Kami Mendlik ’s exquisite landscape paintings shimmer and vibrate with animated light and color. Her life-long journey of curiosity and keen observation of the natural world began when she was a young child. The Minnesota farmland she grew up on was fertile not just for crops, but also for a young mind curious about the wonders of the land that was her home. She was entranced by the beauty of nature's rhythm and harmony and its myriad colors. Kami thinks of herself as a lifelong student. Each se...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 72
Greg Newbold is a fine art painter and illustrator based near Salt Lake City, Utah. Greg says that for him, “art is a soulful expression.” His hope is that a piece of him comes out at the end of his brush onto the surface of a painting and connects with the spirit of the viewer. Greg’s compelling visions of the American West are distilled through the filter of his own life experiences. Building upon that, he applies his own unique creative filters of simplification, light, color, shape, and text...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 71
Priya Gore ’s extraordinary paintings of birds and wildlife are breathtaking. Her paintings are full of color, vibrancy, and energy. She says painting large allows her whole body to become fully engaged in the flow and gesture of painting. The process of painting is like a joyous dance, each lyrical movement breathes life into the birds that are often the subject of her art. It was against improbable odds that Priya would become the artist she is today. She came from a large family in a small vi...
May 21, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 70
Craig Stephens is an artist who delights in painting everyday things. I started following Craig after a chancing upon his Instagram account. I was instantly drawn to his small oil paintings of french fries, toy dinosaurs, peanut butter sandwiches, sneakers, hamburgers, and other everyday objects. I knew this was a painter I wanted to talk with! Craig Stephens was born in Sacramento, California in 1963. He received his B.A. in art studio in 1993. During his undergraduate years, he had the privile...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 69
Kim Lordier is an extraordinary pastel painter whose works are cherished by collectors from around the world. Her path to becoming a full-time painter took flight in unexpected ways. Beginning with earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree she became – a flight attendant! Soon, though, she returned with firm resolve to making fine art her life’s work. For the first two decades of her painting career, she focused primarily on the landscape – both from life in and in her studio. Filled with rich colo...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 68
Brian Buckrell is a full-time Canadian painter. After a long, successful career as a Professor of Veterinary Medicine, he made the decision to switch to a career doing one of the hardest things known to humankind: painting fine art. The transition wasn’t easy - especially doing so much later in life while in his sixties. He admits there were times he felt like quitting. However, he stuck with it. Brian doggedly continued developing his painting skills. Recognizing the importance of learning the ...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 67
Mitchell Albala is a fine art painter, noted author, and beloved workshop instructor. His first book, Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice , is a well-worn reference in my personal library since 2009 when it was first published. Mitchell now has an exciting new book available, The Landscape Painter's Workbook: Essential Studies in Shape, Composition, and Color . When I received this book a couple of months ago and read it, I knew this would also...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 66
Ariana Richards delights in expressing her creativity in both painting and acting. Encouraged by her family at an early age, she developed an intense interest in the arts. She developed her painting skills even though as a young child she was busy acting. Ariana has appeared in over 30 movies and television shows – including portraying the young computer wizard Lex in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park. She went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts and Drama at Skidmore College. Her paintin...
Jan 22, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 65
Robert Henri's book The Art Spirit inevitably makes it in any artist's top ten artbook recommendations. As passionate students of Art, we know Robert Henri. His paintings make up an extraordinary body of work. He is considered the "father" of the Ashcan School - a loose alliance of artists whose approach to painting had more in common with journalism than stuffy, academic Traditionalism. Henri taught in many art schools. By some estimates, he taught more than a thousand students – including Edwa...
Nov 19, 2021•33 min•Ep. 64
Scott L. Christensen must paint - it is core to his very being. His keen eye and probing curiosity of nature reveal a deep love of not just being outdoors – but, rather, immersed in it with all senses engaged. His response to the landscape is visceral. He wants the viewer to feel a deep emotional connection with the landscape. The viewer is not a mere passing observer of a Christensen painting, but is also a participant in the scene – curious, seeking answers to their own internal questions. Nat...
