We ran into one of our senior member artists, Lynn Burton (brother of CEO, Richard Burton) and asked him about his basic approach to painting. Here is how he answered:

“My approach to a blank canvas consists mostly of two parts. I like to be free and have fun, but I also make sure I’ve done my homework. Usually before I begin, I’ve made several thumbnail sketches, considering value, design, concept, and overall necessities to see if the picture is worth painting at all. I want to see how much detail is necessary to make it somewhat realistic. So, facing the empty canvas, the two parts consist of a wild spontaneous stage to give the illusion of water, trees or whatever, creating a field of texture. This first approach, I’ll have to admit, is my favorite because I can be loose, wild and free.

“The next phase is a little less fun but not less important. In fact, it’s just the opposite. It’s probably the difference between hanging the picture on a gallery wall or up in the storage attic. It is the realistic phase. This is the phase that requires the most planning. In the first stage of the painting, I apply the paint wherever it leads without censoring or holding back. I take no time for thinking but, instead, stay alert and ready to take action wherever necessary for any possibility that arises. Whatever mistakes made in the first stage can easily be corrected, however, not so easily in the second stage. In the realistic stage all the requirements to create an acceptable sense of realism is required.

“After the painting is considered finished, I step back and give it some thought. This step back process for me is a couple of weeks of it hanging on a wall and letting me make sure nothing is really bothering me about it. If there is, I try to figure out what it is and go back into it and fix it.”