When I first talked with Vince about this project, he mentioned that he had three studios: the outdoors, his classroom at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts, and his home. Last week, I had the chance to visit both the Grand Theatre and his home studio. I would like thank the students in Vince's oil and acrylic class. They were very gracious given that I was invading their space. While I did not take any photos of their faces directly, some of the photos in the Paint-Covered Tools post are of their beautiful tools and their works in progress. One thing I have noticed about Vince is that he takes his teaching very seriously. In an earlier post, I wrote that Vince had a mentor, Van Waldron, who influenced both his art and his teaching. Vince considers him an amazing teacher and uses Van's materials to inform his own classes. Vince also reads books about artists and painting, takes classes from other artists, and shares the information with his students. I don't know how he finds time to create his own work given how committed he is to learning and sharing what he learns with other aspiring artists. In fact, I found him trying to teach me as he was being photographed! Now, I know the following photos aren't exactly great, but I think it's interesting to see what other artists use as references. These are some of the books Vince has in his home studio. I get a kick out of how they are arranged so randomly, some of them upside down. Vince isn't one to baby his supplies, tossing them into a cart when his class is done. However, his framed paintings are encased in quality boxes when he transports them. Vince talks a lot about a book called, The Talent Code, by Matthew Coyle. He believes that practice and repetition of proven techniques are essential to someone becoming an artist - not just being born with talent. Vince also believes it is important for an artist to be willing to go outside of his/her comfort zone and to be willing to fail. During the session at the Grand Theatre, he worked on a still life along with his students. As he progressed, he became critical of his work and pointed out where he had forgotten to step back and look at the painting from a distance from time to time. At the end of the session, he tossed the painting on a pile of canvases and walked away like it was nothing. Vince has been teaching oil and acrylic classes at the Grand Theatre for years, and his classes are very popular. Obviously, he is a talented and dedicated teacher. However, he is also a prolific storyteller and likes to socialize. I had a hard time capturing a candid shot of Vince that I was happy with, but I thought this photo of him sitting and laughing with this students was a good example of why he is liked as a teacher. I've talked in past posts about the personalities of studios - how artists sometimes create spaces that seem to reflect their personalities: comforting or organized or with lots of valued personal items for inspiration. (I say "sometimes," because the studio of Mark Knize is my outlier. Unless his inner mind is very different than his outer public face, his disorganized and wonderfully messy studio does not reflect the Mark I see.) When I saw Vince's home studio, I wasn't sure what to feel. Maybe I was tired from being at the Grand much of the day, but the studio seemed primarily utilitarian - as if it's artist didn't actually spend much time there and definitely did not need to gain inspiration from his immediate surroundings. And, the randomness of some of the furniture reflected Vince's practical approach to tools. He seems to grab what works and doesn't need it to be pretty. I may have to talk more with Vince about my perceptions though to see if they are accurate.
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |