter Paul Rubens, to the D’Orsay that carries the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, to smaller museums like the Rodin where artists can visit the home of the artist and gain inspiration from his walls, his works, and his history, studying these great masters abroad has often influenced modern day painters. 

Another aspect of European inspiration comes from the lively artist groups, for example in Tuscany and Paris, who came together as painters and writers and created movements and even bravery among themselves to stretch out of their comfort zones. These were the original “collaborations”, or “collabs”, hundreds of years before the Instagram collabs we know today. The Italian artists often known as “The Macchiaioli” were a group of Tuscan painters, around the 1800’s who focused on landscape paintings with color and light, (pre-Impressionists) and often painted en plein air. Their camaraderie and combined style helped them gain influence and acceptance. Did you know that later there was an Italian artist who showed with the French impressionists? Giuseppe De Nittis showed in the First Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in 1874. That is something new I learned while there exploring the museums during my travels.  

I often think of the other famed groups in history, such as the “Lost Generation” Hemingway, Joyce, Pound, Fitzgerald, Eliot. This group included gatherings held in Paris bistros and bars some 100 years ago and had both writers and artists, such as Picasso and Man Ray. It even included their supporters Gertrude Stein and owner of the Shakespeare and Company American bookstore Sylvia Beach. They would engage in a day or evening of lively discussions and encourage or even critique one another. An honest artist critique can be so valuable for another artist. This group was a big influence on me as a writer and an artist myself, even though it was years before me. 

Trips are filled with art history, alluring new subjects, and traveling with like-minded artists which can create a strong camaraderie that is of such value to an artist. Studying the master’s together, asking what colors they used, and sharing ideas while looking at larger than life group scenes by Peter Paul Rubens while discussing his compositions and group figure design, is often better than being in a stale classroom.

If you visit art supply stores on these trips you may often gather great information from paint companies that made the pigments for the masters found in the Museums and how new synthetic pigments later encouraged the Impressionist’s color. I have learned about genres of art as well, such as the post-Impressionist group called the Nabi’s. All of these reasons: studying the historical masters, finding new alluring subjects, the camaraderie of traveling and learning with your peers are priceless.   

This blog has been written and shared with the artists and collectors at Oil Painters of America, simply reminding us that we are all already a similar group, that we are often influencing one another by seeing others works at our annual exhibitions, learning together at “Lunch and Learns”, and at OPA events.

Many of us have already joined one another on trips and have gained new friends as well as a world of visual and intellectual experience. It has been a vital part of my journey and inspiration as an artist, writer and curator. I would like to encourage you to stand in front of the amazing historical masterworks of art, to enjoy long discussions about art history, find new subjects, and paint on location in some of the most beautiful places in the world to influence and inspire the work you are creating today. The new subjects may help you gain a new gallery, or group show with friends. The instant camaraderie of attending a travel workshop is also so important, I feel, as well as painting in our studios we often need to hear and be with others. I hope this blog has encouraged you to study the masters, join a travel workshop, such as “Americans in Paris”, and band together with your fellow OPA members.

Merci!

Vanessa Françoise Rothe

A close friend of the great American artist, Edward Hopper, once said of him, “He was emotionally depressed with long periods of unconquerable inertia, sitting for days at a time before his easel in helpless unhappiness, unable to raise a hand to break the spell.”

It is a fact that one’s creative juices can ebb and flow. It’s not pleasant when they ebb, particularly when you make your living being creative. I’ve experienced a few slumps in my day, thankfully, never to the degree of Mr. Hopper. It’s not always clear cut, and I certainly cannot be dogmatic about Hopper’s depression, but I believe the root cause of depression can be spiritual.

People are surprised to learn that creative slumps are even possible with someone they consider to be an accomplished painter. But it’s true and is certainly not uncommon among creative professionals. That is itself an important point. It’s not uncommon, so it’s a truth that first needs to be recognized, and then accepted.

Inherent in every creative slump is self-doubt, a feeling that you’re losing your creative ability. Of course, that’s not true but it certainly feels that way. It just reiterates what I’ve said many times…if we rely on our feelings to be aligned before doing anything, we will accomplish very little.

During a particularly bad episode a few years ago, I remember entering the studio and realizing I couldn’t even remember how to start a painting. I felt I had forgotten everything. I mean it. Every attempt at painting just added to a growing sense of hopelessness and frustration.

Knowing I’m not the only one that experiences such self-doubt and lack of confidence, I asked a few OPA Masters what they do when encountering creative slumps.

Jeremy Goodding OPAM– Creative slumps can be one of the most difficult things for an artist to overcome. It’s good to acknowledge this so it doesn’t catch you off guard. 

