Festival workshops present their own kind of surprises and challenges, for one exactly what kind of materials will be waiting and available for us to use (which the staff of Artrageous has always worked hard to provide), and of course...what kind of people will participate. Total beginners? Semi-professionals? People wanting just to get on with it and paint and have fun, or those desiring sincere instruction. I tend to have as many as 55 students at one time, many of college age and the the majority about 30 years of age on up; with a few younger teens and adolescents to boot. I found, thanks to the Artrageous staff, that a huge roll of vinyl wallpaper that is canvas-backed is excellent for last minute cutting up (canvas side-up) and taping to masonite boards. The medium of choice is acrylics for its quick washing and cleaning up, and minimum mess. I demo'ed however in oil. Here you can see that I have nearly blocked-in all the masses that I will work with, much acting as an underpainting that I will allow to be seen through the top layers of paint.

As I contemplate the directions I'm going, and even my speed in these demo's, I muse over where my work and style will end up. Always I bear in mind that I yet possess the skill to put out an intensely detailed/labored piece that seems to wow the higher echelons of the realist art world, but....golly gee whiz, these painterly things are just so much fun! I am working to see how refined my brushstrokes need to be to yet appeal to that "life" I find existing in things seen. To get the most, yet from doing the least. Touching that emotional "thing" which appears less labored yet demands a certain genuis. Oh well...I guess it comes down to just doing more paintings, and the "thing" will work itself out. With that being said, we wrapped up another great year at Cornerstone, and I leave you with the finished demo image. I will spend a bit of time refining this work as "I" don't think it is quite finished yet possesses enough merit to be seen. Take care everyone! Great to be back home.

[ Previous Page ]

After 20 years experience as a musician and winning Midwest wildlife artist, Larry Seiler, (winner of Wisconsin's 1984 Wildlife Artist of the Year, and Wisconsin's 1998 Inland Trout Stamp) finds a reinvention of himself over the last 2-3 years with a passion for landscape painting. His pursuit of the contemplative and spiritual sanity in life finds a special connection with his love of direct on location painting often referred to as "Plein Air." Don't wait - discuss this topic with fellow artists now!

Larry is represented by Art International, and his work is in a number of Midwest galleries including Grassland Gallery in the Mall of America. His background includes teaching art education for the public schools, participation in artist's workshops, travels and seminar speaking. Larry's works are primarily oils and acrylics, with the practice often of doing plein air studies to produce larger in-studio images. Larry is a contributing editor to WetCanvas! and can be reached via email at: lseiler@wetcanvas.com. He can also be found lurking in the WetCanvas! message boards. Larry's works are also available for sale at our sister site, www.art-agent.com.