tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87231485603932715982024-03-19T01:48:40.543-07:00Thomas W SchallerWATERCOLOR ARTISTAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-4970698858301636462017-08-10T12:09:00.000-07:002017-08-10T12:14:58.186-07:00An Interior Life <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou03eigN3AC-IxvaBQujIXuhOhsMh5me9lWLQLnxPlRNo7OjeOVECNye2f7pOQL3o5_TP7BIjjZOzNqlg7ZZS5XeT_htJOJ8vJIcCT7V0L7qpkfwZcNz0hXjB76EuNkzoNtYo7GPngzE/s1600/AnInteriorLife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou03eigN3AC-IxvaBQujIXuhOhsMh5me9lWLQLnxPlRNo7OjeOVECNye2f7pOQL3o5_TP7BIjjZOzNqlg7ZZS5XeT_htJOJ8vJIcCT7V0L7qpkfwZcNz0hXjB76EuNkzoNtYo7GPngzE/s400/AnInteriorLife.jpg" width="400" height="400" data-original-width="1002" data-original-height="1002" /></a></div>
<b>An Interior Life</b>
Thomas W Schaller
Watercolor
15x15 inches August 2017
The paraphrased Wordsworth quote - "Mother Nature is the best teacher" - is often accepted by painters as something approaching gospel. And in truth , there is no substitute for actual site observation in our attempts to understand the many complexities of color, texture, and light.
But for me, there are many other teachers of equal importance. Dreams, memories, and the creative invention of pure imagination are just as critical to the artist in the attempt to tell the stories we may wish our work to tell.
We are all products of our collective and accumulated experiences. Even as we grab our painting kits and head out with the aim to simply paint the world as it is outside our door, we cannot experience that actual scene without input beyond just the the simple act of looking. It is almost an impossibility to see anything with such unfettered clarity. For example, there are always fragments of our memories of having seeing it before. We may also be informed by how we may wish to see it, or how we hope to portray it in our work. In addition, we can often be influenced by how others have seen and/or painted such a scene as well.
In short, it is all but impossible to ever paint exactly what we see as much as we paint how we think and feel about what we see. Whether we are aware of it or not, we cannot help but be informed by our thoughts and feelings about - and our dreams and memories of - the world around us. And I believe this is as it should be. In fact, if we explore this truth, it can expand our potential as artists. It truly is not what we see, but how we see that can make all the difference. And so if we broaden and deepen our vision, we can begin to look and to see in new ways, and with new eyes.
What I often try to do in my work is to find ways and methods of bypassing actual "reality" and tapping into these less tangible means of perception. Like anything else, the more I do this, the easier it becomes. Like all of us, I have a large "internal library" of sights and sounds, impressions and memories of my years of life , of moving through the world. And the fewer filters I put between those banked experiences and my easel, the more inventive, personal, and communicative my artwork can be.
My painting ,"An Interior Life" , posted above is a completely imagined view. There is no such place or view in the "real world". It is an example of the process of being inspired less by any specific thing I have seen, and more by impressions and memories of things I have experienced at some other level over the years. It is meant to be "beyond time". It could be set in the present, the near future, or in some bygone era. And the story it is meant to tell is both straightforward and intentionally vague - both quite personal and broadly universal as well. In fact, it is a tribute to the many ways we may all be inspired and motivated as much by other worlds. The realms of thought, feeling, and memory - writing, books, photographs, drawings - and the study of such pursuits, are just as real as any other sort of direct observation.
And in part, it is inspired by the Wallace Steven's poem below. I have always loved this beautiful piece of writing and the themes addressed hit home in a particularly powerful way.
Thomas W Schaller Los Angeles - August 2017
<b>Final Soliloquy of the Interior Paramour</b>
Wallace Stevens
Light the first light of evening, as in a room
In which we rest and, for small reason, think
The world imagined is the ultimate good.
This is, therefore, the intensest rendezvous.
It is in that thought that we collect ourselves,
Out of all the indifferences, into one thing:
Within a single thing, a single shawl
Wrapped tightly round us, since we are poor, a warmth,
A light, a power, the miraculous influence.
