Ken Auster's New Video, "Intellect and Passion"

Happy New Year to Everyone! If any artist has not made New Year's resolutions, you may like to check out Alyson B. Stanfield's list of "Artist Resolutions" on her web site, ArtBizCoach.com, for an interesting perspective. One resolution she offers is to "Resolve to practice a ten-second commercial about myself so that I know what to say when meeting new people." Alyson offers a subscription to a very helpful, interesting newsletter on her web site.

A New Year's gift to myself is Ken Auster's new 3-hour video entitled "Intellect & Passion." I studied under Auster at the Scottsdale Artist School's Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) Workshop in Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 2003. In fact, on his new video, Auster refers to a conversation that he and I had at Old Lyme. During the workshop, I watched another PAPA artist paint a scene with the trees in the distance painted a pale, misty blue. When I asked that artist why he was painting the green trees in the distance blue, he said, "I am painting what I see." During Auster's demo, he said, "You paint what you know, not what you see; you know that the trees in the distance must be painted a pale blue in order for them to recede into the distance." That day I told Auster that I was so glad to hear him say that because the other artist had confused me and caused me to think that I must be color blind because I definitely did not see blue trees in that scene. I was surprised to hear him recount our conversation on his new video. Auster's video can be purchased by calling 949-494-9525 or via Ken Auster.com. This week I enrolled in Auster's 3-day workshop scheduled for Nashville in October 2007. This workshop is being sponsored by the Chestnut Group.

The excitement is building around the studio as we get ready for the "Art Event at Lipscomb," scheduled for Friday, February 9, 2007, through Sunday, February 11, 2007, at Lipscomb Campus School in Brentwood, Tennessee. A slate of 43 fine artists are scheduled to participate in this event, which always proves to be very successful.

The new year has brought me some new exciting opportunities. One example is an invitation to submit work to the Trinity School's "Spotlight on Art Artist Market and Gala," scheduled for February 13-17, 2007, in Atlanta. Another message invited me to submit work for consideration in Decatur, GA's Arts Alliance Fine Arts Exhibition scheduled for May 22-June 3, 2007, in the Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College.

Anyone who is looking for an exceptional workshop conducted by one of Nashville's finest artists would do well to check out those offered by Roger Dale Brown. Roger is a signature member of the Oil Painters of America, member of the Cumberland Society of Painters, and the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. Roger has won numerous national and regional awards, and his work is carried by several outstanding galleries in the South.

Artists will be interested in checking out the exceptional service in web site development and maintenance offered by Clint Watson of Fine Art Studio Online (FASO). You will be pleasantly surprised at how Clint has simplified the process of establishing and maintaining an artist web site.

Happy Painting!

Tommy Thompson