KevinPrattArt (Day 2)

For several years, a group of respected artists in the neighborhood gather in November in the Historic San Pedro Chapel to show and sell their art. Their work is diverse and all original. They love to meet and talk with everyone about their art and how they make their art.

About the Process

I paint desert and mountain landscapes, and abstracts. Sometimes I paint sketches in the field. Sometimes I find a good black and white photo to inspire me. Sometimes I start with memories. My largest painting so far is 36x36. I paint with acrylics on canvas or paper. The first and most important step is composition and perspective. Second is imaging where the sun sits. Third is choosing a color pallet-at most 5 colors (my wife helps with this because I am partly colorblind). When I start to paint, I decide whether to work from foreground to background or vice versa. I use only Liquitex Heavy Body paint, because it has the strongest pigments. I use anything possible as a paint brush to get the textures I want. Some paintings take 20 minutes to complete; others take weeks. When I am done, I set them aside and re-evaluate them several times over a week. Then I discard about 3/4 of them. I paint flat on a small desk, or on the floor for larger pieces. If they are good enough, I sign and varnish. And, after a while I decide some really weren't good enough and I trash them too. I try to get into as many shows and galleries as I can, so I can learn what insights curators and observers have, so I can improve.