Here, now, we forget each other and ourselves.
We feel the obscurity of an order, a whole,
A knowledge, that which arranged the rendezvous.
Within its vital boundary, in the mind.
We say God and the imagination are one...
How high that highest candle lights the dark.
Out of this same light, out of the central mind,
We make a dwelling in the evening air,
In which being there together is enough.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com157tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-54147199312746900662016-02-17T23:10:00.002-08:002016-02-17T23:10:39.214-08:00Glencoe Avenue Morning - Los Angeles
After years of detesting - then merely resenting - them, I have finally begun to make my peace with the relentless jumble of overhead wires and poles that define much of the skyline here in Los Angeles.
In large part - because of the risk of earthquakes - such utility lines cannot be buried beneath streets and sidewalks as they are in many other major cities. And so, we are forced to co-exist.
But at last, I began to see them not as just an inevitable plague, but also as vessels, capable of transmitting their own kind of expected beauty, as they carve and divide the planes of sky in constantly surprising , abstract, and unexpected ways.
And in that realization, came another sort of awakening in me as both a person and an artist. Beauty is not always to be found in the obvious or expected places . And the same can be said for people, or ideas, or ways of being for that matter.
Beauty is not content to be so narrowly defined. And moreover, it cannot actually be found in what we see - but in how we choose or learn to see.
In other words, beauty does not so much exist within our subjects, but in how fully we are able to see and to feel them . And only then, can we - as artists - turn our attention to how we are able to interpret those feelings on our paper or canvas.
Glencoe Avenue Morning - Los Angeles
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
22x22 Inches 17 February 2016
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRtIodNfyGdSiwF1q9arPT2xCi54sDDiWaJ-zpWiWa-jFm6wO5jhadyecFV2bBrSi2G_B8D3C3mqC9P8cu8-2_TrWcTU5_cq0wR_mvLfbkRsiLuz2FomRkfls5Vm7UH5VPKij3lD72E0/s1600/Glencoe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRtIodNfyGdSiwF1q9arPT2xCi54sDDiWaJ-zpWiWa-jFm6wO5jhadyecFV2bBrSi2G_B8D3C3mqC9P8cu8-2_TrWcTU5_cq0wR_mvLfbkRsiLuz2FomRkfls5Vm7UH5VPKij3lD72E0/s400/Glencoe.jpeg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-2436053621061860182015-03-22T14:59:00.000-07:002015-03-22T14:59:26.629-07:00"Stormy Road to Newcastle""Stormy Road to Newcastle"
Northern Ireland
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
15x22 inches 22 March 2015
On my trip to Northern Ireland last year, I was looking forward to being bowled over by the beauty I'd always imagined I'd see in the legendary Mountains of Mourne ( where the "Mountains Sweep Down to the Sea" as the song goes ). And I was - but more so than I ever could have imagined. And the overpowering beauty, energy, and majesty of the ever-changing sky was a revelation. Never have skies seemed so alive to me - as if they were always trying to talk to me - to tell me something.
And every day since - I believe they did. So inspiring and amazing they were.
