LOCATION: Westlake Village, CA
CAREER: Fine Artist, Teacher
EDUCATION: California Art Institute with Glen Orbik, B.A. Graphic Design from California State University, Northridge
WHAT IS A LITTLE KNOWN FACT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
I’m a gourmet cook, or try to be.
CONGRATULATIONS RECEIVING FIRST PLACE AT THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL PORTRAIT COMPETITION FOR 'LAST TRAIN HOME' (ABOVE). YOU EMBRACE ROMANTICISM BEST SUMMED UP BY CASPER DAVID FRIEDRICH AS "THE THE ARTIST'S FEELING IS A LAW," AND YOU ARE A FOUNDER OF AN ART MOVEMENT CALLED "NOVOREALISM." CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH 'LAST TRAIN HOME,' DESCRIBING YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS AND HOW IT IS INTERTWINED WITH ROMANTICISM AND NOVOREALISM?
This piece was conceived when I witnessed the actual scene in Dijon, France. It was about 5:45am and we were waiting for our train to Paris to fly home from a long trip in Europe. Anytime I ride a train in Europe, I always think of the Pat Metheny song, “Last Train Home.” The song was on my mind when I saw this scene before me and I was so arrested by what I was looking at, I snapped a shot with my iPhone. I didn’t have time to shoot it with my good camera. The woman on the platform actually worked for the train station and she was too blurry so I used another model similar to her.
Novorealism is a philosophy of painting works that inspire and emanate beauty. It’s returning art back to what it has lost, which is beauty. This scene to me was beautiful and I am inclined to paint the beautiful things I SEE. This is the reason I paint, to paint something beautiful.
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED COLOR PALETTE, AND IF SO, WHAT IS YOUR REASONING BEHIND IT?
I have been using a much more limited palette these days since I saw the Anders Zorn Show. What he was capable of doing and what I am really finding out is the beauty of the simple palette and its subtleties.
HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF AS A PAINTER?
Painting more complex imagery, really trying to tell a story, pushing color schemes, and pushing composition.
DO YOU FIND MOST PAINTERS STRUGGLING WITH ANY ONE SPECIFIC PROBLEM? IF SO, WHAT IS IT AND WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OVERCOME IT?
Number one is DRAWING. Most paintings that aren’t very good are usually drawing problems, including my own. Drawing is Shapes, Values, and Edges and Painting is Color and Surface… It’s much easier to get any one of these drawing issues wrong. My advice and what I do, is constantly go back to the basics and draw, draw, draw.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKSHOPS OR CLASSES ON THE HORIZON? WHERE COULD SOMEONE LEARN MORE?
There are a few ways one can learn from me, which is taking one of my workshops. I have a couple scheduled in the near future which you can see on my website:
Tony Pro (click here)
- Sign up for the mailing list here:
Mailing List (click here)
- I also have 2 DVDs that are available here:
DVDs (click here)
- I have classes that I teach online that are available ON DEMAND here:
Zarolla.com
WE HAVE TO ASK... WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NEW WAVE PALETTE?
I'm a big fan of your smaller neutral grey POSH table top palette.
-Tony Pro
www.tonypro-fineart.com
