A big "Thank You" to
Chuck Danford for jurying the current exhibit "Colorado's Best". It's a great show. Please stop in and see the exhibit. There is also a guided tour of the exhibit on Saturday, March 3 from 2-3pm (led by Kathy Berls.)
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Wilderness Chill
Chuck Danford |
The following is an informative interview with Chuck:
1. What art principles do you try to
employ when you jury an exhibit?
It's important to remember judging is
subjective based on the juror’s background, recent accomplishments and
struggles. There are many stories of paintings being rejected in one show and
winning an award in another.
As a judge or juror for an exhibition I
have a list of priorities that I use to evaluate artwork.
1. Concept: Mood or feeling - use of
creativity, imagination or unusual idea
2. Design: Interesting composition
- interesting shapes both positive and negative
3. Color: How color has been used to
convey the subject or mood
4. Values: How lights & darks were used to
show depth, dimension and patterns
5. Drawing: Proportions &
perspective
6. Craftsmanship: Here I evaluate the technical skills
of the medium
7. Presentation: I look for a clean crisp presentation that
compliments the painting rather than detracts from
it
2. We would love to have your
thoughts as you were jurying the "Colorado's Best" Exhibit. If you have any
words about the award winners that would be fabulous.
I was honored to jury the “Colorado’s
Best” for LAC. It was a challenge to select only a few awards when many others
were worthy. All artists should be congratulated for creating the beautiful work
that was entered. Congratulations also to those that are relatively new to
painting and entering shows. I am well
aware of how it feels to not be accepted or to not win an award. Artists should remember this is not as much a
reflection on you as an artist, as it is
on the process of how shows work. Having
the courage to enter the competition is commendable in itself, and I would encourage each artist to keep painting and continue
entering shows. I have always liked this quote by Edgar Degas, “ Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very
difficult when you do."
Award winners:
Best of Show, "Night Fall" by
Gayle MacDougall, is an elegant
painting that shows the artists skill with the medium, a sensitivity to color,
composition and design. This is a painting I would own and never get tired of
looking at it.
Second Place, "African Elephant" by Charlie Casper, is a beautiful
photograph which illustrates the skill of the photographer to capture the image
in remarkable detail. To capture light and shadow of the subject and then to
take it to the next level using digital technology- to make it more than just a
photography but truly a work of art, is the key.
The symmetrical composition and color
selection is an example of how less can be more.
Third Place, "Iris" by Susan Gordon, is a striking
example of creativity. It’s obvious this artist understands various painting
techniques and is not afraid to try something different. Nicely designed,
gorgeous use of color, strong composition and professionally executed are
qualities of a Third Place winner.
Merit Awards (in no particular
order)
- Sometimes simplicity is the name of the
game. A piece may, at first glance, look simple until you consider the thought
process it takes to create it. Strong use of negative space and striking colors
with an unusual subject makes this bird image a winner. ("Dancing Crane" by Judith McNickle)
- Beautiful floral, excellent drawing,
design and composition, very professional handling of the medium are qualities
of this piece. ("Nature's Bouquet" by Kathy Berls)
- A traditional painting of an
interesting subject in a painterly style would make this painting desirable to
any western art collector. The artist has used rich colors, a good
composition, and a skillful handling of the medium to create a masterful piece
of art. ("Just Home" by Gene Smith)
- The unusual subject matter of this
painting is an exciting example of creative imagination. This artist has
mastered the use color, values and watercolor techniques. ("Skimming" by Jackie McFarland)
3. What does a day in the life
of Chuck Danford look like?
I start my day by getting out of bed, I
have a glass of orange juice and take my vitamins. Wait, that’s probably not what you
want to know. Most often I start my day by turning on my computer and the TV.
Because I’m a news junky I have CBS This Morning with Charlie Rose on while I
check my mail. Most days I start and end my day watching Charlie Rose. He is
also on at 11:00 PM. A major portion of my day is spent working for the Colorado
Watercolor Society, reading and responding to emails, planning and preparing for
meetings, working to stay on top of a variety of situations and projects. When I
feel for a moment that I have things under control, I think about the next class
I am teaching. I plan the lesson. If I’m doing a demo I have to determine the
subject and prepare everything that will be needed. Today I may have to mat and
frame some paintings, work at a gallery, or deliver a painting. Lately I have
been busy painting several masks for The Mask Project to benefit The Denver
Hospice. Art has always been a priority in my life, but family activities and
grandkids play a significant roll as well. I also spend time at the rec center
to keep in shape. This is good for the body as well as the mind.
4. Do you set artist goals? If so, what are yours for the next 3-5
years?
I am a firm believer in setting goals
both short and long term goals. Most of my adult life I have set goals. Some I
have written down and others I carry around in my head. The older I get the less
I feel a need to set career goals. Now my goals tend to be
personal- travel, golf, health and family.
At this stage I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone as I was back in the
days of starting my own business. Now I would rather spend my time enjoying
life by sharing and giving back whenever I can.
5. What advice would you give to young
artists or those returning to their art in later life?
My advice to any young artist is put
your general education first and pursue your art along the way. If I had it to
do over I would have studied business first rather than going straight to art school. If you have a passion for
art, pursue it! Anyone that works hard, and is talented, will be
successful.
For those returning to art in their
retirement years, I'd say have fun, try a lot of different things. Do what you
enjoy, paint as much or as little as you want. If you want your art to be a
second career, remember art is a lifetime pursuit. It is very difficult even for
the best artists to make it. That’s not to say it shouldn’t be done, just be
realistic in your expectations.
6 .What or whom do you credit for
your success as an artist thus far?
I was lucky to have a formal education
and a long career in graphic design and advertising when I started painting.
Even though fine art is completely different in many ways, I was determined to
study and teach myself to paint.
I spent a lot of time learning how
other artists used various materials. I watched demos, took notes, tried many
different painting techniques, practiced, entered shows and got rejected just
like everyone else. I was inspired buy artists like John Mendoza, Bill Condit,
Nita Engle, Roland Roycraft, Hugh Greer and George James. After I had been
painting a while I studied with Tom Lynch, Tony Couch, Steven Quiller, Michael
Atkinson, Lian Zhen, Morton Solberg and Mark Mahaffey.
In fact, I‘m still learning - that is
never ending. That's why I continue to do it!