Driving toward Newcastle this day - I had to stop and just try to take it all in. I still am.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpt9IChzlTM7fugwX6aIGX_R8q0oB90PYExayKW1pl6SV0vThePSQTs-gsgBi6WHOuAAsJ1gTpj-p9er3OUK4zGFoHFod6c2Gcf9K2o5pwOyiK8ArW2G4QrAmOlm-aPE0fsnYTZAUWzA0/s1600/newcastle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpt9IChzlTM7fugwX6aIGX_R8q0oB90PYExayKW1pl6SV0vThePSQTs-gsgBi6WHOuAAsJ1gTpj-p9er3OUK4zGFoHFod6c2Gcf9K2o5pwOyiK8ArW2G4QrAmOlm-aPE0fsnYTZAUWzA0/s400/newcastle2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-68091274776830402242015-03-16T15:46:00.000-07:002015-03-16T15:46:01.807-07:00Facade Study in Warm and Cool"Facade Study in Warm and Cool"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
18x13 inches on Fabriano Artistico
16 March 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5urFHO0gNSqGD3ta5T4pzWyNI6fIKKg5xhCrljjKxEK7bXdA5C2Vi2Ma9ya4A-bMhypRo8TTUB_u-btx6ZyQXGJzTG3nrHgZwKIhMWvWC-P4BYhmmFdTPAwxSdVIY7D0X23e5dQblFt4/s1600/facade2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5urFHO0gNSqGD3ta5T4pzWyNI6fIKKg5xhCrljjKxEK7bXdA5C2Vi2Ma9ya4A-bMhypRo8TTUB_u-btx6ZyQXGJzTG3nrHgZwKIhMWvWC-P4BYhmmFdTPAwxSdVIY7D0X23e5dQblFt4/s400/facade2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-52952646988898004812015-03-14T21:41:00.001-07:002015-03-14T21:41:10.954-07:00"Kitchen - Castle Beynac; France""Kitchen - Castle Beynac"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
18 x 13 inches 03.14.2015
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgarBfw75y5DA1hJhTNlgETQBAY0Z7fk0yTO0sILoau3__6wGplST4S7gQ3tDMl2zkzpRNApeuzfK95kDs2VQptMx2T4vg-Zv76PBg1f8eJ-G3Dm38c-DF5Etr_CD074fKFn4yNunwFE/s1600/beynac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgarBfw75y5DA1hJhTNlgETQBAY0Z7fk0yTO0sILoau3__6wGplST4S7gQ3tDMl2zkzpRNApeuzfK95kDs2VQptMx2T4vg-Zv76PBg1f8eJ-G3Dm38c-DF5Etr_CD074fKFn4yNunwFE/s400/beynac.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-19409197432001797412015-03-14T09:55:00.000-07:002015-03-14T09:55:11.961-07:00Italy - Summer 2015Lots of time in Italy this year - never a bad thing! I'm very happy to be exhibiting and presenting at the IWS Exhibition; Fabriano In Acquarello, and The Festival Internazionale in Sperlonga in May. Then in June, teaching in Rome for the Associazione Romana Acquerellisti. A few sample attached. Can't wait! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGg0vSqKP1d_60o2x_-pjDwwbuj_yBdCg5gsbI5q-8cf22F-ueG_86SlrACw8CAH8M4iRGtuOvhKmgb8xA_2NeDKnnqObOqNiQR8nCh8kFx6dGtYAnUC7TLOav_E4O0eX-G3Gz8l-GfTs/s1600/italy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGg0vSqKP1d_60o2x_-pjDwwbuj_yBdCg5gsbI5q-8cf22F-ueG_86SlrACw8CAH8M4iRGtuOvhKmgb8xA_2NeDKnnqObOqNiQR8nCh8kFx6dGtYAnUC7TLOav_E4O0eX-G3Gz8l-GfTs/s400/italy.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-687320921089022402015-03-13T21:18:00.000-07:002015-03-13T21:18:33.669-07:00"End of the Day - Toulouse Cathedral""End of the Day - Toulouse Cathedral"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor.
22x14 13.03.2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScKcYMnjeKFbPjmW0ynjmf072AR49mP5viE7GVQrVsyRYz8hyv7F7nsYdzxwbR2nWKmEJE92KwKQPrLqcN5gcSxvHr8tuPTsh6pIlBLEQD_oJoMXN82T8Sc-Cwv40dEXLzPXhb1fyg64/s1600/toulouse2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScKcYMnjeKFbPjmW0ynjmf072AR49mP5viE7GVQrVsyRYz8hyv7F7nsYdzxwbR2nWKmEJE92KwKQPrLqcN5gcSxvHr8tuPTsh6pIlBLEQD_oJoMXN82T8Sc-Cwv40dEXLzPXhb1fyg64/s400/toulouse2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-2065673155046246092015-03-12T16:22:00.001-07:002015-03-12T16:22:33.177-07:00"Conversation - Girona""Conversation - Girona"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor.