Sep 12, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 63
Britt Snyder focuses on capturing memories and feelings on canvas. Though influenced by late 19th century impressionism, Britt's paintings are clearly a modern take of impressionistic figurative, still life, and landscape painting. His portrayal of the human figure resembles a character who once inhabited our dreams of the night, and now their features slowly dissolve from our waking memory. His paintings reference classical painting, photography and pop culture with an emphasis on capturing and...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 62
Frank Serrano 's paintings have a sense of atmospheric depth that seem to extend far beyond the two dimensional surface of a canvas. As you look at one of his Western landscape paintings, it's as if you can feel the summer heat enveloping California's Owens Valley. You feel a breeze gently tugging at your soul as you gaze in awe upon the purple glow of the fading light of the setting sun cast upon the immense Eastern Sierras. This is Edgar Payne country. Inspired by Payne as well as artists Sam ...
Jul 15, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 61
Kevin Kehoe began his remarkable career as a fine art painter just a little over eight years ago. Though he had attended Art Institute of Boston, it would be another 30 years before he would pick up his paint brushes again. With the loving support of his wife, he abandoned a successful career in advertising to pursue fine art painting full time. Kevin refers to himself as a painter with a camera. However, his thoughtfully composed photos are merely a jumping off point for his exquisite, expansiv...
Jun 26, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 60
Denise LaRue Mahlke paints with soft pastels - which are to her the purest form of artist color. Unfettered with complicated materials, she is free to respond spontaneously to the unfolding spectacle of the big skies and ancient geology of the American West. I first saw her beautiful, atmospheric pastel works of art in person at the Booth Museum. It was at a show called Painting Red Rocks Country, Past and Present. Her work was displayed alongside the works of G. Russell Case, Matt Smith, and Ra...
Jun 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 59
Eric Bowman could never have imagined the path his life would take for him to become a fine art painter. He wanted to go to art school but the prospect of spending two years in a junior college taking courses that had nothing to do with art - well, that was something he couldn't stomach. And so began a surprising journey with many side trips and destination stops and the serendipitous meeting of people who would forever shape the way he creates art today. In this edition of the Artful Painter, E...
May 22, 2021•2 hr 23 min•Ep. 58
Vianna Szabo comfortably switches between painting with pastel, watercolor, acrylic, or oil. She paints beautifully sensitive portraits. Her landscape paintings capture a fleeting moment in time. Expressive color is a hallmark of her paintings no matter the subject she chooses or the medium she uses. In this episode you soon learn that Vianna has a passion for teaching other artists. Vianna's ability to take complex subjects and convey them in simple and relatable terms is a hallmark of her appr...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 57
Chris Kolupski began painting outdoors as a teenager in the forests of Upstate New York and Canada. He credits his high school art teacher David DeClerk for making a significant impact on his early artistic evolution. DeClerk took his class on outdoor painting field trips and introduced his students to representational American painters and illustrators such as Winslow Homer, Norman Rockwell, and the Wyeth family. Like many artists, Chris pursued career choices after high school that helped him ...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 56
Shanna Kunz is a contemporary landscape painter whose work is a conscious play of mood, light and color. As a naturalist raised and rooted in the diverse landscapes of western America, a painting takes on deeper meaning for her. Each location is an encounter of spirit with the land, the trees, and the waters that have always given her a sense of connection and order. When a location intrigues and inspires her, she paints the scene into a series using a range of keys or themes, experimenting and ...
Mar 25, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 55
Mitch Baird is a passionate representational painter. He believes that painting is a celebration of life and the beauty that surrounds us. He is devoted to the traditions of the late 19th century artists who looked to the figure and nature for inspiration regarding light, color, and design. Seeking out this inspiration, Mitch works directly from life to capture the qualities and nuances of natural light and color harmony. He has a strong conviction that great artistic communication depends on go...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 54
G. Russell Case is a Western painter inspired by the beauty of creation. Based in Utah, he brings to life the epic landscapes that surround him with a confident voice honed with humility and reverence. His carefully contemplated design incorporates unique vantage points that convey a sense of the smallness of man amidst the vastness of the landscape. The geology of deep canyons, ancient mesas, and towering mountains, and red rock cliffs serve as the setting for a Navaho shepherd and his sheep, o...
Feb 06, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 53
Kyle Buckland's bold paintings are deeply rooted in the philosophy and approach of the impressionists. As a teenager, his interest in art began to edge out the interests of most youth - skateboarding, team sports, or playing in a band. He became an art nerd in high school, using every available moment to devour the small selection of art books found in his school library. He didn’t just read books, though. He went outside and painted. And painted. And painted. That hard work paid off. Kyle has w...
