Kami Mendlik’s exquisite landscape paintings shimmer and vibrate with animated light and color. Her life-long journey of curiosity and keen observation of the natural world began when she was a young child. The Minnesota farmland she grew up on was fertile not just for crops, but also for a young mind curious about the wonders of the land that was …

Greg Newbold is a fine art painter and illustrator based near Salt Lake City, Utah. Greg says that for him, “art is a soulful expression.” His hope is that a piece of him comes out at the end of his brush onto the surface of a painting and connects with the spirit of the viewer. Greg’s compelling visions of the American West are distilled through t…

Priya Gore’s extraordinary paintings of birds and wildlife are breathtaking. Her paintings are full of color, vibrancy, and energy. She says painting large allows her whole body to become fully engaged in the flow and gesture of painting. The process of painting is like a joyous dance, each lyrical movement breathes life into the birds that are oft…

Craig Stephens is an artist who delights in painting everyday things. I started following Craig after a chancing upon his Instagram account. I was instantly drawn to his small oil paintings of french fries, toy dinosaurs, peanut butter sandwiches, sneakers, hamburgers, and other everyday objects. I knew this was a painter I wanted to talk with! Cra…

Kim Lordier is an extraordinary pastel painter whose works are cherished by collectors from around the world. Her path to becoming a full-time painter took flight in unexpected ways. Beginning with earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree she became – a flight attendant! Soon, though, she returned with firm resolve to making fine art her life’s work.…

Brian Buckrell is a full-time Canadian painter. After a long, successful career as a Professor of Veterinary Medicine, he made the decision to switch to a career doing one of the hardest things known to humankind: painting fine art. The transition wasn’t easy - especially doing so much later in life while in his sixties. He admits there were times …

Mitchell Albala is a fine art painter, noted author, and beloved workshop instructor. His first book, Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice, is a well-worn reference in my personal library since 2009 when it was first published. Mitchell now has an exciting new book available, The Landscape Painter'…

Ariana Richards delights in expressing her creativity in both painting and acting. Encouraged by her family at an early age, she developed an intense interest in the arts. She developed her painting skills even though as a young child she was busy acting. Ariana has appeared in over 30 movies and television shows – including portraying the young co…

Robert Henri's book The Art Spirit inevitably makes it in any artist's top ten artbook recommendations. As passionate students of Art, we know Robert Henri. His paintings make up an extraordinary body of work. He is considered the "father" of the Ashcan School - a loose alliance of artists whose approach to painting had more in common with journali…

Scott L. Christensen must paint - it is core to his very being. His keen eye and probing curiosity of nature reveal a deep love of not just being outdoors – but, rather, immersed in it with all senses engaged. His response to the landscape is visceral. He wants the viewer to feel a deep emotional connection with the landscape. The viewer is not a m…

Britt Snyder focuses on capturing memories and feelings on canvas. Though influenced by late 19th century impressionism, Britt's paintings are clearly a modern take of impressionistic figurative, still life, and landscape painting. His portrayal of the human figure resembles a character who once inhabited our dreams of the night, and now their feat…

Frank Serrano's paintings have a sense of atmospheric depth that seem to extend far beyond the two dimensional surface of a canvas. As you look at one of his Western landscape paintings, it's as if you can feel the summer heat enveloping California's Owens Valley. You feel a breeze gently tugging at your soul as you gaze in awe upon the purple glow…

Kevin Kehoe began his remarkable career as a fine art painter just a little over eight years ago. Though he had attended Art Institute of Boston, it would be another 30 years before he would pick up his paint brushes again. With the loving support of his wife, he abandoned a successful career in advertising to pursue fine art painting full time. Ke…

Denise LaRue Mahlke paints with soft pastels - which are to her the purest form of artist color. Unfettered with complicated materials, she is free to respond spontaneously to the unfolding spectacle of the big skies and ancient geology of the American West. I first saw her beautiful, atmospheric pastel works of art in person at the Booth Museum. I…

Eric Bowman could never have imagined the path his life would take for him to become a fine art painter. He wanted to go to art school but the prospect of spending two years in a junior college taking courses that had nothing to do with art - well, that was something he couldn't stomach. And so began a surprising journey with many side trips and de…

Vianna Szabo comfortably switches between painting with pastel, watercolor, acrylic, or oil. She paints beautifully sensitive portraits. Her landscape paintings capture a fleeting moment in time. Expressive color is a hallmark of her paintings no matter the subject she chooses or the medium she uses. In this episode you soon learn that Vianna has a…

Chris Kolupski began painting outdoors as a teenager in the forests of Upstate New York and Canada. He credits his high school art teacher David DeClerk for making a significant impact on his early artistic evolution. DeClerk took his class on outdoor painting field trips and introduced his students to representational American painters and illustr…

