The Working Artist on Clay
In light of the article on January 22nd in Low Country Weekly (http://www.lcweekly.com/art/5760-new-light-new-life), I thought I would do something each day over the next week or so. This is something I have wanted to do at some point over the last 18 months…..to recognize one individual each day who has been instrumental to me in my own artistic development and growth over what is now 15 years since I re-ignited my pursuit of visual poetry in fine art.
As you read in the last blog post, Judy Warren, owner of Schrodt Art Studio in Louisville referred me to the next person who I want to recognize and thank....David Schuster. First and foremost, I have tremendous respect for David from the standpoint that he has been a working artist in Louisville, KY in excess of 20 plus years. No other career.....that is impressive and I recently saw David this past fall and told him he should feel very accomplished by that feat! It is hard, I mean really hard. David has also made the choice to have little or no gallery representation, truly hanging his own shingle. So in addition to having to create the art, you have to find the buyers or patrons, market it, and sell it! He has recently collaborated with four other artist to open Kentucky Fine Art Gallery in Louisville, prior to that and during the time I took classes from him, he worked and sold out of his studio on Clay street in downtown Louisville which he still maintains today. I am going to share an old pic of David (he will thank me the older he gets!).....but this is how you kind of feel some days as a working artist.....everything is up in the air and you are not sure what is up or what is down, read on!
David, like many artists, paints a variety of subjects including abstracts and murals but his sweet spot has been commissioned portraits and Kentucky Derby/Equine related work. I have always enjoyed many of the Derby and Equine pieces he has done over the years. Let me share with you some of my favorites he has painted:
I don't recall the exact year I began taking classes with David, I believe 2007, but I think I spent about 18-24 months going to his studio once a week after work at my corporate job. I can remember being so excited to get out of the office and down to his studio on my scheduled night to paint. I think seeing David in a working studio environment and being his own entrepreneur really furthered my desire that I wanted to do this...full time!....at some point. Thank you David for providing the inspiration!
I really respected the fact that David treated me like a peer. I was interviewed by the Courier Journal newspaper in Louisville regarding my story on becoming an artist later in life. The interview took place at David's studio. David was quoted in the article, "It's not a mentor/pupil relationship. I'm more of a tour guide. I really consider Mike more of a peer and colleague. What set him apart was his dedication. Mike logs more hours in front of the easel than I do. He works on his own, not just in class."
Okay, I think "more hours in front of the easel than I do" was a bit of a stretch, a working artist with their own gallery probably spends half the day painting, half the day marketing/selling, and then thinking about what else they should be doing while they are sleeping....so not your typical 8 hour workday!
Artistically, David helped me loosen up (something I continue to pursue further each day I paint)......it is a path a lot of painters want to go down. The artist who will be the subject of the next blog post would often say, "I don't have painters coming to me who say, geez I paint SO loose, can you help me tighten up a bit?"
I would always work small at David's studio. Our goal was to speed up my pace a bit while painting so my work wasn't so stiff and deliberate. I don't think we worked on any canvas larger than 9x12 or 11x14 and we certainly didn't spend more than 1 1/2 to 2 hours on one painting depending on size. I happened to keep one of those paintings below. The pic is not real good but in person you can definitely see looser and more energetic brushwork, a far cry from that first water lily painting in the previous blog.
As you read in the last blog post, Judy Warren, owner of Schrodt Art Studio in Louisville referred me to the next person who I want to recognize and thank....David Schuster. First and foremost, I have tremendous respect for David from the standpoint that he has been a working artist in Louisville, KY in excess of 20 plus years. No other career.....that is impressive and I recently saw David this past fall and told him he should feel very accomplished by that feat! It is hard, I mean really hard. David has also made the choice to have little or no gallery representation, truly hanging his own shingle. So in addition to having to create the art, you have to find the buyers or patrons, market it, and sell it! He has recently collaborated with four other artist to open Kentucky Fine Art Gallery in Louisville, prior to that and during the time I took classes from him, he worked and sold out of his studio on Clay street in downtown Louisville which he still maintains today. I am going to share an old pic of David (he will thank me the older he gets!).....but this is how you kind of feel some days as a working artist.....everything is up in the air and you are not sure what is up or what is down, read on!
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| David Schuster http://www.davidoschuster.com |
David, like many artists, paints a variety of subjects including abstracts and murals but his sweet spot has been commissioned portraits and Kentucky Derby/Equine related work. I have always enjoyed many of the Derby and Equine pieces he has done over the years. Let me share with you some of my favorites he has painted:
I don't recall the exact year I began taking classes with David, I believe 2007, but I think I spent about 18-24 months going to his studio once a week after work at my corporate job. I can remember being so excited to get out of the office and down to his studio on my scheduled night to paint. I think seeing David in a working studio environment and being his own entrepreneur really furthered my desire that I wanted to do this...full time!....at some point. Thank you David for providing the inspiration!
I really respected the fact that David treated me like a peer. I was interviewed by the Courier Journal newspaper in Louisville regarding my story on becoming an artist later in life. The interview took place at David's studio. David was quoted in the article, "It's not a mentor/pupil relationship. I'm more of a tour guide. I really consider Mike more of a peer and colleague. What set him apart was his dedication. Mike logs more hours in front of the easel than I do. He works on his own, not just in class."
Okay, I think "more hours in front of the easel than I do" was a bit of a stretch, a working artist with their own gallery probably spends half the day painting, half the day marketing/selling, and then thinking about what else they should be doing while they are sleeping....so not your typical 8 hour workday!
Artistically, David helped me loosen up (something I continue to pursue further each day I paint)......it is a path a lot of painters want to go down. The artist who will be the subject of the next blog post would often say, "I don't have painters coming to me who say, geez I paint SO loose, can you help me tighten up a bit?"
I would always work small at David's studio. Our goal was to speed up my pace a bit while painting so my work wasn't so stiff and deliberate. I don't think we worked on any canvas larger than 9x12 or 11x14 and we certainly didn't spend more than 1 1/2 to 2 hours on one painting depending on size. I happened to keep one of those paintings below. The pic is not real good but in person you can definitely see looser and more energetic brushwork, a far cry from that first water lily painting in the previous blog.
So there you have it, another person who helped me along the way and I am grateful for the time and David's friendship! On return trips to Louisville I try to make it down to his studio to pop in for a chat, sometimes he is there, many times not......most likely out getting new business, painting a mural on the side of a building or anything else a working artist needs to do to make it happen!
Cheers!
Michael
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