THE LONG AND LONELY ROAD
When you admire a work of art, do you ever wonder what went into its creation? When someone asks plein air painters, “How long did it take you to paint that?” they are sorely tempted to reply, “Three hours and 30 years.” They mean, of course, that it took decades to reach a point where they can make superb paintings in just three hours. Though it’s not unusual for aficionados to watch artists work, they rarely consider what kind of training and experience occurred before the artists attained enough confidence to do so in front of others. This came to mind in March as I was painted by three accomplished artists — Kerry Dunn, JaFang Lu, and Nell O’Leary — during an eight-hour Facebook Live broadcast. Through our conversations, I learned…