Shanna Kunz is a contemporary landscape painter whose work is a conscious play of mood, light and color. As a naturalist raised and rooted in the diverse landscapes of western America, a painting takes on deeper meaning for her. Each location is an encounter of spirit with the land, the trees, and the waters that have always given her a sense of co…

Mitch Baird is a passionate representational painter. He believes that painting is a celebration of life and the beauty that surrounds us. He is devoted to the traditions of the late 19th century artists who looked to the figure and nature for inspiration regarding light, color, and design. Seeking out this inspiration, Mitch works directly from li…

G. Russell Case is a Western painter inspired by the beauty of creation. Based in Utah, he brings to life the epic landscapes that surround him with a confident voice honed with humility and reverence. His carefully contemplated design incorporates unique vantage points that convey a sense of the smallness of man amidst the vastness of the landscap…

Kyle Buckland's bold paintings are deeply rooted in the philosophy and approach of the impressionists. As a teenager, his interest in art began to edge out the interests of most youth - skateboarding, team sports, or playing in a band. He became an art nerd in high school, using every available moment to devour the small selection of art books foun…

Steven Walker captures the essence of the impressions of a long meditative walk along the back alley street of a small town or a quiet, rural road. His paintings often capture the warm light of the golden hour just after sunrise or just before sunset. Long shadows and warm glowing light arrest the eye in a narrative to be completed by the viewer. A…

Gàbor Svagrik presents Ralph Oberg, Matt Smith, Skip Whitcomb, and Dan Young in Four Directions - Common Paths. The Artful Painter has reached a new milestone: this is episode number 50. The first episode was published a little over two years ago in September of 2018 featuring artist Ralph Oberg. The idea to do this show began to form after I atten…

Paul Foropoulos is a Greek artist born on the tiny, beautiful island of Samos, Greece. Today, he and his wife divide their time between their home in Clearwater, Florida, and Samos, Greece. Not only does he paint, but he is also a sculptor, he designs jewelry, and he teaches art classes in his own fine art studio classroom. Paul is an avid scuba di…

Stephen C. Datz paints the American Western landscape in his own clear voice. Strong, angular design, rich harmonious colors, and a striking interpretation of the landscape are hallmarks of Stephen’s style. It took hard work and determination on his part to get here. In this episode, Stephen talks about how his unique voice developed. He was frustr…

Lorenzo Chavez paints the American Western landscape with passion. As he applies each stroke of color – whether he is using pastels or oil paint – he intimately captures the textures of the landscape. His emotional response to the colors, textures and light of the western landscape inspire him to paint. However, it is not so much the grandiose vist…

Jeffrey T. Larson’s evocative paintings are stunning visual essays of beauty. His contemporary paintings are deeply rooted in academic realism. Because of the extremes in seasons in his home state of Minnesota, Jeffrey spends his time painting outdoors in its all-too-brief warm summers. His outdoor paintings glow and shimmer with the drama of light…

Dan McCaw believes that art is a “collaboration between the heart and mind.” The result of that often contentious, frustrating collaboration are paintings that expose the artist’s soul. Dan’s paintings are rich with thick texture, vibrant colors, and strong contrasts. As a contemporary impressionist painter, his works are highly sought out by colle…

Alex Hillkurtz is a renowned storyboard artist for feature films, television, and commercials. His film credits include Argo, Almost Famous, It’s Complicated, and many others. In contrast to the fast-paced world of storyboarding, Alex enjoys the slower pace of sketching and painting in watercolors. He lives in Paris, France - a city that provides a…

Bill Anton was the first professional painter I ever met. It was a chance encounter. In the late 1990’s my family and I were vacationing in Jackson, Wyoming. One evening I decided to walk into one of the several art galleries that lined the square. It was intimidating, as I had never set foot in an art gallery before. As my eyes adjusted to the int…

Len Chmiel has no interest in merely copying what he sees. He says that he allows his "intuition to speak.” His intention is to expand the boundaries of realism rather than merely painting a facsimile. While many artists lament having artist’s block or a lack of inspirational ideas, Len is not one of them. He is keenly interested in all that is aro…

TJ Cunningham grew up in Vermont in an area that was also a favorite place for Aldro Hibbard and Emile Gruppé to paint. If you have ever visited that part of Vermont as my wife and I did a few years ago, you probably call to mind the beautiful hills, mountains, woods, and streams. And nestled snuggly in that beautiful setting are the small farms gr…

John Pototschnik is a fine art painter who resides in Wylie, Texas. As a young boy, his parents instilled in him a strong work ethic. Doing chores, selling his mother’s cookies door-to-door, and having a newspaper route – all these experiences would lay the foundation for how John approaches the work of being a professional artist today. He began h…

