Art Blog
This blog is for posting photos of new art pieces and the random thoughts of oil painter Stephen St. Claire.
Should I buy a completed painting OR commission a painting?
I have had several people over the years ask me a familiar question: “What pieces do you have done right now that are in my budget?” I can appreciate that question, but that really limits what the next step my perspective client takes next. I mean, maybe I happen to have the exact size and subject matter they’re looking for. Maybe, but not usually.
I then present the option of commissioning a piece from me, but about 70% of the time, the person who would be willing to purchase a completed piece from me seems hesitant to commission a painting, which is a shame. The already completed pieces of art on my studio wall are there to show people what I’m capable of creating. If one of those pieces speaks to them, that’s awesome, but primarily, I want those pieces to get people thinking and dreaming.
“When I paint, no matter what I’m painting, I’m in my happy place.”
So is buying a completed painting or a commissioned painting better? Well personally, I like both. But I really like working on commissioned pieces. Here is why:
You can match the size to perfectly fit the budget. I charge by the square inch, so the size determines the budget. If something is more than the budget can support, we can just shrink it a bit so that the bottom line total is something you can live with.
You can pick this exact subject matter for the piece. I’ve had the privilege of painting scenes I’d never think of painting and trying to sell in my Asheville studio. People have asked me to paint a scene based on their rafting excursion amidst antarctic icebergs, canals of Venice, mountains of New Zealand, and so many other awesome places. This is what makes my job really interesting and challenging!
I don’t charge any more for commissions. I charge the same per square inch rate for a commission as I do for a completed piece.
You can get creative! I currently have a perspective client that found a sky they like from one photo, the background from another photo, the mid ground from another photo and the foreground from yet another photo. The colors and lighting don’t go together perfectly as is, but I’ll deal with that. That’s my job.
I ship anywhere in the lower 48 states free of charge, which saves you paying any sales tax if you live outside North Carolina.
I completely guarantee your satisfaction with a commission. If you’re not totally happy with it, I’ll start it all over again, and keep going until you ARE happy with it. I’ve never had to do that before, but I always stress my willingness. I don’t want anyone worrying about purchasing something they end up not liking. I also send a photo near the end of the painting process for my client to take a look at and request tweaks if needed. I’m always happy to tweak a piece upon request, and keep tweaking until they’re totally happy with it.
Upon request, I allow people to pay over time at no added interest. When the last payment is received, the painting is shipped.
I love painting. When I paint, no matter what I’m painting, I’m in my happy place. And it continues to be such an amazing honor to be asked by people to paint something specific for THEM. I absolutely love that. So…if you have an idea and if I happen to have just painted something that matches that idea perfectly, awesome. Talk to me about a purchase. But if you have a specific budget or size or subject matter in mind, talk to me about a commission. I would love to work with you on whatever project you dream up! It’s my job to make sure you never regret that decision.
"Art from the Heart" vs "Commissioned Art"
There are really so few things that baffle and (to be honest) frustrate me as an artist. I am by nature a very “even keel” type of person, so when something stands out as “irritating”, it’s kind of a big deal for me. See, I regularly come across people that have a very set view of who and what an artist is (even before they meet me). No one likes to be pre-judged and I guess I’m no exception.
See, every now and then, I have people visit my studio and I can tell they like my work. For instance, they may hang out for fifteen to twenty minutes browsing slowly, leave and have lunch, then come back and browse even more slowly. That is usually a pretty good sign someone is genuinely interested in my work. Most of the time, behavior like this eventually results in a sale of one of my paintings or the commissioning of something specific. But every now and then, the couple at this point will look pained. Interested but pained. “Do you have all your work displayed or do you have something else in storage?” they’ll ask. I explain that basically, I don’t have storage. If I need to store paintings, my prices are too high. They smile, and then I explain that if they like something but it’s the wrong size, I can repaint it the right size for them. “No, we’re looking for a painting that is 36 x 48, probably a summer scene but you don’t really have anything that will work for our space”. “Well,” I explain, “if you have a photo you’d like me to use, or if you can give me an idea of something specific that you’d like to see, you can commission a painting based on that idea and size. I don’t charge any more for commissions, and I guarantee your satisfaction with what I paint and I do free shipping as a thank you.”
But then…
“Oh, we would rather just check in whenever we’re back in Asheville and see what you have available. We don’t want to dictate to the artist what they paint. We’d much rather have something that comes from your heart, not ours”.
“…my heart and joy are in every single painting I’ve ever painted.”
You may well think “Oh, that’s so sensitive! What a kind person that is!” Yes, probably. But that drives me crazy. It rattles me because that assumes that the art that comes from my own head will be of higher quality or have “more life and energy” in it than if it comes from the heart of the client. To be clear, the idea behind all the commissions I’ve ever done have come from my clients. But the heart and energy in the piece is from me. I don’t care at all where the idea comes from. I love to paint. May I just be honest? Look, if a client gives me a photo as inspiration for a painting, it saves me all sorts of time hunting down a good photo to use as inspiration for my next piece. No one who has commissioned a painting from me has received a lesser quality painting because it was commissioned by them. Honestly, my heart and joy are in every single painting I’ve ever painted. I simply love painting and I don’t care if that seed idea comes from my own head or from yours. The painting will always come from my heart.
Okay, time for a cup of herbal tea I think. I feel much better now.