22x14 inches - 12.03.2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV0oP3tq35dC_iisB97eYHxRJqB3j8nzENjuABYDOblZfFBTVkc8JVvjBR-M2_Kj2qbmk4uYoVdt2yWqFXdrOE3n_vFVsO_Q_pWed3kI_IFPReArGhtTfMBcbE-HjPxye-nqqgtre4dE/s1600/conversationgirona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHV0oP3tq35dC_iisB97eYHxRJqB3j8nzENjuABYDOblZfFBTVkc8JVvjBR-M2_Kj2qbmk4uYoVdt2yWqFXdrOE3n_vFVsO_Q_pWed3kI_IFPReArGhtTfMBcbE-HjPxye-nqqgtre4dE/s400/conversationgirona.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-26989929471753356472015-03-11T18:24:00.003-07:002015-03-11T18:24:37.761-07:00"Walking the Dogs - Barcelona""Walking the Dogs - Barcelona"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
22 x 15 inches 03.11.2015
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl58ViJOYfBU0MklE8VJTQbtlheT3IeeHUo04FChFrZ4i836E03AbulGs28nkZdAyfSOfsTFzkNIUx7q0RNPGE4KH8DLBlWrY9JVUlLqo8xHJcw9VQSnzgyWnSKgDv6SP0yonm7AvmYq0/s1600/dogs3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl58ViJOYfBU0MklE8VJTQbtlheT3IeeHUo04FChFrZ4i836E03AbulGs28nkZdAyfSOfsTFzkNIUx7q0RNPGE4KH8DLBlWrY9JVUlLqo8xHJcw9VQSnzgyWnSKgDv6SP0yonm7AvmYq0/s400/dogs3.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-46889865997540648662015-03-10T13:17:00.001-07:002015-03-10T13:17:19.687-07:00"Old Chair in Italian Light""Old Chair in Italian Light"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
12x14 Inches 03.10.2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_sE72au-kzJaznr4nlModCZY0S76afLfN6X54AXfxrntuzOl5mOsyOX525DR3jpNmx39GXwCpZpDPsT8JGkHX8LxsmCQnNI9c-jp2yjGNyIwOJmsgPDSIxWxjM-dRp0RKjZXaDbZonw/s1600/chair2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_sE72au-kzJaznr4nlModCZY0S76afLfN6X54AXfxrntuzOl5mOsyOX525DR3jpNmx39GXwCpZpDPsT8JGkHX8LxsmCQnNI9c-jp2yjGNyIwOJmsgPDSIxWxjM-dRp0RKjZXaDbZonw/s400/chair2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-64482556525670633752015-03-08T16:43:00.001-07:002015-03-08T16:43:21.530-07:00"Landscape - Northern Ireland""Landscape - Northern Ireland"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
22x15 inches 08.03.2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFSYdnAt-9eCgKwJb8oPW98LhDYiSzw95Xnvc3Ml9ld-QETANXdGDMh19GQUjm98IRDjcxJx992Dqb_mSk8c3orPg9J35TpXb7iQevCkUaLwUbiCCW3yB34GGLtxHm_Mm6pTuKHi8X3I/s1600/irish+landscape2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFSYdnAt-9eCgKwJb8oPW98LhDYiSzw95Xnvc3Ml9ld-QETANXdGDMh19GQUjm98IRDjcxJx992Dqb_mSk8c3orPg9J35TpXb7iQevCkUaLwUbiCCW3yB34GGLtxHm_Mm6pTuKHi8X3I/s400/irish+landscape2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-45292441617492851562015-03-07T10:35:00.002-08:002015-03-07T10:35:33.447-08:00Whistler's NocturnesJames McNeill Whistler - a few of his magical Nocturnes. Lots to love and lots to learn here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eIU_LvxqQgaQbxsXWEHNTB3u-Dfl_3Jh5WOknKbLnHAGs0E5WsuK6jpnMUgCLRhnqk8h4KaHK6SrUr0LFuCWaEyvX35S_s3YRb6DETrJGOqTg9DT-EzGfnxFxRsbYRaVHMqRlmlc6tc/s1600/whistlernocturnes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eIU_LvxqQgaQbxsXWEHNTB3u-Dfl_3Jh5WOknKbLnHAGs0E5WsuK6jpnMUgCLRhnqk8h4KaHK6SrUr0LFuCWaEyvX35S_s3YRb6DETrJGOqTg9DT-EzGfnxFxRsbYRaVHMqRlmlc6tc/s400/whistlernocturnes.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-81107937519174536382015-03-06T09:50:00.000-08:002015-03-06T09:50:40.608-08:00"Listening to your Paintings" "Listening to Your Painting"
Is there a better feeling as an artist than when you find yourself lost inside the world of your painting as it unfolds in front of you? Everything seems to be happening as it should, but it’s as if you are not even painting it! Yet somehow the thing appears - as if by magic.
