Skip Lawrence – “Landscape Sensations”

Skip Lawrence opened his presentation with his strong belief that the “why” of a painting is more important than the “how.”

Though he has moved toward abstraction in his own painting, he doesn’t feel that the subject has changed. “Realism without passion is illustration. Abstraction without passion is decoration.”

Before beginning a painting, the artist should ask, “Why am I painting this?” There must be a reason.

His demo was based on a childhood memory of fly fishing. Though he could have painted “a nice peaceful scene with water and all” he decided to concentrate on the mill near the fishing stream. This was “more mysterious” in his 6 year-old memory.

Skip uses cheap brushes that he buys at Ace Hardware. After squeezing out paints he started with the shape of the building, applying paint directly to his sheet of hot press paper, mixing right on the paper.

Throughout the demo he used a palette knife and a scraper to apply and move the paint, often adding touches of white gesso.

He stressed that the artist should move beyond the usual rules. Though there is often the tendency to “clean up” edges he advised, “Don’t do it!” After completing a full sheet painting in record time, he shared several other landscape paintings. It’s difficult to sum up the talent, wisdom, and wit of such a master as Skip Lawrence!