My Beautiful Baby on Display
Picture sitting there in the crowd of other parents. The band has just played Pomp and Circumstance and the graduates have just marched across the stage. Finally, the school president calls your daughter’s name. Ahh, the lump in the throat. There’s your baby, all grown up. Just look at her. Wow. You feel so proud.
Okay, well that’s how I felt when I received this photo (above) from Naples Lifestyle Magazine. My artwork is being featured in the magazine (because my client’s home is being featured in the magazine) in February, 2020 and the writer had some questions for me:
Would you please tell me about how you approached this beautiful work?
My client’s interior designer gave them color swatches to forward to me. The swatches of paint and fabric gave me a good idea of what colors to use in the painting as the main colors as well as accent colors. I also had a good idea of what type of abstract art the Judy's preferred, so that dictated the general style. Then the painting was begun. First, I build up a textured background with modeling compound and gesso, then I cover the entire piece with reflective metallic leaf (aluminum leaf in this case). The colorizing is all done with layer on layer of oil paint, then the finish is applied. They requested a high gloss finish, so I used a solar-resistant resin (Florida-safe), applied in five layers to cover all the texture to the point it left the final surface glassy smooth.
Do you do much work for homes where the color scheme or theme is provided? How does that work?
As far as color scheme, I do a lot of work with interior designers and home owners who provide photos of the space and / or color swatches they're using as the basis for the color scheme. As are as the theme goes, if they want a landscape painting, they can look at my website and give me an idea of what they prefer, or they often provide a photo (one they've taken from their favorite vacation or one they find) and I'll use that as the inspiration for the painting. For an abstract painting, they can provide color ideas and then photos of different abstract paintings they like. That lets me know the abstract styles they're attracted to, so I'll use those ideas as inspiration for my own piece.
This painting was really special to me because it represents ten amazing days at my clients awesome log mansion in Breckenridge, Colorado. We exchanged ten days for me and all my family at the cabin for this painting. So we spent time in God’s country, hiking, biking, fishing, hot tubing and lots and lots of laughing. I love bartering. It makes everyone happy!
A Really Unique Commission Project
“Triple Falls Triptych” (30” x 60” — each panel)
I love artwork commissions. I’ve found that as an artist, a commissioned painting oftentimes gives me the opportunity to paint something really unique. I’ve painting the canals of Venice, the Alps, Queenstown Harbour in New Zealand, Jasper National Park in Alberta, British Columbia, and even an Antarctic scene!
Several weeks ago now, a nice local couple came to visit me in my Asheville arts studio and liked what they saw. After several minutes of discussion about commissioning possibilities, they went home to look through their photos. In the mean time, I looked through some of mine.
So, I played God just a bit…
The idea they came up with was partially determined by the eventual location where the artwork would be installed: a stairwell. So here was the assignment: “We’d like a triptych, and we’d like the panels to be offset from each other, each one mounted a bit lower than the previous as they move down the steps. Basically, we’d like a local scene that can, in a sense, move down the wall with the stairs.”
Applying the finishing touches to the panels
SO… if they wanted a scene that “moved down” a stairwell, then one idea immediately came to mind: Triple Falls. Triple Falls is one of the most accessible, iconic and truly majestic waterfalls in western North Carolina, only an hour away from Asheville. But, as I looked at all the photos of the falls, I saw I problem. The waterfall moved from right to left as it cascaded down the mountain. But their stairwell goes down from left to right. So, I played God just a bit and flipped the photo. Viola! Perfection!
"The Four Seasons on the French Broad River"
“The Four Seasons”
Growing up in Southern California, I never really experienced “seasons” per se. There was “foggy season” (May-June), “Fire Season” (September-October) and the rest was just hot. Living now in Asheville, North Carolina, I’m so loving the rhythm actual seasons bring to the year. Winter doesn’t last ALL that long, and it usually brings with it a few beautiful snow days. Spring is amazing. Absolutely awesome. Dogwoods are blooming and daffodils and tulips are going crazy. Summer is hot yes, but perfect for tubing down the French Broad River, hiking and camping up in the higher elevations. And then there is autumn. Oh my gosh. Autumn was always just a “theoretical” season growing up. Autumn in the Blue Ridge mountains of Western North Carolina is amazing. Autumn brings more visitors to my art studio in Asheville’s River Arts District than any other season of the year.
“…the power of beauty inspires the power of healing…”
The beauty of seasonal change is a big part of what I love about living in Asheville and working in my art studio. So I was really excited to have been asked by Mission Hospital to create a “Four Seasons” series for their Asheville campus. Each panel is 42” x 16” and each are covered with multiple layers of solar-resistant resin (so the surface is glassy-smooth).
This series was inspired by the many floats down the French Broad River that Joy and I make every summer, and it was great fun depicting each season, trying to think of the particulars about each one (blooming dogwoods in the spring panel and pink rhododendrons in the summer panel). My hope is that this series gives the doctors, nurses and patients at Mission the opportunity to “get lost” in each scene, and that the power of beauty inspires the power of healing. I think that’s possible!
Recent Projects on my Plate
My gosh, the life of an artist is so much fun, but can be really busy this time of year! I’m so thankful for that! I’m still amazed I can do what is (for me) the most fun thing I can think of doing and be able to make a living doing it.
