My Art is a Lie

Most artists will tell you that true art comes from within. And this is accurate. Unfortunately, many artists close the door to their inner artist in an effort to please the masses. I am 100% guilty of this.

I want to gain recognition. I want to be admired. I want to pay my bills. For these reasons, I take on commissions or do portraits of celebrities that I think people will want. While this is all well and good and I'd still rather be doing this than waiting tables or working in an office, it's not my truth.

I've had lots of ideas for art series or studies. Many of these ideas involve controversial topic such as sexuality, religion, the homeless, etc. I really want to make a statement with my art...but I'm scared. What if people don't like it? What if they judge me? What if they don't get it?

I see so many artists who don't appear to have such concerns. Many of them make waves, but it works for them. I've never been one to make waves. I am a people-pleaser. I'm a caretaker. I just want everyone to be happy.

But I need to be happy, too.

In my future artistic pursuits, I intend to unlock the door to my indifference and do what I want to do. Even as I write this, I'm terrified of what you will think. However, I've always believed in facing my fears.

So here we go....

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Shout-Out Sunday: John Fenerov Takes my Breath Away

Truly. I am almost speechless looking at the work of Saint-Petersburg, Russia artist John Fenerov. His mastery of charcoal portraits is immediately obvious. His subjects' eyes draw you in in a way that is almost trance-like. When you're finally able to break free of their hold, you begin to notice the fine details and a flow that seems effortless. As a fairly novice charcoal artist, I feel the urge to study each of his pieces with a magnifying glass, not wanting to miss anything. Most portrait artists struggle with capturing the essence of their subjects. This is where John excels. His expressions give you a glimpse into the mind of his subjects. You could have a silent conversation with them and know exactly what they wish to say. I am humbled by his work. I only hope that I can some day come close to his skill. Please follow him on Instagram @johnfnart and send him a message to purchase his incredible artwork.

Q: What inspires you? A: My inspiration comes from Russian literature, and the book community. I love to read. Sometimes I explore nude art, original characters, music in my own vision and frustration. I listen to classical, blues and heavy metal. If I were drawing something from say the 18th or 19th century for example, classical is preferable because it keeps me focused. Most of the times I'm inspired by the Victorian and Edwardian era and their art, music, style, romance, lust...and literature or poetry. All of this just fuels my work and developing a style I'm familiar with.

Q: How does art influence your life? A: I would say it's visual literacy that influences an artist's life, not just art itself. What's most important is what's going on in the mind, how people see, the ability to read and write, respond to and interpret the visual language of an image. Everything is an image.

Q: How has your style changed over the years? A: My style changes and it's fun to see how I used to draw before. My mediums and materials are not changing. I have experience with other mediums, I just find mediums that touch the paper more...addictive? I experiment a lot doing various studies.

Q: What does your art say about you? A: My art continues to develop in a subconscious way. I'm very selective about my subject, very selective when it comes to drawing men or women, expressions e.g. smiling or not. As a person who had a tough past, I was also inspired by the old vintage photographs - where most people weren't smiling at all and had a strong expression of nostalgia or just mysterious like an unsolved case.

Q: What's the most important trait a person needs to have in order to make it as a successful artist?

A: Patience and commitment to work. read more...  practice is useless without patience.

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Shout-Out Sunday: Eli Ruhala Don't Need No Stinking Canvas

I have to admit it. When I first saw Dallas-based (we're practically neighbors!) contemporary figurative oil painter Eli Ruhala's work, I didn't get it. His broad-stroked portraits on medicine cabinets, mirrors and pillow cases - while strikingly beautiful and disarmingly personal - didn't make sense to me. And then I read the stories behind them. Taking a stroll through Eli's Instagram page (@ruhala_arts) is like watching a coming-of-age film. Eli's story unfolds before you through his art. He opens himself up to you, giving you a glimpse inside his head, leaving you feeling a bit like an eavesdropper but unable to resist wanting more. Cool hues bring on feelings of an oncoming storm...or perhaps one that has just passed. At times, his themes make you feel sad and lonely. Other times, they bring about feelings of calm and hope. His story is just beginning. I won't give it away. You'll just have to check it out for yourself. I look forward to following him and watching him grow throughout what I'm sure will be a fruitful art career and a happy life. To purchase his art, contact him through Instagram or visit the galleries in which his art is currently being shown.

Q: Who are your favorite artists? A: Favorite artists are Felix Gonzales-Torres, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schile, and Jenny Seville

Q: What's your preferred medium and why? What are the best and worst things about working with this medium? A: Preferred medium is Oil Paint because it has such a diverse arrangement of application. Oils can be thinned to act like watercolors or applied thick to create texture and depth. One of the best and worst factors of oil is the time required for the medium to dry. It’s slow drying process allows for one to rework an area to their content bust can also create a gap of time in between stages of a painting.

Q: What's your trademark? A: My Trademark is the heavy use of blues in my figurative paintings. It pushes contrast between the warm highlights and cold shadows that ultimately create form.

Q: How has your style changed over the years? A: As of recently the work I’ve been doing has changed drastically. For years I had painted on flat surfaces such as panel and canvas, but my work has shifted toward viewer interaction. Now most of my paintings are done on domestic objects to further a relationship with the viewer.

Q: What's the best advice you've ever received? A: The best advice I had ever received came from my high school art teacher. He told me to pursue what I was passionate in and dissuaded me from going into a field of work that I would not enjoy just for financial reasons.

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