Of course when this happens (and it does not always!) it is not magic; but it does feel magical. And it is at those times when I feel most alive - when I exist completely in the moment of creation - no worries about the past and no fear of the future. All that matters is what is happening at that very moment in the world of the painting. Then I feel beyond time and space - outside myself, and completely at peace. I am untouchable. My choices and reactions are the ones that have come from somewhere beyond thought and effort. Rather they spring from something more direct and honest, more emotive and pure.
I’m always asking my groups - and myself - "not to paint whatever it is that inspires us - but rather to try to paint the inspiration itself". Fancy words, but what do they mean? Well, for me, if I am stopped in my tracks by a particular sight or scene and suddenly "feel a painting coming on”, I think it’s important to remember that the painting I will do will not be a copy of whatever that sight or scene is - but rather my interpretation, my reaction, to that sight or scene. Because if there is any art to be found, it is only there.
And so with little more than my basic idea and an overall plan of shapes and values in mind, I begin. And this is where my thinking stops and my feeling takes over. I then just have to trust myself enough to let my instincts lead the way.
And as I paint, I am informed - and my painting is shaped - by my emotional response to the scene that inspired me - not by the specifics of the actual scene itself. In fact, once the painting begins, the actual scene fades in importance as it is in the world of my painting that I now live entirely.
Given this, I am very open to the possibility that my plan may - and will - shift as I proceed….. All paintings have a mind of their own. So its great to be able to let “mistakes” happen and decide on the fly if they are good or not. Most often, when they happen (and they will), you learn to recognize immediately that they are often “just what the painting wanted” and you see them not as mistakes, but as advantages that could have never been planned.
Memory and instinct silently guide us to make choices our mind could never imagine. Learning to shut off the world, turn down the volume in your mind, and “listen to your painting” is really just another way of saying that you are learning to trust yourself and hear only your own unique artist’s voice at last. That - and your painting - very often know what is best.
My painting "Fog on the Tiber - Rome" from last year is of real things in a real place - but is much more about how I felt and reacted to those things - that place - on that day.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38GMQkgGQdnBExPM7a7_UUSDkdVfCxG4zd-rjNQ96o5r32qgmo4ke6fyZrSWV2njZAwG4DaMxg5D42uLROxGyPu89y5xXtWPKsOgXgQi5MBaGLysQUQP6sKp_30gfaZXNXOAm1F3inXI/s1600/Fog+on+the+Tiber+SDWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38GMQkgGQdnBExPM7a7_UUSDkdVfCxG4zd-rjNQ96o5r32qgmo4ke6fyZrSWV2njZAwG4DaMxg5D42uLROxGyPu89y5xXtWPKsOgXgQi5MBaGLysQUQP6sKp_30gfaZXNXOAm1F3inXI/s400/Fog+on+the+Tiber+SDWS.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-66223246101912653382015-03-04T18:32:00.003-08:002015-03-04T18:32:45.146-08:00Watercolor Sketch - French CottageAnother take on this one - but this time around , a quick one hour sketch in tone and color only. Decided to call the pencil version done.
"French Cottage"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor.
