Bryan Family

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This is the Bryan family from Michigan. I have been working on this portrait for a year and a half. First I spent a full afternoon having them do several poses to get things right. Once I got that done, I had to choose the canvas size. This portrait is 30″x36″. After I started the painting I wished I had chosen a much larger canvas because with six individuals they were each pretty small and it was hard to paint such small faces.

You will notice that the light came from glass doors on the right. Their faces are very light on that side, and the colors on the clothes show up well. You might notice that Mrs. Bryan’s left side blends in with the chair. The shadow side is not discernible.

Their family is a very upbeat, cheerful group, so I tried to portray their personalities. I hope they’ll consider this a family heirloom.

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Tourists

0

I was with my wife and our parents on a tour of ancestral homes in England. My father-in-law was talking to his cousin who was telling him about his ancestor who finally had enough money to pay off the mortgage. He was so happy, he went to the pub and got drunk. The next day, when the mortgage was due, he couldn’t remember where he put the money. He was so upset, he hung himself. We were looking at the house where it happened.

One of my techniques is to look for shapes of value or color, then paint them in without looking to see what I’m painting. It is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Once everything is done, the picture comes together. Look at the different shades on the faces or shirts.

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Snip

4

I did this painting one day when I was stressed. I put flowers in this mason jar on a table, then set a pair of scissors by it. I needed to get my mind off of things. I never gave the painting much thought.

My first gallery show in Indianapolis was to be a week later. I included my best art. My wife wanted me to put this one in as well. I didn’t want to because I thought it was mediocre but she insisted. It was the first piece that sold. It just goes to show that what you might think is insignificant might be the best you have — and that the woman by your side probably knows a lot more than you do.

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Jumping Contest

4

In 2004 I entered a juried competition called “Art Between Cultures.” It was held at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures at Indiana University. I was selected as one of the exhibitors. I had submitted several paintings, and they chose two. This one isn’t one that was chosen, but I really like it anyway.

I had a very good friend who had small children and I asked if I could go to her home and take several pictures of them to give me inspiration. When I got there we had a hard time getting them to give me good poses. They were interested in doing other things. Finally the mother brought out a cd player and turned on the music. We told them we needed them to have a “jumping contest.” This really worked, as you can see in the painting.

My technique in bringing them to life was to emphasize the light and shadows on their faces, the shadows under them on the ground, putting wrinkles in their clothing, and making sure I had smiles on their faces.

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Breakfast at Artists Colony Inn

3

Brown County Indiana is famous as an art colony. In the late 1800s a group of artists settled there. Since then, hundreds of other artists have felt that Brown County was their spiritual home. The town has a charming area with shops, restaurants, hotels and cabins. A favorite place to go is the Artist’s Colony Inn. They have a great restaurant.

One morning I was in the area. As I walked toward the Inn, a group of ladies lined up and went in for breakfast. I was intrigued by the sunlight behind them. The glow of the sun made the leaves in the trees a bright yellow, while the shadow side was blue. The buildings in the shade had a bluish tint and the others were slightly yellow from the sun.

I have tried to duplicate the feeling of that morning. I put the hanging plants and flowers in front of them to create atmospheric perspective. The flags above the woman’s head are painted small, giving the impression they are further back.

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Alley

6

” . . . i reviewed the dvd as requested. your palette is not to my taste and i would not be interested in representing your work . . .”

This is an actual e-mail I received this week. I had been trying to find a new gallery to represent me. Almost all galleries in Indiana are interested only in paintings of barns and trees. It has really bothered me in the past. That is one reason I have gone out of state to places like Detroit and Milwaukee. Recently, I have made peace with myself. I know I must be true to myself and paint what I like, and do it in my style.

This painting is REALLY a Tom Slack piece. I’m not trying to be like every other artist in Indiana — I’m just letting it flow. I love doing buildings. I adore linear and atmospheric perspective. To me, a great painting has a lot of contrast in values. Putting a person in it gives it relevance. I hope you love this painting as much as I do. I just finished it fifteen minutes ago.

By the way, I’m still interested in a new gallery . . . any takers?

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After Dinner

1

The first gallery that represented me in Indianapolis was 4 Star Gallery on Massachusetts Avenue. I really liked that street because it ran diagonally southwest towards downtown. At night the buildings of the city were lit up, so I loved the view. I wanted to do a painting that would give the feelings I felt.

I’ve painted the sidewalks an amber color because the streetlights give off a yellow glow. I have yellow highlights in the hair of the people. The other streetlights have a halo around them to portray the shining of the bulbs. The top of the buildings and their windows are painted white to give the image of them being lit up, and there are two red traffic lights which reflect on the cars. The tree in the top right is black except for the branches that are close to the lights, and they are lit up.

The sidewalk is drawn in with one point perspective. It is wider at the front, which gives a feeling of depth.

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