In my case creative slumps are usually a matter of diminished mental and physical energy. They come from one of two categories. First is fatigue from regular life. The second is fatigue from the creative process. 

We all go through things in life that sap our energy and affect our creativity. I have weathered Illness, loss of a loved one, travel fatigue, problems with cars and many other things that life throws at you. It’s important that we allow ourselves time to rebound before we expect our best creative work. Good sleep, diet and exercise really help me weather life’s challenges. Also, taking time to do things that I sincerely enjoy can be healing. I like spending time outdoors, cooking, music and dreaming about some new adventure I’d like to take. These things help me reset and find initiative. It helps to have faith that God will see you through too!

On the creative side, large complex paintings and balancing deadlines with competitions, collectors and galleries can leave me feeling seriously stretched. I have to be careful not to overcommit. It’s hard to maintain creative energy when you are pulled in too many directions. I make it a point not to miss deadlines. When the dust settles, I have to rebuild my focus and visual sensitivity to move past the inevitable slump. Smaller paintings really help me get back on track. Completing easier projects really boosts confidence. They are a small reminder of what you are capable of and they help set the stage for something bigger that will take most of your creative energy to complete. 

It’s important to embrace the ups and downs of the creative process. It’s normal to reach new heights only to have a slump soon after. Don’t be surprised by it! 

Deborah Tilby OPAM– My “slumps” come in the form of a drop in confidence rather than a lack of creative energy or ideas.  Really bad slumps will have me feeling like a fraud and “who am I kidding?” I find this goes in cycles.  I will go along for a time feeling pretty good about my work and thinking that just maybe I actually do know what I’m doing. 

This will be followed by a period of dissatisfaction and frustration, I suppose because I always strive to be a better painter, so I move the goalposts. To deal with these slumps, I look at the work of other painters whom I admire, painters working in all sorts of interesting ways, usually nothing to do with the way I work but inspiring nonetheless. Then I choose subjects that are familiar so that I can put my energy into exploring other ways to handle them, other ways to use my tools…and the paintings will be much smaller so that I have many more chances to  work my way out of my dissatisfaction.

 I always arrive at a good place again, feel confident again, and go for many months consolidating what I’ve learned before the cycle repeats itself.

It isn’t fun being in a slump but I’ve come to recognize that it is an important time for growth as a painter. If a painter always loves everything they do, never questioning or having doubts, there is a danger of stagnation and they can end up painting the same thing in the same way over and over again.

Lori Putnam OPAM – There seems to be insufficient time to explore ideas when deadlines and responsibilities are looming. Sometimes it feels impossible to be creative, and I start questioning not only what to paint, but why to paint.

A quick scroll through social media, a visit to an art museum, or a perusal of art books can do one of two things: 1) Inspire me to take more risks with my work (yes!), or 2) Leave me thinking I am just not good enough (ugh). Once I allow myself to have thoughts about my lack of ability, I am doomed. If I am spiraling into a creative slump or experiencing a lack of confidence, my paintings show it. They are uninspired. They look too contrived, overworked, and lack life and energy.

Trying a different medium, playing with color, loosening my expectations, or working on small studies can reduce pressure and open unexpected doors. Reconnecting with the initial joy of creating—without the need to produce a painting worthy of exhibiting—often leads to surprising breakthroughs. Sometimes, allowing space for rest and observation in nature, without a brush in hand, is just as vital as actually painting it, giving my mind a chance to reset, and new ideas the freedom to surface naturally.

Louis Escobedo OPAM – First look at your Composition, Drawing, Values and Color Intensities, and check if everything is correct…or close to it. Then, look at your overall piece, GO BACK AND SIMPLIFY TO A BEGINNER’S BLOCK IN…TWO VALUES ON EVERYTHING, or where it needs it. Forget the detail and you will begin to see the Big Picture of where you went wrong. This is the way I chose to solve problems and a way of understanding Chaos!!!

MaryBeth Karaus OPAM– During the last two winters, I have encountered not just creative slumps but full-on blocks. I couldn’t get my heavy arms and legs to stand up and walk in the studio. I thought, it must be the studio’s fault. It’s really just a small 8×10 breezeway. Who can get any work done in there? I have to roll the easel around so I can go in and out of the doors.

If not that, then it’s the weather. The skies are gray in Ohio in the winter like a heavy blanket. That must be it. Seasonal depression. Whatever the problem is, I’m noticing a pattern. Next year what can I do?

Once the daffodils start blooming it’s over. Then here come the peonies and roses. Creative block disappears into thin air! So, the source of inspiration is missing! How can we draw it in when we need it? Here are some suggestions that I plan to try next year.

