Boy, am I lucky...

I think one of the better ways to accumulate and appreciate good equipment is to make it yourself. Last summer I built an easel that I use nearly everyday. It isn't perfect... but, neither am I. Besides, I know exactly what that easel is capable of doing, I am not afraid to change it to fit my needs and I never have to worry whether I have voided the manufacturers warranty. This year I made a wooden palette. I tried a design of my own invention which failed miserably. Then I wised up and emailed a guy who knows what he's doing and asked him. William Whitaker was generous enough to provide me with a design and instructions for this palette. Another student in one of my classes remarked that my palette looked like the painter's equivalent to a rockstar's guitar. Not only am I pleased with the result but, I am also very thankful that I have the opportunity to speak to artists that I admire, through the internet, and that when I have, they have all been so generous with me. I feel quite lucky to have opportunities like these.









I'm also fortunate enough to have found a group of fellow students who I admire and enjoy spending time with. This weekend I did my first ever landscape painting with some of those friends. NJM, Mike, Judy and I all went out to a cemetery Saturday and painted, sweated and sweated some more. It was pretty cool. I painted the front of a masoleum...I mention that because it might not be obvious ....I'm lucky, not especially skilled just yet :)

2 comments:

  David Kassan

September 26, 2008 at 9:07 AM

Awesome palette, WW is a very cool guy. He has helped me considerably as well. Very generous. Cool landscape, you should check out the work of the students at JSS, the Jerusalem studio school in Israel. Man, I miss landscape painting.

  Anonymous

September 26, 2008 at 2:56 PM

Thanks David. I almost tried out your two tiered design but, WW's palette has that cool french curve on it. Thank you for stopping by and taking a look, especially since you are one of the people I was referring to in the post!