Roughly 17 or 18 years ago, I came home from my teaching day and logged onto Wetcanvas online artist's community. I was one of the original staffers of this nearly first such internet artist community. There were six of us including the founder, and I believe but four forums. Over the next thirteen years of my tenure before retiring, I would help create eight forums and moderate all of them, co-moderating the Plein Air forum. When I retired there were about 360,000 artist members from around the world...
On this particular night, (moderators tend to get complaints they have to check out, and request/insist the gruff individuals play nice, or give warnings and even suspensions), it was brought to my attention a few artists were brow beating. By that I mean those a tad narcissistic and a gift to the world of art, (legends in their own minds) and everyone had best listen to their expertise or expect bullying and vitriol. Well..our site community user agreement to join and participate did not allow for such behavior. Again, just "play nice"...
On this occasion was insistent that good paintings can ONLY come from the best materials, the best brushes..and we were talking $40 on up brushes. Many artists, (including myself) are not finding themselves able to afford such brushes. I myself paint with what I believe are supreme...called Rosemary Brushes, out of England, favoring the Ivory ...but, when I read into the arguments and scrolled, something in me snapped. Not in a "get in your face" way...but, to go out, prove a point concerning talent as a primary consideration along with dogged determination...and paint. I cut myself four sticks from alder brush near our home and headed to the local Mill Pond to paint setup on location (plein air).
I used no other brushes, did use my finger to smear and push some paint, but otherwise it was all applied by these sticks that I had whittled with a knife. The sticks themselves (which I have kept) still have the stain of the paint from that day. An 8"x 10" oil...which I consider now these many years later iconic and special.
It is time I think this work finds a new home..perhaps gets rightly framed upon its arrival, and I am making this painting on primed panel AND all four of the stick "brushes" available. At one time, I would have sold this for about $550...and $75 more for a good frame, but...wanting to clear out some of my personal inventory I will make it and the sticks available for $300....contact me either thru Facebook, Facebook messaging, my blog here, or my artist's page at FASO
FASO artist site
And note...if you click upon the image, you will get a larger image to pop up and look at closer.
BTW...I took photos, went back online at Wetcanvas and shared the painting. I patiently waited until I received positive comments and review. It was THEN that I revealed my very expensive special brushes...which ended the bullying quickly, and of course reminding the artists once more to "play nice!"
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Mill Pond Access 8"x 10" oil plein air $300
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The four alder stick brushes for this painting
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