MY NEW FOCUS ON PAINTINGS
All artists are expected to find their "style" or "identity" which sets them apart from others. This can be a very daunting task. One which has many stressing over what they will focus on or what style they can develop. Sadly, many art schools no longer teach the fundamentals of art, focusing instead on telling the students to "do your own thing" in order to allow freedom to develop an individual style. The reasoning is: if one is taught how to paint, it will interfere with a natural outworking of individuality. There are leading artists who disagree with this school of thought, chief among them being Richard Schmid, one of the foremost art masters of modern history. In his book "Alla Prima" he debunks this theory in favor of learning the skill of painting, and THEN allowing one's natural style to emerge through practice. He believed that it is in the constant practice of one's skill where this individuality develops