Currently, I’ve got twelve paintings in various stages of creation that will end up in my open art studio / gallery in Asheville’s River Arts District. These are mostly local landscapes with a few “generic” themed landscape pieces. When I paint for my studio, I have to consider the fact that visitors are mostly tourists that would like a piece of art to remind them of their trip to Asheville. I’ve learned over the years that venturing too far off the path (of local themed paintings) is not a great idea if I want the art to sell (and I do).
And so far, I have six commissions lined up for a January start date! Here are my assignments:
1) 44” x 72” piece that depicts the view off the back deck of my clients house near the tip of Long Island, NY. This will feature some trees in the foreground, and wetlands with cattails and fishing docks in the mid-ground and the sparkling water of the bay in the background.
2) I have a 24” x 72” piece that is a panorama of woodlands at the tail end of summer, so the trees will be mostly green leafed, but with a hint of gold and rust thrown in here and there.
3) 12” x 35” spray of orchids. This will be fun and challenging because the orchids will be built up and sculpted onto the canvas, then covered with the aluminum leaf and paint.
4) Two 8” x 10” paintings of birch trees during summer and autumn (to go with another two I did last year for this client featuring birch trees in spring and winter) so this will make a complete four seasons group.
5) A 36” x 36” painting depicting a scene from the Netherlands. My clients are using their own photo for this one (I love it when people feel the freedom to do that!)
6) A 24” x 40” painting featuring a scene on the Biltmore Estate of an old oak tree overhanging the French Broad River in autumn.
So that’s what’s on my plate right now. That should be enough to keep me busy and out of trouble for a while anyway! Huge thanks to everyone that has asked for commissions! I’m offering a 20% discount on any commission ordered now but that I can start after the holidays. So if you’d like to own one of my paintings at a discount, now’s the time to inquire about it!
Okay, enough blogging. I obviously have to get back to painting!
Steps Involved with a Painting Commission
Yesterday morning, I was in my “happy place”, finishing up a landscape painting I’m working on featuring the meadows and mountains for western North Carolina. My art studio had had several visitors poking in, looking at the completed artwork I have displayed on my walls and stopping to talk with me while I was working.
Around mid-morning, three women arrived and I remembered two of them from a previous visit. They had come in to talk about steps involved with commissioning a painting. Luckily, they had a laptop filled with some really beautiful photos.
These clients live in beautiful home near the eastern tip of Long Island and their home overlooks a bit of wetland and then a bay (Wickham Creek). They showed me photos of their home and some shots of where the painting would be eventually installed. And then we perused photos of their amazing view during each of the seasons.
So the first question to answer was “what is the subject matter for this piece?”. Over the course of the conversation, they decided on a view of the bay with the foreground being a mix of cattails and various wetland foliage. The problem was that there are trees in the way of the view they desired, but I assured them that that was an easy problem to remedy as an artist (I’ll just remove the trees in the artwork!). And this time of year, with leaves nearly all off the trees, they can just give me a good shot through the trees and that will give me the mid-ground and background for the composition.
Then we discussed time of year to be depicted. Their walls are a “golden retriever yellow, so a sundown would be too warm and winter would be too cool. We decided that a late September view (before the cattails were pruned off) would work great. Blue sky with some clouds maybe? Lush green wetland in the foreground with some early autumn rusts and golds (which tie in with the wall color).
It’s so much fun to sit down and talk through what the client is looking for.
The only thing left to decide was the size, but they were thinking something around 4’ x 6’ or maybe 3’ x 5’, as it is to be a real “statement piece”, hanging above the couch. As soon as they get home, they’ll measure their couch, and then get back to me. In the mean time, I did a little research and found that the average three-cushion couch is 84” long, and based on that, I did the following three plans:
I’ll forward the photos to them today, so they can start thinking about the proportions that would work best for them. Then we will be ready to start, and about eight weeks later, the painting will be delivered to it’s new Long Island home!
This is how I generally work a commission. It’s so much fun to sit down and talk through what the client is looking for. Sometimes people know exactly what they want, and sometimes we need to talk it through. Either way, it’s really a lot of fun for me as I begin to imagine the completed work. As we talk, the painting begins coming together as we nail down the plan: theme, colors, time of year, time of day, angle of the shot, best size for the space. All of that is great fun for me and I think my clients really enjoyed it too. The result of all that fun will be an awesome piece of art. That’s not bragging — it’s just really hard to go wrong with painting the view of the bay they were showing me. It’s going to be amazing.
As the plans come together and the piece is started, I’ll document the progress here for anyone interested in following along. Cheers!