DK Palecek is a painter who embraces her left-brain-centric worldview. Starting with degrees in both Math and Finance, she worked as a mathematician, served as an investment banker, became a venture capitalist, and is a serial entrepreneur. In that career trajectory, painting fine art was the farthest thing from her logical, left-brain mind. And ye…

Bryan Mark Taylor is no stranger to many outdoor painters. He’s the inventor of the outdoor painting system STRADA Easel. He’s a remarkably versatile painter adept at painting landscapes, urban and architectural scenes, the still life, and highly imaginative scenes with a science fiction flare. Bryan’s deep love of travel moves him to paint evocati…

Amanda Lovett says she "grew up in a family of storytellers; people who could take a moment in time and make it come to life using words.” She says, "It didn't take me long to realize that this trait is a part of my genetic code as well. I too tell stories, only I use paint, light and shape to bring them to life. It's about being in the moment, bre…

Crista Pisano was born and raised in northern New Jersey and began painting in oils in 1989 under the instruction of John Phillip Osborne at the Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood, NJ. Her career as a painter almost didn’t happen because as a young child she had her heart set on being a ballet dancer. At twelve years of age she nixed that idea an…

Kathleen Hudson's paintings capture fleeting moments of light and atmosphere. She says, "My paintings represent specific places and moments in time: the brief point during a sunrise when the sun fills the air with an ethereal golden glow; a break in a storm where light pierces through heavy clouds; or the sight of glacial runoff sending waterfalls …

Jill Steenhuis is an American Impressionist painter – originally from Atlanta, Georgia, who now lives in Aix-en-Provence, France. It’s been her home for over three decades. Her unexpected journey there is a fascinating story. When she was just eight years old, her mother died. Her mother’s death left an enormous void in her life. Being creative hel…

John P. Lasater IV is a representational painter whose works are a synthesis of nature, perception, and deep roots in art history. And by deep roots, I mean, he’s not fixated on the 19th century triumvirate of Sargent, Sorolla, and Zorn. Though he appreciates what each of them have accomplished, John seeks to study other artists who practiced their…

Cynthia Rosen would rather paint outdoors working on location. Her paintings radiate an exuberant celebration of sparkling light, brilliant colors, and a world in motion. Cynthia’s marks are made boldly, with confidence, using a palette knife to apply luscious thick blocks of colors. Though she went to school to study art when she was younger, Cynt…

Suzie Baker’s paintings are full of light, color, and texture. Her paintings fill the viewer with questions, with the whole story not revealed. She seeks to evoke a response from the viewer by not filling in all the blanks. Her technique is loose, painterly, and impressionistic. Yet, she does not let one technique or style constrain her art - she e…

Kyle Ma is an extraordinary artist and a student of geology. His keen observation skills are honed by his geoscience training at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Whether he paints the figure, the landscape, or florals, his confident brush work and solid drawing skills expertly express his emotional response to what he sees. Kyle believes i…

Jonathan McPhillips’ paintings shimmer with atmosphere and sparkle with light. Each painting he creates he views as a welcome problem to solve, a delightful puzzle to piece together, and a celebration of his surroundings. Working equally in the studio and on location, his work includes the harbors, beaches, vessels, and architecture of the coastal …

Nancy Tankersly approaches painting with experimentation and curiosity. The results are impressionistic paintings that are not so much about the subject as it is about shapes. Her fascination with shapes perhaps began when she excelled in geometry in school. She began her painting career as a portrait painter. However, Nancy's inquisitive and exper…

Patrick Saunders’ paintings have won many awards and received much recognition. His studio works earned him membership in notable painting organizations, including becoming a signature member of Oil Painters of America. When Patrick began plein air painting in 2013, he won awards from numerous nationally recognized events and organizations. However…

Matt Ryder is an award-winning British artist living and working in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates. Matt finds inspiration in the wild beauty of the natural world – whether it’s land, sea, or sky. It’s astonishing that there are still wild places left in the world that have not been painted. That’s the unique situation Matt finds himself in wher…

Michael Chamberlain says that if Vincent Van Gogh were alive today, he would be a vlogger on YouTube. Van Gogh was a prolific letter writer to an audience of one - his brother Theo. However, as a vlogger on YouTube van Gogh’s message would likely reach hundreds of thousands of fans. As a 21st century California-based impressionist, Michael inspires…

George Van Hook is a painter adept in both oil and watercolor. What he paints is a visual response to the subject before him – whether it’s the landscape, a figure, or still life. The rich textures, harmonious colors, and design of Van Hook’s paintings are the ultimate expression of two converging forces – the external beauty of the world around hi…

Jim McVicker imbues atmosphere and light into his paintings that stir the heart. Whether it’s an expansive view of the Pacific coast near his home in Humboldt County, California, or an intimate interior still life set within his studio – his paintings are filled with a sense of solace and peace. Jim began painting full time in the mid-1970s. His ea…