My easel, from a design by Barks.

The Importance of Craft

I took a couple of art classes in college and hated them. Why? Because the modern art establishment doesn't appreciate craft. If you go to the Portland Art Museum you'll see works like a 40 foot white canvas with a single pencil line down the middle. This is art? I get it: in the 1800s, the photograph made realism obsolete, ushering in the era of art "isms" which are more about concepts and ideas than the craft of painting. But that style of art isn't for me.

I much prefer artists like Norman Rockwell, who spent almost his entire career being ignored by the art establishment. For me, Rockwell is much like Barks: the two men were from the same generation, sharing a strong work ethic, driving ambition, and desire to improve their craft; they were both illustrators, without much use for "modern" art, though Rockwell dabbled in it for a time; and they were both beloved by millions of fans. Rockwell, like Barks, was content to paint pictures which pleased his audience. When I paint a portrait, I keep this attitude in mind, though I confess to letting a little darkness slip into the narrative from time to time.