Blog Archive
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2025
- Oct 12, 2025 What can I learn from Pablo Picasso in 2025? Oct 12, 2025
- Oct 10, 2025 What can I learn from Raphael in 2025? Oct 10, 2025
- Oct 8, 2025 What can I learn from Georgia O’Keefe in 2025? Oct 8, 2025
- Sep 28, 2025 What can I learn from Caravaggio in 2025? Sep 28, 2025
- Jul 25, 2025 What can I learn from Thomas Gainsborough in 2025? Jul 25, 2025
- Jul 20, 2025 What can I learn from Leonardo da Vinci in 2025? Jul 20, 2025
- Jul 15, 2025 What can I learn from Michelangelo in 2025? Jul 15, 2025
- Jul 2, 2025 What can I learn from Van Gogh in 2025? Jul 2, 2025
- Jun 25, 2025 What can I learn from Renoir in 2025? Jun 25, 2025
- Jun 23, 2025 What can I learn from Claude Monet in 2025? Jun 23, 2025
- Jun 21, 2025 Using Complimentary Colors for Shading Jun 21, 2025
- Jun 17, 2025 How and When to use Complimentary Colors Jun 17, 2025
- May 30, 2025 Perspective in Art 101: How to Make Your Drawings Pop Off the Page May 30, 2025
- May 26, 2025 How to Really Understand Medieval Art May 26, 2025
- May 22, 2025 Staying Creative May 22, 2025
- May 10, 2025 AT Experience May 10, 2025
- May 3, 2025 Go Take a Walk! May 3, 2025
- Apr 25, 2025 Periods of Art: Mannerism Apr 25, 2025
- Apr 17, 2025 Finding Meaning in the Abstract: Pointers for Understanding Modern Art Apr 17, 2025
- Apr 16, 2025 The Quiet Labor Apr 16, 2025
- Apr 12, 2025 To Art: a Poem Apr 12, 2025
- Apr 5, 2025 The Enchantment of Art Nouveau Apr 5, 2025
- Mar 23, 2025 "What was it like going to art school?" Mar 23, 2025
- Mar 18, 2025 Why I Love the Rococo Period Mar 18, 2025
- Mar 4, 2025 Expressing Joy Through Art Mar 4, 2025
- Feb 28, 2025 The Connection Between Art and Frustration Feb 28, 2025
- Feb 23, 2025 Neoclassicism: Bringing Ancient Style Back to Life Feb 23, 2025
- Feb 18, 2025 On my walk Feb 18, 2025
- Feb 12, 2025 Art at the Very Beginning Feb 12, 2025
- Feb 10, 2025 Monet and Renoir: A Personal Reflection on Their Differences Feb 10, 2025
- Feb 6, 2025 The Fount of Creation: A poem Feb 6, 2025
- Feb 1, 2025 The Connection Between Art and Grief Feb 1, 2025
- Jan 29, 2025 A Journey Through Medieval Art: Stories from the Middle Ages Jan 29, 2025
- Jan 26, 2025 The Story of Art: The Romantic Period Jan 26, 2025
- Jan 16, 2025 The Relationship Between Music and Painting Jan 16, 2025
- Jan 12, 2025 Periods of Art: Baroque Jan 12, 2025
- Jan 11, 2025 Marketing your Artwork Jan 11, 2025
- Jan 7, 2025 Exploring the Golden Ratio in Art Jan 7, 2025
- Jan 3, 2025 Artistic Enlightenment: Lessons from Italy Jan 3, 2025
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2024
- Dec 29, 2024 Why Travel is Crucial for Unleashing Creativity Dec 29, 2024
- Dec 22, 2024 Steps to Becoming a Full-Time Professional Artist Dec 22, 2024
- Dec 10, 2024 How to Determine Subject Matter for Your Next Painting Dec 10, 2024
- Dec 3, 2024 My Favorite Artist Dec 3, 2024
- Dec 1, 2024 Creativity and Exploration Dec 1, 2024
- Nov 13, 2024 Impressionistic Heroes of Mine Nov 13, 2024
- Nov 10, 2024 "So how do you DO this?" Nov 10, 2024
- Nov 3, 2024 Discovering the Bond Between Nature and Art Nov 3, 2024
- Nov 1, 2024 How Art Can Help Us Cope with Stress Nov 1, 2024
- Oct 27, 2024 How to Select the Perfect Art for Your Home Oct 27, 2024
- Oct 24, 2024 What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up as an Artist Oct 24, 2024
- Oct 14, 2024 Book Review: The Artist’s Way Oct 14, 2024
- Oct 11, 2024 How to find Inspiration for your art Oct 11, 2024
- Sep 24, 2024 Crafting the Perfect Title for Your Artwork Sep 24, 2024
- Sep 14, 2024 The Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received as an Artist Sep 14, 2024
- Sep 8, 2024 Overcoming Artist’s Block: Practical Tips Sep 8, 2024
- Aug 30, 2024 Exploring Lessons from Vincent van Gogh Aug 30, 2024
- Aug 29, 2024 Why Purchase Original Artwork? Aug 29, 2024
- Aug 25, 2024 How do you determine the best size artwork to purchase? Aug 25, 2024
- Aug 15, 2024 "So, what's this painting worth?" Aug 15, 2024
