"Moonlit Stream - Ohio"

Moonlit Stream - Ohio Thomas W Schaller Watercolor 22x15 inches 15 dec 2016

"Find the Art"

“Find the Art” Even when we’re not at out easels, painters are - in a sense - always “painting”. I’m hopeless to ride with in a car or walk with anywhere at all; “Look at that! Now there’s a painting!” seems to be my constant refrain. As I remind myself - and tell my classes constantly – an interesting or beautiful scene may or may not have the makings of a good painting. In truth, a beautiful painting can just as often be found in the most commonplace or unusual of places as in the most exotic of cities. But whatever we choose to paint, I believe it’s an artist’s real job to do more than simply illustrate the precise details of what a place or thing literally looks like. We should rather do our best to discover and interpret that thing’s true nature: discover a bit of it’s essence, and tell something of it’s story. Only then can we hope to express something uniquely personal in how it inspired us in the first place. Good paintings often ask more questions than they answer. So when our paintings begin to ask these questions – inviting both painter and viewer to become involved in those stories - we begin to get closer to finding the Art that exists all around us. As with most paintings, this one began with the two dimensions of the flat sheet - height and width. With shifting shapes of various values, my painting, “Pons Fabricius–Rome” (2011) begins to suggest the third dimension of depth and perspective. But it is with the choice of this ancient structure (the bridge : one of my favorite subjects) at an oblique, dynamic angle, that I begin to tell just a bit of the story of this ancient city, as well as a little of the forth dimension – the spanning of space and the passage of time.

Masters of Watercolor International Exhibition - St. Petersburg - 20-31 January 2015

40 Russian and 40 International artists will be represented in The Masters Of Watercolor exhibition 20-31, January, 2015 at the Grand exhibition hall of The Artists Association, St.Petersburg, Russia. Welcome! Big big thanks to Konstantin Sterkhov for making this happen!!

"Just Paint"

"Just Paint" I am so grateful to have received over the years some of the best advice anyone could ever hope for. Words can have great power - if we can only learn to really hear ; let them motivate us, and give us strength. The great visionary Buckminster Fuller addressed our Uni class when I was far too young to grasp much of anything he had to offer. At the end of his talk however, he said something that hit me so hard that it has stayed with me always (to paraphrase). "I firmly believe that people are capable of doing most anything they want to do. The problem is that most people never take the time or make the effort to figure out what the hell that is. So I urge all you kids to find out. Find something you love and want to do with your life - and then just go out and do it!" I was shocked. But he was right. Years later I moved to NYC to "become an artist." Well I did, but with rent and food ,etc etc. it was all a bit more of a challenge than I bargained for. I had the starving part down - but not the artist part-) Still, in time, I was fortunate enough to turn my love of painting and watercolor into a great career as an architectural artist. This was fantastic, and enough for me for a time, but eventually I longed for more - I had higher aspirations. I wanted to be a "true artist" - a painter of my own vision - not an illustrator of someone else's. So about 5 years ago, I took a workshop with the one and only Joseph Zbukvic . Never did I aspire to paint like him (I mean - who could?) , but I did hope to learn how someone lived as a real artist in such a world as this. How do they define themselves? In those days, I would never even use the word "artist" to describe myself. But one night we were talking, and after politely listening to me and all my doubts and worries and excuses, Z said; "If you want to be a painter - Just Paint - all the rest will take care of itself." I didn't know how right he was at the time. But my life changed that day - changed from the inside out. And each day since, those words are more true to me than they were the day before. Here's an older painting - but one of the first I did after having at last the courage and conviction to begin to redefine and describe myself unapologetically as an "artist". Madison Square Park , NYC - Winter ; 2010

"Just Breathe"

"Just Breathe" Another of my "Random Thoughts on Art" is that simple little bit of advice. Maybe it sounds obvious, but when I look back at my years as an architectural illustrator, I am surprised to recall - while trying to paint in as controlled and tight a manner as possible - when I would literally hold my breath for very long periods. My neck, my back, my shoulders were so tight, my head ached all the time. I was concentrating so hard as I painted, and I was not happy. How could I even hope to produce anything that was not also tight, joyless, over-controlled, inexpressive, and constricted? In our yoga practice, we study the incredible value of the breath - matching a relaxed , present, flow of in and out breaths with an equally alert but relaxed set of fluid movements of the body. I cannot stress enough how this practice has improved my life and my painting. Now I don't worry myself so much with final results, but I am just aware of loving the process of painting itself as it unfolds. This has allowed me to express myself in paint in a far more fluid, honest, and emotive way. This view of the dramatic skies over Northern Ireland - done earlier this year - was an exercise in loose and joyful painting.

"Think Less - Feel More"

"Think Less - Feel More" - In my teaching - and for my own work - I keep a running list of ideas written down; bits of advice, memories, fragments of philosophy, etc. that I have loosely named "Random Thoughts on Art" . Since I'm not a big fan of rules - especially in art - where "no rules" is often the best rule - these are more "rules of thumb" or just good things to remember as I travel on. So I thought from time to time, I'd share one from my ever-evolving list here; and this is one of the first and most important for me. While it's good to think about our work, about life, about art,etc. I've found that if I think too much while trying to paint - I can be my own worst enemy. When I pick up that brush, I'd better have all my thinking done. So then, my brush can "think for me" and I can paint more directly from the heart. Here's a painting I did earlier this year "Vertical Study" that began in my head as just an idea - but ended up on paper as a pure feeling.

Hammond Castle - Gloucester

"Hammond Castle, Autumn - Gloucester" thomas w schaller watercolor 15x22 inches 06 dec. 2014