Thank you! I tend to choose a model based on how I feel around them. I then do a photo shoot with them and ask them to go through a scenario (like "pretend you are rolling out dough for baking a pie") I take like 1000 photos of the sequence. I never instruct on expression except to say "pretend I am not here and you are doing this certain task." I then go through the photos to find the ones that speak to me in terms of feeling. Out of say 3000 photos, I may use 3-5 in the end for paintings. I tend to mix a head with a hand, etc. If you are very specific with poses, the model gets very stiff and awkward. I would rather have to do some photoshop to get the exact finger position, than pose them stiffly. I actually like to use mechanical pencil for lay-ins. I have some that are .3, .5, and .7. For a tiny head, I will use the lightest and finest lead.

I think that is a very tough area for me. I struggle tremendously with design. It seems to require improving something beyond what is there. I try to look at artists who design well-like Alphonse Mucha, Gil Elvgin, Rockwell, Mian Situ, Bill Anton, Jason Rich, etc. Some artists like Jason Rich show their reference photos on their instagram page, and how they transformed them into the final painting. Getting a glimpse into that process is a real treat and privilege. By looking at how great artists design their paintings, we can understand some of the process for ourselves. I will often work on a painting with paintings of other artists around. If I am troubled with the design of a drapery fold, I may look to see how Rockwell would design it.

I began study of art at a local junior college. At the time, it was just for fun and an outlet while I decided what I wanted to do. I found that I could not imagine a life without art, and decided to increase my learning by going to Watts Atelier, where I could get more specific about the subject. I worked part time at a Trader Joes, and did signage and artwork at the store, as well as cashiering and other duties. It was a good job, and for the time felt I would stay with the company part time, and do classes at Watts for pleasure. I began to do some teaching with the school and at the same time a mural at Traders. After 6 months of 2 am shifts and standing on a ladder, I was pretty burnt out with doing art at trader joes. Jeff Watts approached me with working more at the school and less for Joes. I did a lot of odd jobs at the school like model booking and organizing and some teaching. I started on a path of costume making for my own paintings that I was venturing into. Eventually I had was in a gallery. Galleries can be tough to rely on solely. I now teach a little, paint for a couple of galleries, and sell antique textiles through an online business. I started selling textiles after acquiring many of them for my costumes over a decade ago. I like to split my time between these three businesses. I run my online shop in the morning, and paint in the afternoons. I highly recommend having a side job or business to make the transition easier. It is extremely difficult to have a consistent income from just galleries alone. For instance, I would have been in dire straits had I only had a gallery income last year during Covid. My shows were cancelled for last year and this year. I am glad I have other means of bringing in income. It allows me to paint every day without a huge stress hanging over my head.

IT's great to have a good connection to the subject, especially living in the area where the subject can be found. I have used a liason to connect me with the native american subject. There are some historical re-enactors as well in the genre that work with artists. If you can connect directly with a local tribe, that is great, and probably the most optimal. I have met some locals in my area at pow-wows. One problem is trying to marry modern day pow-wow gear with clothing and regalia from the time period that I paint. I have started to build my own collection of regalia to outfit models that I meet in the future. A key thing is working with models and being able to direct them with comfort and ease. You need to be on the same page idea wise. I have had the best experiences with those who understand what I am looking for and those that are comfortable behind the camera.