- Aug 9, 2024 What color art would go best in my home? Aug 9, 2024
- Aug 4, 2024 How to deal with criticism as an artist Aug 4, 2024
- Mar 27, 2024 Question 12: "What do you do when you have a mental block?" Mar 27, 2024
- Mar 27, 2024 New Goals + Winter Months = "Outside the Box" Creativity Mar 27, 2024
- Jan 8, 2024 Question 11: Where do you get inspiration for your work? Jan 8, 2024
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2023
- Sep 11, 2023 Question 10: "Do you have your work in galleries?" Sep 11, 2023
- Aug 27, 2023 Question 9: "How do you manage the business side of your art business?" Aug 27, 2023
- Aug 20, 2023 Question 8: "Do you advertise?" Aug 20, 2023
- Aug 13, 2023 Question 7: "How do you price your work?" Aug 13, 2023
- Jul 30, 2023 Question 6: "What are the positive points and negative points about having an 'open studio'?" Jul 30, 2023
- Jul 19, 2023 Question 5: "Would you mind critiquing my work at some point?" Jul 19, 2023
- Jul 1, 2023 Question 4: "Would you recommend art school, and if so, how would you find the right one?" Jul 1, 2023
- Jun 24, 2023 Question 3: "Did you go to art school? If so, where?" Jun 24, 2023
- Jun 16, 2023 Question 2: "How long have you been selling your work professionally?" Jun 16, 2023
- Jun 10, 2023 Question 1..."How long have you been an artist?" Jun 10, 2023
- Jun 4, 2023 So, you're thinking about art as a career? Jun 4, 2023
- Mar 3, 2023 "What inspires you as an artist?" Mar 3, 2023
- Feb 15, 2023 Should I buy a completed painting OR commission a painting? Feb 15, 2023
- Jan 23, 2023 "How do you Price Your Work?" Jan 23, 2023
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2022
- Dec 1, 2022 An Artist in Italy (Part 3) Dec 1, 2022
- Nov 16, 2022 An Artist in Italy (Part 2) Nov 16, 2022
- Nov 8, 2022 An Artist in Italy (Part 1) Nov 8, 2022
- Oct 10, 2022 When Remodeling a Home... Oct 10, 2022
- Aug 22, 2022 How to Handle Failure Aug 22, 2022
- Jun 3, 2022 "What is it like being an artist these days?" Jun 3, 2022
- May 21, 2022 "Are All Artists Introverts?" May 21, 2022
- May 9, 2022 What Makes a Painting a Good Piece of Art? May 9, 2022
- Apr 1, 2022 The Story Behind…"Gentle Showers on a Summer Afternoon" Apr 1, 2022
- Mar 19, 2022 The Story Behind..."Blue Ridge Summer Afternoon" Mar 19, 2022
- Feb 18, 2022 Your Opinion Please... Feb 18, 2022
- Jan 22, 2022 What's in a Compliment? Jan 22, 2022
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2021
- Dec 25, 2021 My Christmas Present to Joy Dec 25, 2021
- Dec 12, 2021 Deep in the Heart Dec 12, 2021
- Nov 29, 2021 "How do you know you're done with a painting?" Nov 29, 2021
- Nov 1, 2021 Does it Matter What Other People Think of My Art? Nov 1, 2021
- Oct 12, 2021 Creatively Inhaling... Oct 12, 2021
- Aug 31, 2021 More Fun than I Know What to do With Aug 31, 2021
- Aug 13, 2021 “Are You Self Taught?” Aug 13, 2021
- Jul 21, 2021 New Art Gallery on the West Coast Jul 21, 2021
- Jun 23, 2021 "Art from the Heart" vs "Commissioned Art" Jun 23, 2021
- May 28, 2021 More Questions and Answers May 28, 2021
- May 17, 2021 What does Diversity have to do with honest artwork? May 17, 2021
- May 4, 2021 More Questions and Answers May 4, 2021
- Apr 30, 2021 Questions and Answers Apr 30, 2021
- Apr 16, 2021 And the Next Blog Post is... Apr 16, 2021
- Mar 10, 2021 How do you create when you don't feel like creating? Mar 10, 2021
- Feb 11, 2021 "Mullaghmore": The Story Behind the Painting Feb 11, 2021
- Jan 28, 2021 A Look Back to "The Dark Year" Jan 28, 2021
- Jan 17, 2021 Studio Expansion...Hello Northeast! Jan 17, 2021
- Jan 7, 2021 How to Create the Perfect Painting Jan 7, 2021
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2020
- Dec 1, 2020 A personal answer to a personal question... Dec 1, 2020
- Nov 4, 2020 Using Art to Express my Politics Nov 4, 2020
- Oct 16, 2020 Sometimes, just "having fun" is a good enough reason Oct 16, 2020
- Oct 4, 2020 The Best Painting Delivery Ever... Oct 4, 2020
- Sep 7, 2020 How a Dinky Little Virus Changed my Art Business Sep 7, 2020
- Aug 9, 2020 Adaptation: Survival of the Most Flexible Aug 9, 2020
