Old Masters Academy

At the age of 63 now I still want to learn

Artwork by James E Amidon

As early as I can remember, I wanted to make Art my life. Since the age of 5 years, I have been striving and pushing myself to be the best I could be. Drawing almost every day in my adolecent years up through high school, I spent hours on copying out of magazines and photos to achieve that most realistic level.

In High School there was no Art teacher so again I would take every opportunity after school to hide in my drawing, developing my shading and composition skills. …

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Artwork by Rana Goswami, Old Masters Academy student

Painting is my passion

Painting is my passion – more a raison d’etre – the balance that makes life in heavy industrial selling complete.

I am not what one traditionally calls a painter: someone who has been trained to wield the brush to give vent to creative outpourings of the soul. On the contrary, I am a self taught …

My Art Story

Art by Richard Langley

I used to be good at drawing, but my school did not offer art tutoring of any kind, so my natural talent was not developed from the childhood. In spite of this, I wen to a local art school hoping for a better guidance, yet our art teachers only gave us assignments and spent a minute or two critiquing our work. Looking back, I just think how much time has been lost and how my art wold be different should I have proper art education from beginning.

I consider myself a self-taught artist. Every time I visit a museum, I feel an urge to paint and draw. I just want to make great masterpieces the old masters were able to create.

Art is my first and only love

… My artistic challenges are figure painting and color mixing. I want to learn the techniques of old masters like how to achieve chiaroscuro, painting fluid drapery, painting floral designs on clothing, jewelry and to be able to draw figures from imagination without having a model reference and also learn how to mix colors to achieve better quality artwork.

I think old masters academy is excellent because they are all about the classic techniques of old masters which is exactly what I want. …

I would like to paint like Vermeer

Paintings by Mohamed

Vermeer, that’s the chap I would like to paint like.

His subjects being lit ever so cleverly. The light being perfect. Don’t believe me? Check out the Girl With The Pearl Earring. …

A Lifelong Quest for the Secrets of the Old Masters

Artwork by Andrew Collins

For over 30 years I have been transforming the homes of customers with paint. I am a painter and decorator and my knowledge of art and design gives me extra skill when helping them to choose colours that bring architectural features to life. As a young man, studying at high school, I was only interested in the arts and literature, particularly the history of art, but I was discouraged about a future career as an artist.

New Zealand is a small country that, being so far from Europe, had been out of touch with the great art history and vision of Europe and without this appreciation and with a limited market, real jobs for artists were scarce. In the 80’s travel for a young person was not as easy as it is today and without the means to study abroad, I settled for a vocation that would at least allow me to use paint!

Later, although by then I had a family, I decided this wasn’t enough. I returned to study at the age of 30 in 2000, completing a bachelor degree in Visual Art & Design. During this time, I gained further a real passion for the work of the Old Masters. …

I want to learn how to paint

My name is Amanda Delfs.
I grew up in a household that did not value art. I was told at a young age that I would be an engineer, scientist, or doctor, and that I had no choice in the matter. As a young girl I became in love with art, I loved to draw and color, and would very frequently write and illustrate my own books.

As I grew older my love of art only intensified as I found it a sanctuary from my anxiety, depression, and bullying at school. I found art had a soothing effect on me and I would just draw to escape the real world.

I was never allowed to take art classes and when it came time to go to college I enrolled as a student of chemistry. I got my bachelors in science, but the entire time I was at school I still tried to escape by drawing. …

I’ve always admired the work of the old masters and marvelled at how they were able to paint such beautiful images! …

I paint and all my free time is painting

Artwork by Denise Bradshaw

I live in Dayton Nevada, in a rural area of the state about one hour from Reno. I started painting a year ago and love it. I have realized I need to learn how to draw to make a good painting even better. My art takes center stage because I have made it a big part of my life.

My artistic challenges are trying to draw to make the subject look real. Another challenge is to put in the time to practice drawing which I have not been doing. I paint and all my free time is painting. I know I have to maybe paint one day and draw another. I need to practice more.

I want to learn how to draw well. I look at some of the art web sites that I visit and these people can draw very well and I say to myself, if only I was that good. …

Love the ways of the old masters

Paintings by Anna Festa

Hi, I’m Anna, I’ve been an artist for over 40 years. My schooling has been primarily commercial art, but have worked in almost all mediums. When I lived in West Palm Beach, Florida, they had a wonderful school that introduced me to painting in the style of the old masters, but took it only a few times because it was too expensive. That started a fire in me, that to this day have not been able to quench.

I moved to the west coast of Florida and have been uninspired. The courses here are juvenile, and have found the teachers here needed instruction themselves. That is when I decided to teach.

I find though that I need to be inspired again. …

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I’ve always wanted to be an artist but …

Paintings by Joy McMicken

I’ve always wanted to be an artist but, like many other kids, the one time I got to draw in school was third grade and I was told I cannot draw. I’ve always had an artist heart and a burning desire to draw and paint. So this was quite painful for me. I never believed in myself. It took a car accident and broken back to put me where I should be. After my doctor performed a miracle if use my back, he told me the only thing I could lift would be a pencil. Couldn’t read a book, couldn’t crochet, couldn’t tat, nothing but use a pencil. So I started drawing and studying drawing, which of course progressed into painting and I’m still studying both.

I paint and draw a lot, I have my own Plein Aire group. I take workshops, study, watch YouTube videos about painting and drawing, buy DVDs and books, go to Galleries and art shows, and practice practice practice. And I love every minute of it. Unfortunately I have to have a job, but painting and drawing are for most in my life and I enjoy it every opportunity I get. …

I would like to be one of the fine artist that represent our time period. …