1. Open your photos on your computer and reevaluate your reference photos by cropping differently.
2. Head to museums or art galleries. Get away from the studio.
3. For still life painters, search through antique or grocery stores for inspiration.
4. Keep an inspiration list in your phone under your notes. Here you can add photos and drawings when ideas are coming right and left. Something like…do a still-life with all yellows, or try a hi-key painting with a light blue pitcher. Store these ideas away for when your creative juices come to a slow drip.
5. Try very small paintings done in one day of a single thing- one cup, one rose, or one apple.
6. If all else fails…Clean and organize. Sort paint, brushes, canvases, frames or do the worst job ever- clean your turp can and scrape your palette clean.

I find this quote motivating- “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working” Pablo Picasso.

Let yourself off the hook. If you can’t paint ITS OKAY to accept it. You can still work doing other things that move your painting projects forward. 

John Pototschnik OPA – My usual procedure for overcoming these discouraging slumps is to start something new, create many small studies (4″x 6″ range) of possible future paintings, or get outside and paint on location. Many artists, when going through such times, have expressed that they have always come out on the other side doing better work…let’s hope that’s the case for all of us.

I made my first painting when I was 21 years old. Up to that point I had never been in an art museum, nor was I aware of the French Impressionist painters. I discovered their work looking at an art history book my girlfriend had. I was immediately drawn to the work, like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was life changing. My friend encouraged me to try painting and gave me a set of acrylic paints, so I proceeded to make some copies of the Impressionist work I saw in the book, plus enrolled in some art classes at the community college. A drawing class and two painting classes. I was also working but would paint on the weekends and evenings.

I’m not sure where it came from but I was also certain I would be able to survive as a painter. My parents certainly instilled in me a work ethic, but they also did not understand nor really support my choice. Years later when asked what he thought at the time, my dad replied “I thought he was a hippy”. All that changed when they saw my commitment, hard work, plus my paintings really improving. After almost six years of painting full time and a visit from my parents to my place in Arcata, CA, about 700 miles from their home and where I grew up, plus seeing the conditions I lived in, my dad gave me a call. He said my mother cried all the way home as she was so sad to see the cold water, showerless, no kitchen stove, just a hot plate, funky studio living quarters I resided in. He offered to cover my expenses for a painting each month. This from parents that really had no connection to the fine arts, but were getting to know it some, through my passion and love of art. They sent a modest check for a few years to help me out, building a nice collection of my work. My paintings eventually started to sell, beyond just a sale here and there. That was after 14 years of working very hard at drawing and painting. I believe there is great power in committing oneself 100% to what it is you want to do as an artist, or anything in life for that matter. When I made that decision to paint full time,

I was certainly naive in matters of life and art but my desire and passion, single mindedness and work ethic carried me each day. It was a good time to throw caution to the wind as well. From 1975 to 1988 I never paid more than $150 per month for a place to live or work, and $25 brought home a couple large bags of groceries. In 1989 my wife Terry, also an artist, and I bought our home, so of course expenses went up, but we were both selling our paintings and bringing in more money than any time before. We are in the same house in 2025 and have never missed a house payment, plus we built two studios on our property 20 years ago. All of that I attribute to working hard, growing and improving as a painter, plus never losing faith in the process and commitment to a life as a painter.

I also believe luck and being in the right place at the right time play a role in shaping our life. Luck is fueled by commitment and hard work. My decision to move to Humboldt County brought me to a place that was beautiful, with an abundance of diverse landscape painting opportunities and an art community that embraced me, one where I met some lifelong friends, painters that I learned from and helped me grow.

Making a commitment and following through on it, connected me over the years with so many fine people, fellow painters, patrons and friends. I have witnessed that support from so many people for all these years. In the lean years I had landlords trade for rent as well as dentists and other professionals who traded, and people buying the work, usually for not more than $150. When one believes completely in what one does and works hard at it, many people will see that commitment and support it in many ways.

Honesty and painting what you believe to be true and meaningful is so important to making work that is authentic. I have always believed it’s a mistake to ever think about what the market is looking for or trying to find what connects with buyers. One needs to connect on a deep level with the work they do and the people that love your work and those that purchase it, will sense that and follow your journey. I sell a lot of work, but I paint a lot more that hasn’t yet sold and fills my studio. For me, and my own wellbeing as an artist, I would find it to be unfulfilling to repeat over and over those paintings that were popular and sold. I think when trying to make art one needs to explore and push ourselves into unknown territory, or try something that is very difficult, exploring different subjects or one’s process of painting. I love this quote from Miles Davis. He was once asked why he didn’t play ballads anymore, “because I can” was his answer. Now I do love Miles Davis ballads but even more so, I love how he never stopped growing as an artist, even if I didn’t like everything he made.