- Aug 3, 2020 Story Behind the Painting: "Sundown over the Blue Ridge" Aug 3, 2020
- Jul 18, 2020 Cure for Covid blues Jul 18, 2020
- Jul 5, 2020 Where Does it Take You? Jul 5, 2020
- Jun 3, 2020 Story Behind the Painting: Autumn Day on the French Broad River Jun 3, 2020
- May 24, 2020 Story Behind the Painting: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat May 24, 2020
- Apr 30, 2020 Q&A: SESSION TWO Apr 30, 2020
- Apr 22, 2020 Q&A: SESSION ONE Apr 22, 2020
- Apr 8, 2020 What I'll Miss When This Pandemic is Over... Apr 8, 2020
- Mar 20, 2020 Entertaining Angels Unawares Mar 20, 2020
- Mar 8, 2020 In Celebration of Art Mar 8, 2020
- Feb 27, 2020 "The Bridge" Feb 27, 2020
- Feb 8, 2020 The Most Interesting Question of the Year (but it's only February so...) Feb 8, 2020
- Jan 29, 2020 "Can I Watch You?" Jan 29, 2020
- Jan 14, 2020 From Point A to Point Z Jan 14, 2020
- Jan 5, 2020 An Impractical Idea Jan 5, 2020
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2019
- Dec 17, 2019 My Beautiful Baby on Display Dec 17, 2019
- Dec 3, 2019 Regarding the Selection of an Artistic Theme Dec 3, 2019
- Nov 20, 2019 "What's Your Best Price on This Piece?" Nov 20, 2019
- Nov 13, 2019 A Really Unique Commission Project Nov 13, 2019
- Nov 6, 2019 Fun with Art Scammers Nov 6, 2019
- Nov 3, 2019 "How did you know you wanted to be an artist?" Nov 3, 2019
- Oct 30, 2019 How do you know when a painting is "done"? Oct 30, 2019
- Oct 20, 2019 The piece I had to paint: "Côte d’Azur" Oct 20, 2019
- Oct 18, 2019 Inspiration Everywhere! Oct 18, 2019
- Aug 26, 2019 Contentment vs Restlessness Aug 26, 2019
- Aug 14, 2019 "Why Should I Purchase Artwork?" Aug 14, 2019
- Aug 11, 2019 What Was Art School Like? Aug 11, 2019
- Aug 7, 2019 "The Four Seasons on the French Broad River" Aug 7, 2019
- Jul 30, 2019 Joy Unspeakable Jul 30, 2019
- Jul 7, 2019 Of Mountains and Oceans Jul 7, 2019
- Jul 3, 2019 Lessons I've Learned as an Artist Jul 3, 2019
- Jun 26, 2019 St.Claire Art Opening at the AC Hotel, Asheville Jun 26, 2019
- Jun 23, 2019 "How do you decide what to paint?" Jun 23, 2019
- Jun 5, 2019 One of my All-Time Heroes Jun 5, 2019
- Jun 2, 2019 Regarding "Inspiration" vs "Necessity" Jun 2, 2019
- May 29, 2019 The Best Complement I've Ever Received May 29, 2019
- May 19, 2019 "What are you Working on These Days?" May 19, 2019
- May 5, 2019 "Frankenstein-ing" a painting May 5, 2019
- Apr 17, 2019 The Big Reveal Apr 17, 2019
- Apr 3, 2019 "How do you Decide What to Paint?" Apr 3, 2019
- Mar 27, 2019 "I'm just not making the sales I need!" Mar 27, 2019
- Mar 20, 2019 Making the Most of Mistakes Mar 20, 2019
- Mar 10, 2019 Exploring Austin Galleries, Part 2 Mar 10, 2019
- Feb 25, 2019 Exploring Austin Galleries, Part 1 Feb 25, 2019
- Feb 10, 2019 Progress! Feb 10, 2019
- Jan 23, 2019 Preliminary Photos of my "Sails" Prototypes Jan 23, 2019
- Jan 16, 2019 The Benefits of Slowing Down Jan 16, 2019
- Jan 8, 2019 New Idea Taking Shape Jan 8, 2019
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2018
- Dec 29, 2018 Looking Back and Looking Ahead Dec 29, 2018
- Dec 19, 2018 Percolating Creativity Dec 19, 2018
- Dec 16, 2018 So then... Dec 16, 2018
- Dec 12, 2018 What if... Dec 12, 2018
- Dec 5, 2018 Recent Projects on my Plate Dec 5, 2018
- Dec 3, 2018 Claude: My Creative Hero and Muse Dec 3, 2018
- Nov 22, 2018 Lessons I've Learned as an Artist Nov 22, 2018
- Nov 12, 2018 Planning for a Second Studio Location! Nov 12, 2018
- Nov 7, 2018 Steps Involved with a Painting Commission Nov 7, 2018
- Nov 4, 2018 How do you stay "balanced"? Nov 4, 2018
- Oct 28, 2018 What makes art "Art"? Oct 28, 2018
- Oct 21, 2018 "How Did You Stumble Across This Type of Artwork?" Oct 21, 2018
- Oct 17, 2018 "A Personal History" Oct 17, 2018
- Oct 14, 2018 Commission Confusion Oct 14, 2018
- Oct 10, 2018 "Aqueous Dream" Oct 10, 2018
- Oct 7, 2018 Beauty in the Center of the Pit Oct 7, 2018
- Sep 30, 2018 Only North Carolina? Sep 30, 2018
- Sep 23, 2018 The Price of Being a Landscape Painter Sep 23, 2018
