Fine Artist - Talented or Dedicated?
Fine Art, like any other profession is not a skill that comes without extensive training. I began my formal art training at 14 years old with @leo_fine_art where I learned how to draw and paint the human form from life in charcoal and oil paint. The foundation Leo gave me through his atelier style curriculum has been vital to my art career.
The training I received with Leo qualified me to attend two college courses from high school students during the summer months. The first was hosted by Savannah College of Art and Design where I continued my focus in drawing the portrait from life and fashion illustration. The second program I attended was through the University of New Mexico School of Architecture where I studied the fundamentals of architectural design and drawing perspective. This compilation of skills, portraiture, perspective, and fashion have become the bedrock for my dedication in the fine arts.
From there I studied at Cornish College of the Arts which unfortunately did not have the technical rigor I needed for my skill to continue to increase. So I made the difficult decision to not go into debt for college and chose to seek training down society’s less ‘acceptable’ path, self study. I lived with my sketchbook everywhere I went. I sketched strangers at coffee shops, local architecture and whatever was in-front of me.
After an 7 year hiatus from study (but not from art) I began my academic training at Texas Academy of Figurative Art (TAFA) where I finally received the classical training I thought art college would give me. This rigorous program allowed me to hone my drawing skills while studying the principles of anatomy, and design. During my time at TAFA I began my Live Wedding Painting business. This has given me the ability of making custom paintings for beautiful couples starting their life together. My hope is to bring beautiful artwork into as many homes as possible for their families to enjoys for generations to come.
I am certainly not finished studying, I will never stop sharpening my technical skills in draftsmanship, anatomy, painting, perspective, color theory and so much more. I have learned from personal experience that talent will atrophy when not paired with dedication to growing my skills.
My goal is that every piece of art I create should be of a higher quality than the one before. Every piece of artwork is a glorious struggle because I push myself to take the work further so I can get better. This includes not only includes my drawing and painting skills but also the art making process, using high quality materials and procedures so that my paintings will stand the test of time.