20x14inches 04.03.2015
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuA5FndYC_lpk_iTLkVOhJ2bvYXiTrV-LAGJpwwenrgAnpnj196E5SOGuPzaP-BS5tEFFaDTx4ICrZiyZA3oFqamxZtUXTJlJei4fyvmzT1jTAmjtWMwL-Y6Eb65h42AFiniBLggYlLY/s1600/FC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuA5FndYC_lpk_iTLkVOhJ2bvYXiTrV-LAGJpwwenrgAnpnj196E5SOGuPzaP-BS5tEFFaDTx4ICrZiyZA3oFqamxZtUXTJlJei4fyvmzT1jTAmjtWMwL-Y6Eb65h42AFiniBLggYlLY/s400/FC5.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-61630392040453539592015-03-03T12:18:00.000-08:002015-03-03T12:18:29.097-08:00Interview - One Drawing DailyReally grateful to Thomas Dalsgaard Clause for this terrific interview he did on me and my work for his blog "one drawing daily" - be sure to follow him there - and everywherehttp://onedrawingdaily.com/2015/03/03/interview-with-watercolorist-thomas-w-schaller
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7nx2kPNr067hN-2WVY1g9e976C1xOJeEXNkni3AvgMCZFD-rpiKwkxYdSg5lZUQ4MHjBs6FWmYJWZAJoa_D5tCA42VdWeGnnYYJ4ph6GnLmhpblOxqb3uv5iBHn-XE6De5s0OtToPkA/s1600/kiyomizusnow2+copy+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7nx2kPNr067hN-2WVY1g9e976C1xOJeEXNkni3AvgMCZFD-rpiKwkxYdSg5lZUQ4MHjBs6FWmYJWZAJoa_D5tCA42VdWeGnnYYJ4ph6GnLmhpblOxqb3uv5iBHn-XE6De5s0OtToPkA/s400/kiyomizusnow2+copy+3.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-70280930854290337742015-03-02T21:07:00.000-08:002015-03-02T21:07:26.091-08:00Drawing - French CottageJust felt like drawing today -
May or may not add color to this .... Can't quite decide just yet -)
"French Cottage" in progress - Graphite on paper
Thomas W Schaller 02 March 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECgY4OzYe-6msbvRCYr95b_C-XM0ePUpoxgp9FOPPAYjOiJS2nDPokUpsfVsYTTYcw6akYw_KiQ__HL8VaGdmoGWZi7MCRn4QK6QsDHRBXgPQ_cvf46sGw_MNeZVETw-VmAt6SGhdX3M/s1600/cottage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECgY4OzYe-6msbvRCYr95b_C-XM0ePUpoxgp9FOPPAYjOiJS2nDPokUpsfVsYTTYcw6akYw_KiQ__HL8VaGdmoGWZi7MCRn4QK6QsDHRBXgPQ_cvf46sGw_MNeZVETw-VmAt6SGhdX3M/s400/cottage2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-73303976942454523082015-03-02T09:47:00.000-08:002015-03-02T09:47:02.303-08:00"Vicars' Close - Wells""Vicars' Close - Wells"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
