What has been the most difficult aspect of painting for you to master and how have you faced it?

“Seeing color truthfully was by far my worst skillset when I graduated art school. I just couldn’t see it – shapes and value came easy, but color was so hard for me to see. After graduation, nearly 80% of my time painting was spent on impressionistic landscapes as I tried to work on seeing color. At that time (around ’84) there was a good American Impressionist book that came out, which obviously I couldn’t afford, but would start my days going to Barnes & Noble and spend fifteen minutes studying it before I spent the rest of my day painting landscapes influenced by what I saw.

Tons of practice, made lots of mistakes, learned from my mistakes and just kept doing it until I eventually got better.”

Do you have any rules of thumb for color harmony or is it all intuitive?

“There’s a difference between the color harmonies that are seen in nature and the way they interact versus simple aesthetics of how colors look together and personal preference. I think color falls more into a music/taste category; you like what you like but eating good food that great chefs create helps educate and elevate your taste. Eventually you consolidate it all and make up your own taste. Painting landscapes involves transferring a 3D world lit in the full light spectrum onto a 2D surface with a very limited options of colors – there are rules to that process which could be explained in a whole other blog, but when it comes to painting still-lives and I have complete control over its components, it becomes more about aesthetic. Of course, there are some overarching guidelines that you must follow but many of the aesthetic harmonies are based on individual preference.”

Are there signs that one is ready for gallery representation?

“Be careful and wait until you reach a certain level of competence. There are a lot of good artists and competition out there so make sure you’re ready for that. On the other hand, don’t wait forever - it’s important to get your work out for people to see. Just know once you sell a piece it’s out there forever. You don’t want to look back and be too embarrassed. Boiled down, there are three questions to ask: How do you feel about your work? How do your friends and family (your circle) respond to your work? And what does the gallery owner think? (Just because someone opens a gallery does not necessarily mean they have good taste, however, so keep that in mind.)”

What is your favorite pigment and why?

“If by “pigment” you mean brand, I use primarily Winsor Newton and Old Holland. But my favorite color is blue, particularly French Ultramarine Blue.”

What are you thinking about color intensities now that’s different from years past?

“Understanding how to use the limitations of my paint. If you want a painting to look bright and you use all bright colors, it will all appear dull in the end. For example, if I have a red canvas and put an orange dot in it, the result is two bright colors that don’t jump out. But. if you put that same orange dot on a blue canvas it will really pop out! Since your colors can’t be as inherently bright as light is outside, you must understand how to manipulate one color off of the others in order to mimic the illusion of brightness. Things taste sweeter with a little salt mixed in.”

What is the best thing you have learned as an artist that has helped you survive and thrive?

“Hard, smart work pays off. Play the long game. Never quit. If you don’t quit, you can’t fail. Never give up.”

What advice would you give an oil painter who is early in the process of learning?

“Establish a deep understanding and patiently build your foundation and craftsmanship. You must learn to play the violin before you can even think about making music.”

What is your greatest challenge as an artist and how do you overcome it?

“Knowing there are so many things I want to paint that I’ll never get to, so learning how to prioritize all my ideas at this current time and making sure I am painting the ones that matter the most.”

What motivates you to keep doing what you do?

“The unending quest to improve, taking on the next challenge, and seeing more truthfully. The better I learn to see, the more beauty I learn to see in the world. I think I’m only just beginning to figure it out a little bit. I’m more excited now than I’ve ever been about painting.”

What time of day is your favorite lighting to paint?

“Early morning.”

Which artists Jeffrey would recommend for a student’s master studies in order to strengthen their ability to primarily “see in pixels” rather than “see in structure and form”. Also, would there be any reason he’d advise working exclusively in oil and avoiding convenience of gouache during training (if painting in oil was student’s ultimate goal).

Part 1:  “Joaquin Sorolla”

Part 2: “My experience is once I learned to paint in oils which was hard enough to begin with, gouache was a good variation of that.”

If I wanted to begin drawing and painting, are there any particular books to start with before taking a class and would recommendations be at the Atelier Minneapolis for classes? How best to begin?

Part 1: “I haven’t come across a book that alone, apart from good training is able to teach someone how to paint well. It’s impossible to become a tennis expert without picking up a racket. One book that I would recommend that complements good training, however, would be Harold Speed, “The Practice and Science of Drawing”.”

Part 2: “Not necessarily, just jump into good instruction. The Atelier would be a fine choice to begin. It’s not that different than it is in sports: having a good coach from the beginning makes learning the sport so much easier than trying to figure it out yourself.”