Dec 31, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 52
Steven Walker captures the essence of the impressions of a long meditative walk along the back alley street of a small town or a quiet, rural road. His paintings often capture the warm light of the golden hour just after sunrise or just before sunset. Long shadows and warm glowing light arrest the eye in a narrative to be completed by the viewer. As the sun sets, and streetlights flicker on, Steven shifts to painting moody nocturnes that invoke feelings of a quieter time. His paintings are imbue...
Dec 26, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 51
Gàbor Svagrik presents Ralph Oberg, Matt Smith, Skip Whitcomb, and Dan Young in Four Directions - Common Paths. The Artful Painter has reached a new milestone: this is episode number 50. The first episode was published a little over two years ago in September of 2018 featuring artist Ralph Oberg. The idea to do this show began to form after I attended a week-long event sponsored by the Booth Museum in Cartersville and Plein Air Painters of America. I participated in two workshops during that PAP...
Dec 22, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 50
Paul Foropoulos is a Greek artist born on the tiny, beautiful island of Samos, Greece. Today, he and his wife divide their time between their home in Clearwater, Florida, and Samos, Greece. Not only does he paint, but he is also a sculptor, he designs jewelry, and he teaches art classes in his own fine art studio classroom. Paul is an avid scuba diver and loves to paint the extraordinary underwater views he sees while diving. His large underwater oil paintings mesmerize the viewer with a mix of ...
Dec 08, 2020•2 hr 14 min•Ep. 49
Stephen C. Datz paints the American Western landscape in his own clear voice. Strong, angular design, rich harmonious colors, and a striking interpretation of the landscape are hallmarks of Stephen’s style. It took hard work and determination on his part to get here. In this episode, Stephen talks about how his unique voice developed. He was frustrated by how unprepared he was to make a living in fine art after earning a BFA from Colorado State University. He flailed for a few difficult years as...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 48
Lorenzo Chavez paints the American Western landscape with passion. As he applies each stroke of color – whether he is using pastels or oil paint – he intimately captures the textures of the landscape. His emotional response to the colors, textures and light of the western landscape inspire him to paint. However, it is not so much the grandiose vistas that the West is famously known for that draws his attention. Rather, he is more often moved by the simple glimpses into nature. In this conversati...
Nov 11, 2020•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 47
Jeffrey T. Larson ’s evocative paintings are stunning visual essays of beauty. His contemporary paintings are deeply rooted in academic realism. Because of the extremes in seasons in his home state of Minnesota, Jeffrey spends his time painting outdoors in its all-too-brief warm summers. His outdoor paintings glow and shimmer with the drama of light. Whether the scene is of a woman silhouetted against warm sunlight hanging laundry to dry outdoors, or a young boy is wading through a cool, sparkli...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 46
Dan McCaw believes that art is a “collaboration between the heart and mind.” The result of that often contentious, frustrating collaboration are paintings that expose the artist’s soul. Dan’s paintings are rich with thick texture, vibrant colors, and strong contrasts. As a contemporary impressionist painter, his works are highly sought out by collectors and people who love art. His paintings dance between the realms of representational, figurative, and abstract expressionism. Dan is always explo...
Sep 25, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 45
Alex Hillkurtz is a renowned storyboard artist for feature films, television, and commercials. His film credits include Argo, Almost Famous, It’s Complicated, and many others. In contrast to the fast-paced world of storyboarding, Alex enjoys the slower pace of sketching and painting in watercolors. He lives in Paris, France - a city that provides an endless source of inspiration for Alex’s architectural and landscape watercolors. As Alex roams the streets of Paris, a small cafe nestled under bri...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 44
Bill Anton was the first professional painter I ever met. It was a chance encounter. In the late 1990’s my family and I were vacationing in Jackson, Wyoming. One evening I decided to walk into one of the several art galleries that lined the square. It was intimidating, as I had never set foot in an art gallery before. As my eyes adjusted to the interior lighting of Trailside Gallery, I became enthralled at the dozens of paintings hanging in the gallery depicting Western scenes. Only two people w...
Aug 29, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 43
