Blair Atherholt

Pennsylvania, USA, Schism, oil, 20 x 20" (51 x 51 cm)

My Inspiration

My inspiration for Schism developed, initially, from a desire to compose a painting that would utilize a muted color palette, yet still retain a high level of contrast in its values. I was really looking to create something with a heavy atmosphere. The immense size of the earthenware jug, as compared to the pears and grapes, captured the sort of drama that I was looking for.

My Design Strategy

Quite honestly, I really only paint things that I personally find interesting. To do this, I typically use the same basic approach when designing each of my paintings, beginning with one question: What mood am I trying to capture? Once I decide this, I begin experimenting. I’ll set up a composition using objects of various shapes, sizes and materials such as metal, earthenware, glass, etc.

As I settle on and arrange my subject matter, I keep some very basic compositional rules in mind, such as the Rule of Thirds, to make sure things are cohesive and (hopefully) pleasing to the eye.

My Working Process

As an oil painter, I work very directly.

I forgo an underpainting, and instead opt for a simple line drawing in umber and black. I find as long as I can accurately establish the placement and drawing of my objects within my composition, I have more than enough structure to start applying paint.

This process can be a little chaotic, however, and can lead to many failed paintings. If I get overeager, or don’t spend enough time thoughtfully planning the composition or my intentions for the painting, it’s really easy to make a mess of things. Occasionally, if the painting promises to be complex, I’ll force myself to slow down and work out some problems in thumbnail sketches.

Contact Details

Email: batherholt@gmail.com Website: www.blairatherholtart.com