Whenever someone compliments me on my artwork, they almost always ask me “So, were you always artistically inclined?” While true that I have always enjoyed art since I was very young, I’ve learned later in life that it is a craft that needs to constantly be honed and studied, whether through tutorials on video, in classes or through studying books on sketching and art technique.
Over the past several years, I’ve had the opportunity to study and learn from some great local artists in the Pacific Northwest, including Dianna Shyne to Jennifer Bowman to Mike Wise. They all have taught me a variety of lessons that I continue to practice and perfect in my own work. Of course, in these times of Covid 19, it’s not possible to experience the luxury of in-person instruction, so I have turned to the internet and the myriad of available instructional tutorials available in the art world.
I’ve also enjoyed the daily samplings of instruction offered by Eric Rhoads, Publisher of Streamline Publishing, one of the largest producers of art instruction videos. Since our Covid quarantine began, Eric continues to introduce artists to daily instruction by some of the most talented artists in the world in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, etc. through his live daily Facebook streams. It definitely has helped me grow and get through these tough times of the pandemic.
The bottom line and one of my New Year’s resolutions in 2021 is to continue to learn, grow and hone my art talent daily in some shape or form. There is no excuse not to take advantage of the instruction available at our fingertips, no matter what your art skill level is. Always be learning is my motto!