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Like many creators of fine art, I started my career as a children’s book illustrator. In 2014 I switched from illustration to landscape painting and everything from my mindset to my creative approach changed, which has led to a complete reinvention of my work. I spent years copying photographs, creating work from my imagination and painting what I knew and not what I saw. Fortunately, this was acceptable for the style of work expected of me as a children’s book illustrator. However, the minute I decided to venture out of this space and into the world of realist landscape painter, I had a big problem. When I tried to cross over into the world of “fine art” with a skillset that had served me for 15 years as an illustrator, I was rejected from juried shows, had almost no sales and experienced a whole lot of frustration about why I couldn’t seem to paint the way those other artists could. 

Learning to see is undoubtably the most important skill any representational artist will learn and it starts with taking the time to observe what is in front of you. I fought this for years; it was easier to sit in front of my computer screen and paint from photographs with my own preconceived notions of how bright a sunset really is, or what the shadow colors are in a misty landscape. I painted every blade of grass, every flower, and every single leaf with razor sharp edges because that was how they physically existed.  That approach failed because it is not how the human eye sees the world. My workshop instructors all said, “Paint from life!” It was hugely inconvenient to pack up all my gear and haul it outdoors where the weather could be unpredictable. However, I made myself do it and I have never regretted that decision. 

I have since made other adjustments through my artistic evolution; for example,  I now consider myself more a poet and less a reporter of detail. I used to meticulously draw out my paintings on the canvas with every detail was accounted for. My focus is now on large shapes and how they relate to one another. I am now learning the delicate balance of painting what I see while utilizing my creative license, knowing where and when to push an element in my work—and when not to. 

The most valuable thing I’ve learned from my illustration experience is that a bit of imagination and creative license can transform what might be a very ordinary painting into something extraordinary. The difference now is that I have learned how to paint nature as it is, and once I learned that I was able to allow myself to break the rules where I see fit. A great landscape painting includes a little bit of mystery and a touch of magic while it stays true to the place it was inspired by--and the last element is only possible when one learns how to see.