18x24 inches 01 March 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia01RNHM_wrpfvb98FilEOjY1kLJol5C1pykFm-Ppx39Gwn1oPIuVnthslw6jBiPzQ-qSahGidzYhumI3E3ev__rTnSdRL4H5GsAf_jdZjqB7WTUMqGE7CRCjcZl8F92DYze8tBw6cbpk/s1600/vc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia01RNHM_wrpfvb98FilEOjY1kLJol5C1pykFm-Ppx39Gwn1oPIuVnthslw6jBiPzQ-qSahGidzYhumI3E3ev__rTnSdRL4H5GsAf_jdZjqB7WTUMqGE7CRCjcZl8F92DYze8tBw6cbpk/s400/vc2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-59605174998466868212015-02-28T12:38:00.000-08:002015-02-28T12:38:13.570-08:00"Frozen Path - Ohio""Frozen Path - Ohio"
Thomas W Schaller - Watercolor
22x15 inches
28 Feb 2015
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrjzX-4_eiqouVhIvyqju2XvhIfJMpLgDkFrjqiam87QqA7FTJhTHQzbYvEITI4c8mkSWFMRfLg-qYFH47X_sNGANtmetfv36aKvSa-j1hyphenhyphenh_WM-FMaxMP8H7AYz-uDSJbR7G3NghrsQ/s1600/frozenpath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrjzX-4_eiqouVhIvyqju2XvhIfJMpLgDkFrjqiam87QqA7FTJhTHQzbYvEITI4c8mkSWFMRfLg-qYFH47X_sNGANtmetfv36aKvSa-j1hyphenhyphenh_WM-FMaxMP8H7AYz-uDSJbR7G3NghrsQ/s400/frozenpath.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-60702959053547162092015-02-22T17:26:00.001-08:002015-02-22T17:26:28.834-08:00"Abandoned Gatehouse - Northern Ireland""abandoned gate house"
northern ireland
thomas w schaller - watercolor
13x18 inches 22 feb. 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQeSjgw_MDcNyILbGeiQBU2MRCU6F_OB1mwArDu6rJMBPeqjmDtwzr5IT16G-3ywyDzJf5KXw7_yun3zge_o4BNuV1x8hDjDxr-_FFjQkY7-A-uiQTJKZKyYNSOBHYLF-m2Rx7Rrv9gA/s1600/gatehousemourne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQeSjgw_MDcNyILbGeiQBU2MRCU6F_OB1mwArDu6rJMBPeqjmDtwzr5IT16G-3ywyDzJf5KXw7_yun3zge_o4BNuV1x8hDjDxr-_FFjQkY7-A-uiQTJKZKyYNSOBHYLF-m2Rx7Rrv9gA/s400/gatehousemourne.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-78601456403711507102015-02-21T17:17:00.001-08:002015-02-21T17:17:31.365-08:00"Venetian Moonlight""venetian moonlight"
thomas w schaller - watercolor
24x15 inches
21 feb. 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxze_l-zHIAsDaCZsAyugRhr2gqrSblGRxeIArOzRtmGiHycpGA_pTURkeziRKCSuxt0WO_Rv8K4frncU-qDh5cNI8b5CfyUzGKr_-lTT1HY3n5Nq5EV2oZwQkmVo-8fVT4JgiH88OLQ/s1600/venetianmoon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxze_l-zHIAsDaCZsAyugRhr2gqrSblGRxeIArOzRtmGiHycpGA_pTURkeziRKCSuxt0WO_Rv8K4frncU-qDh5cNI8b5CfyUzGKr_-lTT1HY3n5Nq5EV2oZwQkmVo-8fVT4JgiH88OLQ/s400/venetianmoon2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-43525271719818629282015-02-20T00:59:00.000-08:002015-02-20T00:59:14.569-08:00Work in Progress - Ancient Bridge - RomeFinal Day Demo Painting in progress for the workshop I am teaching for the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society.
