I want to share an inspiring story I just heard from one of our members, Mark Beale. Enjoy!
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| Bryce Canyon by Bruce Stam, oil painting, 8 x 10. |
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Backwater Twilight by Mark Beale, oil painting, 9 x 12. |
Bruce Stam and I are two
landscape painters from opposite sides of the country who gravitated to each
other's work after seeing it posted in the Member's Gallery on Artist Daily.
Bruce is in Phoenix, AZ and
I am in Charleston, SC. We are both landscape painters, but our work differs greatly because we focus on our own geographic region. Bruce paints the Southwest while I paint the Southeast. Both of us work in oil, but stylistically I lean
toward tonalism and Bruce leans toward impressionism.
Bruce and I began posting comments on each other's landscape paintings on the website and then
began corresponding by email. Through Artist Daily we can instantly see what
the other is working on and comment on it. We all need support from others who
understand the trials and tribulations of being a painter. In addition to positive support, we frequently discuss
techniques as well. Bruce has given me advice on improving the photographs of
my work. In the past, he has asked for my opinion on particular compositions he is working on.
This type of feedback is helpful since so
much of painting is a solitary activity. As a teacher once told me, "you shouldn't paint in a vacuum."
If it weren't for Artist Daily,
Bruce and I probably would never have crossed paths. I feel fortunate to be in Charleston where artists
are very supportive of each other, but I'm told this isn't the case everywhere. I
can imagine Artist Daily serving a very important role for artists in more
remote areas or for the solitary painter with little in-person feedback.
I check the site at least
once a day to see what Bruce or others will post next. And with more than
100,000 images from artists around the world, I always find something that
catches my attention.
--Mark Beale