- Sep 9, 2018 Thoughts on New Directions, New Possibilities Sep 9, 2018
- Aug 29, 2018 SURVEY: GLOSSY OR SATIN Aug 29, 2018
- Aug 22, 2018 Regarding Commissioning a Painting Aug 22, 2018
- Aug 19, 2018 On the Brink of a Huge Failure Aug 19, 2018
- Aug 7, 2018 "The Trail That Never Ends" Aug 7, 2018
- Aug 5, 2018 Inspration Begets Inspiration Aug 5, 2018
- Jul 19, 2018 Rejuvenating Creativity! Jul 19, 2018
- Jul 15, 2018 A Word About Accolades Jul 15, 2018
- Jul 10, 2018 Where it Began Jul 10, 2018
- Jul 4, 2018 Funny Things People Say in an Art Studio Jul 4, 2018
- Jun 29, 2018 "The Time Between Times" Jun 29, 2018
- Jun 27, 2018 World View #8: Post Modernism Jun 27, 2018
- Jun 21, 2018 World View #7: New Age Pantheism Jun 21, 2018
- Jun 12, 2018 A New Opportunity -- A New Idea Jun 12, 2018
- Jun 6, 2018 The Art of Dinner (at the Grove Park Inn) Jun 6, 2018
- Jun 3, 2018 National Geographic?!? Jun 3, 2018
- Jun 1, 2018 World View #6: Modernism Jun 1, 2018
- May 24, 2018 The Art of Dinner (with the Dallas Cowboys) May 24, 2018
- May 13, 2018 Carving Mountains from Scratch May 13, 2018
- May 10, 2018 "Trigger Warning" May 10, 2018
- May 7, 2018 World View #5: Existentialism May 7, 2018
- Apr 29, 2018 World View #4: Nihilism Apr 29, 2018
- Apr 11, 2018 World View #3: Naturalism Apr 11, 2018
- Apr 4, 2018 World View #2: Deism Apr 4, 2018
- Mar 26, 2018 World View #1: Theism Mar 26, 2018
- Mar 23, 2018 A Time to be Disturbed Mar 23, 2018
- Mar 14, 2018 Understanding Art 101 Mar 14, 2018
- Mar 8, 2018 The Organ Mountains Mar 8, 2018
- Mar 7, 2018 "Remember...there are no mistakes with art" Mar 7, 2018
- Mar 2, 2018 The Biltmore Estate Mar 2, 2018
- Feb 21, 2018 How to Make a Living as an Artist (Part 2) Feb 21, 2018
- Feb 12, 2018 How to Make a Living as an Artist Feb 12, 2018
- Feb 4, 2018 How do you create when you don't feel creative? Feb 4, 2018
- Jan 24, 2018 Gallery Representation in Hendersonville! Jan 24, 2018
- Jan 19, 2018 Metalizing the Biltmore Estate Jan 19, 2018
- Jan 15, 2018 Four Seasons on the Blue Ridge Jan 15, 2018
- Jan 11, 2018 About Ice... Jan 11, 2018
- Jan 10, 2018 What's Next? Jan 10, 2018
-
2017
- Dec 20, 2017 Mountain Top Experiences Dec 20, 2017
- Dec 18, 2017 The Power of Mystery Dec 18, 2017
- Dec 7, 2017 Forsyth Park Fountain Dec 7, 2017
- Dec 6, 2017 Angsty or Terrified? Dec 6, 2017
- Dec 4, 2017 To the "Angsty" Artist... Dec 4, 2017
- Dec 3, 2017 "I woudn't pay HALF of what he's asking!" Dec 3, 2017
- Nov 20, 2017 "On the Water" Nov 20, 2017
- Nov 19, 2017 Song of Autumn Nov 19, 2017
- Nov 15, 2017 "Top of the Mountain" Nov 15, 2017
- Nov 5, 2017 "How do you decide what to paint?" Nov 5, 2017
- Nov 2, 2017 "Valley of Shadows" Nov 2, 2017
- Nov 1, 2017 Forest of Autumn Gold Nov 1, 2017
- Oct 25, 2017 Then and Now Oct 25, 2017
- Oct 24, 2017 Catawba Falls Oct 24, 2017
- Oct 18, 2017 "Valley of Shadows" Oct 18, 2017
- Oct 11, 2017 Autumn River Song Oct 11, 2017
- Oct 3, 2017 Autumnal Shift Oct 3, 2017
- Sep 28, 2017 Mystic Summer Morning Sep 28, 2017
- Sep 24, 2017 Valley of Shadows Sep 24, 2017
- Sep 1, 2017 the breakers Sep 1, 2017
- Aug 24, 2017 When the Sun Went Dark Aug 24, 2017
- Aug 17, 2017 Secret Blog Post Aug 17, 2017
- Aug 14, 2017 Waterfalls Everywhere! Aug 14, 2017
- Aug 11, 2017 "Cullasaja Falls" Completion photo Aug 11, 2017
- Aug 8, 2017 Finishing up "My Marathon" Aug 8, 2017
- Aug 1, 2017 One of the Best Days Ever! Aug 1, 2017
- Jul 26, 2017 "Glacial Fractures in situ" Jul 26, 2017
- Jul 24, 2017 Inspiration and Rest Jul 24, 2017
- Jul 18, 2017 Half Baked Ideas... Jul 18, 2017
- Jul 13, 2017 Oaks on the Water Jul 13, 2017
- Jul 9, 2017 Challenged to the Core Jul 9, 2017
- Jul 5, 2017 Boats on the Water Jul 5, 2017
- Jun 30, 2017 Glacial Fractures Jun 30, 2017
- Jun 29, 2017 Winter in the Summer! Jun 29, 2017
- Jun 27, 2017 What's in a Compliment? Jun 27, 2017
- Jun 23, 2017 Thoughts on a Mighty Failure Jun 23, 2017
- Jun 20, 2017 Sunrise on the Mountain Jun 20, 2017
- Jun 14, 2017 The Last Sunset (is that dramatic or what?) Jun 14, 2017
- Jun 12, 2017 Sunset or Sunrise? End or Beginning? Jun 12, 2017
