Artwork by William A. Wachter
I am old, retired, and began painting seriously in 2015. In 2020 I completed 40 pieces of art, mainly portraiture.
I give my art to the subjects since I want to spread a little joy in the world without adversely affecting the art market in the place I live.
I prefer to paint young families and grandparents and their grandchildren. I have painted all four of my children and their spouses and children (charity begins at home). I have painted a professional model and given her my painting to honor her courage for modeling in what can only be described as dangerous circumstances. I have painted the wealthy and the poor and everyone in between.
Staying motivated is my primary concern and free portraiture for demanding patrons (like interested grandmas) is a great way to do it. Lots of feedback through the process keeps me connected to the subject. My preferred medium is water-miscible oils since my studio is in the basement.
Productivity is my single greatest concern and “an ounce of suction is worth a pound of push”. I have seen that having people care about one’s art is critical for any durability as art.
What I want to do is strengthen my art “muscles” and revisiting the fundamentals is a great way to do that. The Old Masters Academy is a cost-effective way for the motivated artist to get better at representational art.
Every young person working in this area is more qualified to receive the gift of the Old Masters Academy course; however if I receive it I will not be competing for the “art dollar”. If anything, I can be looked at as a “loss leader” because most folks cannot or will not afford original art but getting a free “ready-to-hang” portrait of those they love may increase the likelihood that their eyes will be opened to the art of others.
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