Category: In The Artist's Studio

Artist Techniques and Secrets

Each of our artists brings their distinctive viewpoint and style to their creative process. While some wield specialized tools, others finesse particular techniques, and some integrate intriguing supplementary media. It’s through these diverse skills that they refine their craft, creating pieces that capture our hearts and imaginations.

Matt Neuman

In both his painting and print-making processes, Matt Neuman explores balance, symmetry, and visual perception, integrating geometric precision with vivid color. In the video below, you can see the unique process behind his Stargazer series. Neuman creates dimensional wooden panels, then applying a variety of painting techniques—spray painting, splattering, and carefully brushing—and fitting the pieces together like a puzzle into a harmonious composition. The lustrous paint, crackled texture, and speckled colors give the piece an alluring celestial quality.

 

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Wendy Westlake

Wendy Westlake builds intricate abstract compositions that invite viewers to explore the subtle interplay of forms and hues. Beginning with a foundation of ethereal translucent color, she lays the groundwork for her artistic vision. Her technique of layering paint not only adds depth to her work but also allows for the emergence of unexpected shapes and color interactions. In the video below, you can see Westlake’s approach to bringing pattern into her work, as she plays with adding pencil strokes atop the initial layer of acrylic paint. Throughout her process, Westlake remains open to the work’s natural progression, often stepping back to reflect and respond to what the piece needs next.

 

Michael Hoffman

Drawing inspiration from his eclectic past and travels, Hoffman’s paintings are known for their rich colors, bold graphic compositions, and the use of circles, grids, and stripes. His work explores the relationship between rigid linear forms and the organic flow of nature, aiming to captivate and calm viewers. Hoffman uses a variety of innovative techniques, such the paint dripping method shown below, which creates the mesmerizing “web” of color atop many of his works.

 

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Dennis Campay

Dennis Campay has mastered what he playfully dubs the “Ping pong painting technique,” a method that sets his artistic process apart. Rather than working on once piece at time, Campay often sets up multiple canvases side by side. It’s like a game of artistic ping pong, with inspiration bouncing back and forth between each piece. This technique isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about synergy. By working on several pieces simultaneously, Campay creates a dynamic dialogue between his artworks, infusing each one with the energy and ideas sparked by the others. It’s a sophisticated approach that elevates his craft, resulting in a body of work that’s as interconnected as it is inspiring.

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Gil Bruvel

Gil Bruvel’s meticulous artistic process is a reflection of the meditation and mindfulness that the artist practices in his daily life. Beginning with the conceptualization of philosophical ideas inspired by nature, spirituality, and science, Bruvel then crafts his sculptures with painstaking precision. He arranges and stacks small wooden sticks, coaxing them into striking human forms. It’s a process that demands both technical prowess and artistic vision, a delicate balancing act between structure and expression. Bruvel chars the wood, revealing further patterns and detail, and then paints each sculpture with vibrant colors that carefully fade into each other.

 

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