- Jun 9, 2017 At the End of the Day Jun 9, 2017
- Jun 8, 2017 Giverny: My Homage to the Man Jun 8, 2017
- Jun 2, 2017 A Funny Thing Happened at the Studio Today... Jun 2, 2017
- Jun 2, 2017 Sunrise, Sunset... Jun 2, 2017
- May 29, 2017 Color Explosion May 29, 2017
- May 22, 2017 My Largest Painting to Date... May 22, 2017
- May 18, 2017 What to do with 2000 visitors in an art studio... May 18, 2017
- May 9, 2017 My Creative Muse May 9, 2017
- May 3, 2017 Joys of Life May 3, 2017
- Apr 28, 2017 Regarding Art & Beauty Apr 28, 2017
- Apr 25, 2017 Getting Better Acquainted Apr 25, 2017
- Apr 23, 2017 Rainy Sunday Morning Thoughts Apr 23, 2017
- Apr 22, 2017 Personal Thoughts Apr 22, 2017
- Apr 19, 2017 Favorite Hikes (Inspiration in the Making)... Apr 19, 2017
- Apr 15, 2017 Inspiration is Everywhere (some of our favorite hiking trails) Apr 15, 2017
- Apr 9, 2017 "Where should we eat tonight?" Apr 9, 2017
- Apr 6, 2017 Who Else Should We See in the District? Apr 6, 2017
- Apr 1, 2017 Spring in Western North Carolina Apr 1, 2017
- Mar 29, 2017 "Can you really make a living here?" Mar 29, 2017
- Mar 25, 2017 Of Ruination and Rescue Mar 25, 2017
- Mar 21, 2017 How I decide what to paint... Mar 21, 2017
- Mar 18, 2017 Musings of an artist... Mar 18, 2017
- Mar 14, 2017 Winter thoughts Mar 14, 2017
- Mar 13, 2017 "What makes this painting so sparkly?" Mar 13, 2017
- Mar 10, 2017 You're From Where? Mar 10, 2017
- Mar 5, 2017 "No Boundaries" Mar 5, 2017
- Mar 3, 2017 Appalachian Trail Mar 3, 2017
- Mar 2, 2017 What is 'good' art? Mar 2, 2017
- Feb 26, 2017 A Trip to the Art Museum Feb 26, 2017
- Feb 23, 2017 "The Rules" of Art Feb 23, 2017
- Feb 15, 2017 To School or Not to School... Feb 15, 2017
- Feb 10, 2017 How Do I Start This Thing? Feb 10, 2017
- Feb 9, 2017 Rocky Mountains reflection Feb 9, 2017
- Feb 7, 2017 Getting Inspired Feb 7, 2017
- Feb 5, 2017 Inspiration for a painting... Feb 5, 2017
- Jan 31, 2017 Understanding Abstract Art Jan 31, 2017
- Jan 29, 2017 Chi Jan 29, 2017
- Jan 26, 2017 Process: Rocky Mountain Commission Jan 26, 2017
- Jan 12, 2017 "Summer Path Thru the Birch Trees" Jan 12, 2017
- Jan 9, 2017 "Daybreak" Jan 9, 2017
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2016
- Dec 31, 2016 Revisiting a friend Dec 31, 2016
- Dec 28, 2016 The Trial Run Dec 28, 2016
- Dec 17, 2016 Asheville Channel Interview Dec 17, 2016
- Nov 28, 2016 "Big Mamma" begins to sing.... Nov 28, 2016
- Nov 22, 2016 An Experiment with Moonlight Nov 22, 2016
- Nov 17, 2016 Transfiguration Nov 17, 2016
- Nov 11, 2016 My Cluttered World Nov 11, 2016
- Oct 30, 2016 Sacred Space Oct 30, 2016
- Oct 22, 2016 Omikron (Fire & Ice) Oct 22, 2016
- Oct 19, 2016 "Do you know what you're going to paint?" Oct 19, 2016
- Oct 15, 2016 "Golden Pathway" Oct 15, 2016
- Oct 14, 2016 Flowers, Flowers Everywhere Oct 14, 2016
- Oct 13, 2016 OKC 2 ("The Bridge") Oct 13, 2016
- Oct 12, 2016 Headed west... Oct 12, 2016
- Sep 7, 2016 A Year of "Largest" Sep 7, 2016
- Aug 2, 2016 Transformation of an idea... Aug 2, 2016
- Jul 27, 2016 Beginning my "marathon" painting: Cullasaja Falls Jul 27, 2016
- Jul 18, 2016 My Marathon Jul 18, 2016
- Jul 13, 2016 Welcome! Jul 13, 2016
- Jul 11, 2016 Aegean Waters Jul 11, 2016
- Jul 2, 2016 The Red Planet Jul 2, 2016
- Jun 17, 2016 Puzzling and Playing Jun 17, 2016
- Jun 10, 2016 St.Claire Art Studio Tour Jun 10, 2016
- Jun 6, 2016 Hominy Valley Jun 6, 2016
- May 25, 2016 "The Acolytes" is installed in Georgetown, SC May 25, 2016
- May 19, 2016 "Zuma" May 19, 2016
- May 18, 2016 Fishy Art May 18, 2016
- May 13, 2016 "The Journey" May 13, 2016
- May 10, 2016 Hyatt Ridge (26" x 16") May 10, 2016
- May 5, 2016 "Broad River in October" May 5, 2016
- May 2, 2016 A Blast From the Past May 2, 2016
- Apr 22, 2016 Beginnings II Apr 22, 2016
- Apr 21, 2016 Appalachian Panorama Apr 21, 2016
- Apr 18, 2016 "How do you get the aluminum on the painting?" Apr 18, 2016
- Apr 14, 2016 Beginnings Apr 14, 2016
- Mar 24, 2016 St. Claire Art News & Updates Mar 24, 2016
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