How it all began:
While looking for something to do when I retire, I started talking about buying a fishing boat. Fortunately for me, my wife had other ideas. Susan suggested that I use that time to take up painting, as she liked my Christmas cards and architectural drawings. She also said, it would be a cheaper and safer hobby.
At that time, we were traveling a lot and still do. All the pictures we took found their way into the computer, never to be seen again. Painting was an excellent way to establish a history of our trips with visual reminders of the great memories we share.
The final catalyst came when we thought we had purchased a painting from a Florida dealer painted by a Russian artist that we both liked. We negotiated the price, because there was a brownish “protective” film on the painting which the dealer said he would remove. When the film was removed, the dealer was able to sell the painting at his original asking price, without even giving us a chance to see it. Since we were unable to obtain the original painting, I said that that painting would be one of my first challenges.
The Journey:Having committed to trying this new art form, I started thinking about how to get started. At the time, I was on the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Fine Arts Center (now the PFAC) and decided to take advantage of the training classes offered by the center. I enrolled in an oil painting class offered by Brian Murphy. As it turned out, I really enjoyed the class and found that trying to make each painting better than the previous ones was both challenging and satisfying.
I began creating 8” by 10” paintings of various subjects from our travels. When I became comfortable with the results, I started painting larger paintings and giving them away to friends with whom we had been traveling. After dabbling with Plein Air painting, I realized this was not my style, as I needed the unlimited time for painting in the studio, without the changing conditions. I also realized that I liked “still life’s” and challenged myself to grow as an artist by painting my interpretation of other artist’s works.
It was at this time that I painted the Russian artist’s painting that we were unable to buy previously. It was also my largest painting to date, 30” by 40” oil-on-canvas, which now hangs in our family room. I also painted two interpretations of originals by Willem Kalf, a 17th Century Dutch artist. One of my favorite artists is G. Harvey, a Texas artist who passed away in 2017. As a Financial Advisor, I was inspired to paint his “Wall Street” painting and one of his Washington, DC, paintings. All of these are shown in the Gallery section.
Another of my favorite artists, and one I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with, is Kay Walton, also a Texas artist from Abilene. After buying one of her works from a Houston art gallery in 1994, and admiring it for 14 years, I was able to contact her to inquire if she ever did workshops. When I found out that she did, I went to Marble Falls, Texas, to paint with one of her classes. I enjoyed the class so much, that the following year, I arranged a “one-on-one workshop” to paint with her in her Abilene studio. It was and is truly one of the highlights of my painting career.
Now:I have been painting with a group for the past 9 years under the guidance of Susan Burgoyne, an award-winning artist in her own right. She has a unique way of making our art time enjoyable, entertaining, and educational. Without her support, I may have given up in my early stages of development.
All these experiences have contributed to my development and growth over the past 10 years. I am forever thankful to those who have offered help and support, whether they were aware of it or not in the case of Willem Kalf and G. Harvey.
As you can see from the Gallery Section, my paintings range from landscapes, street scenes, and sunsets, to flowers, homes, and still life’s.
Enjoy!
C. Armfield
