I must be surprised. Give me good news or bad news, as long as it's sudden.
As long as I can remember, I never could execute a picture on paper exactly as I envisioned in my day or night dreams. For this reason I met frustration whenever my attempts looked nothing like that picture in my mind. It stopped me from pursuing art. It produced self-sabotage. I got inspired, made stabs at, then abandoned each project.
Then I began to approach the work as "lesson learned." If a painting turned out unsatisfactory, I gleaned whatever lesson I could from it. If it turned out decent, I gleaned yet another lesson.
What I discovered about doing the artwork was this: the end product was a surprise. That surprise element perfectly co-existed with my personality. The second thing I learned was that the painting process became just as important as the finished product. Satisfaction or disappointment aside, like life itself, it was all about the journey. In time, I let go of the fear of the final product, and began concentrating on the process. The more techniques I tried, the more little surprises happened along the way.
Now when I complete a picture, I enjoy comparing what I had in mind to the final product. What a surprise!
Faces have intrigued me all my life, and I love to capture a moment on a face. I switch to landscapes for a change of pace, but if I'm struggling while painting a scenic view, I think about painting a facial expression, and become excited.
All my art education I received from books and a few instructors. Though I have a journalism degree and have pursued writing, in 1995 I began portrait painting under artist Alex Chidichimo, an established teacher in San Diego. I have taken workshops and classes with Albert Handell, Anita Louise West, and Ken Goldman and figure drawing classes at the Jeffrey Watts Atelier in Encinitas.
When I was laid off from work as a flight attendant, I began to look for avenues through which art will support my home with Jeff, my husband, my art, and Sullivan and Scampi, my cats. In addition, I write for an art magazine, matching both passions for art and writing.
Styles: Landscape, representational, portraits
Memberships: Pastel Society San Diego
Classes: Albert Handell, Ken Goldman, Alex Chidichimo
Awards & Exhibits: Best of Show - 1998 TWA Art Show; San Diego County Fair; Sierra Pastel Society; First and Second Place - Two different years, Pastel Society San Diego
Website: www.roseannhaslettart.com