A Commitment to Work From Life

  As an artist and a teacher, I now feel the need to devote myself to work entirely from life.  It's a choice based on quality and it's an important decision to make my work as strong and non-derivative as possible.  For commissions, this can be especially troublesome, but I want to create truly original works of art that have a feeling of life in them.  I want to create art that is as close to the source of nature as possible; And as a teacher, to encourage my students to do the same.
  As a society we are now overwhelmed by digital photography.  For paintings, this is particularly hazardous because many viewer's only relation to great works of art is through a screen.  I see certain benefits, but the downsides are numerous.
 Imagine if we lived with only recordings of music and no live music.  What are the benefits of a recording?  Well, most prominently, we have a greater access to the art and an ease of access.  One of the advantages that I see is being able to catalogue my own work.  the images on my site are meant as a visual record, but they're definitely not meant to replace the actual painting or drawing.  Then we can ask, what are the limitations?  Is ease of access always a good thing?  
  For me, a huge part of making art is about making a memory and to have an experience while painting.  For a portrait, it's about being with the person and sharing a conversation.  If I'm painting en plein air, I will remember trekking up the mountain until I reach the point where I set up my easel.  Maybe I meet someone along the way and they comment on my painting.  All of that is what I love about painting.  Another thing to remember is that these experiences may not always be pleasant.  I have a friend who said to me one time, "In hindsight, things will either be fun or funny."  I try to remember this when I'm experiencing something that is real, but not enjoyable.
  When paintings get boiled down to a photo-realistic image, it becomes devoid of life.  I often say that I'm very impressed with photo-realism as a trick and demonstration of pure technical ability.  In the same way I would be impressed by someone who had memorized the dictionary; I'd say, "Wow, impressive."  But would I ever want to do that myself?  Absolutely not.  What's the point of that?
  As I turn 30 this year, I want real world experiences.  To look at things through my own eyes and develop more of my own style.  To listen to live music.  To take a hike through a beautiful area.  To play a sport, instead of watching it on tv.  To be in the game, instead of on the sidelines.  To ride my motorcycle and skateboard.  To make a pilgrimage to a museum and stand fact-to-face with a painting, in the same spot the artist stood before nature.  To be sweating outside, battling the wind and bugs in order to create a painting.  That's what makes me happy.