"Ancient Bridge". 15 x 22 inches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA6CacbnyzOTj3Q2yDZsll4ozarZDVns_0nqvpAjkYJMH3iC3MGNWZFecdeo9jkCHmN6khiNr1UP1bHbOCF2jMMcwCWZf8xOGg5Sv_4HvtJ5tg6oQbUt7Q7Jezwmi9v0ra9Xk-iy7RGk/s1600/ancientbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA6CacbnyzOTj3Q2yDZsll4ozarZDVns_0nqvpAjkYJMH3iC3MGNWZFecdeo9jkCHmN6khiNr1UP1bHbOCF2jMMcwCWZf8xOGg5Sv_4HvtJ5tg6oQbUt7Q7Jezwmi9v0ra9Xk-iy7RGk/s400/ancientbridge.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-13040988353512067772015-02-18T19:49:00.002-08:002015-02-18T19:49:30.127-08:00Work in Progress - Plein-Air Egyptian Museum, San JoseThird Day Demo Painting in progress for the workshop I am teaching for the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society. One hour Plein-Air study in shadows / value composition / simplification of detail /light
"Egyptian Museum - San Jose. "15 x 22" inches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lV5CsQlawu4lh_pbwm77IqRIUZh6BdGmCFjcpmoCZHIaP_fVwqqQ6GJLtixsdpEtSdX2mjt8J278H9uvtDpRnDbEDK00elFC3HcOkdKl1v0oEH782HMKzMxJe8oLorG7-pIxPQ94w8E/s1600/WIP1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lV5CsQlawu4lh_pbwm77IqRIUZh6BdGmCFjcpmoCZHIaP_fVwqqQ6GJLtixsdpEtSdX2mjt8J278H9uvtDpRnDbEDK00elFC3HcOkdKl1v0oEH782HMKzMxJe8oLorG7-pIxPQ94w8E/s400/WIP1.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-42155083302216263552015-02-18T19:37:00.000-08:002015-02-18T19:37:24.693-08:00Work in Progress - Villa Rotunda; Vicenza, ItalyThird Day Demo Painting in progress for the workshop I am teaching for the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society. One hour study in skies / value composition / simplification of detail
"Villa Rotunda - Vicenza; Italy " 22 x 12 inches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKupTbjtvEsXHJJ_GD_kkA25zk4Mmnz6217vzu5ktoUbPTz76XLf9HvEMj1WLONq9wuX7ixe8w19rUBqFjLGW128dGM3AzHPVsr2kMwx8YLrIyjyTfWtofwlYwgG2RK1-spkvkDfsdzao/s1600/wip2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKupTbjtvEsXHJJ_GD_kkA25zk4Mmnz6217vzu5ktoUbPTz76XLf9HvEMj1WLONq9wuX7ixe8w19rUBqFjLGW128dGM3AzHPVsr2kMwx8YLrIyjyTfWtofwlYwgG2RK1-spkvkDfsdzao/s400/wip2.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-51325949806092072332015-02-17T18:11:00.004-08:002015-02-17T18:11:27.540-08:00Work in Progress - Santa Clara Valley Watercolor SocietySecond Day Demo Painting in progress for the workshop I am teaching for the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society. One hour study in light / value composition / perspective / architecture
"St. Christopher's - Siena" 15X22 inches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0jhyphenhyphenM0dJPGTODYHG3HSufJ4kEXfqVvoo1oKKet8Gd_sfP-3gIcQwfZleYSrEyGsDquvNj8Y81MSZ4Oqw6RNrV6MHQi6UY0g3VYCmxMdW3jZ-r4PaUb0ey5trob2mjTOf2d3S91-DPEw/s1600/sienademo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0jhyphenhyphenM0dJPGTODYHG3HSufJ4kEXfqVvoo1oKKet8Gd_sfP-3gIcQwfZleYSrEyGsDquvNj8Y81MSZ4Oqw6RNrV6MHQi6UY0g3VYCmxMdW3jZ-r4PaUb0ey5trob2mjTOf2d3S91-DPEw/s400/sienademo.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723148560393271598.post-59453062387533097972015-02-16T17:50:00.001-08:002015-02-16T17:50:59.244-08:00"Demonstration Painting in Progress" SCVWS - "End of day - Heidelberg"First Day Demo Painting in progress for the workshop I am teaching for the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society. One hour study in light / value composition / and complementary colors.
"End of Day - Heidelberg" 15X22 inches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxBi3nVVQkZptWUPbfvdr8plvTNcEfPG72-NM7R94H3IXYkyave7Yv_3YEHQl08-MllXqG46z98O1cKAuTiUYgGt12p7fj351v7wSkPw3yTxQRv6h-4e-id9mzmqdI2sFcwOj5s2eI0E/s1600/demo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxBi3nVVQkZptWUPbfvdr8plvTNcEfPG72-NM7R94H3IXYkyave7Yv_3YEHQl08-MllXqG46z98O1cKAuTiUYgGt12p7fj351v7wSkPw3yTxQRv6h-4e-id9mzmqdI2sFcwOj5s2eI0E/s400/demo.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334306522345699735noreply@blogger.com0