Time to share the tips and insights of another inspiring artist that just blows my mind away with what they create… Last time I asked Susie Ghahremani of Boygirlparty to share some of her tips and work. This time it is David Scheirer of Studio Tuesday.
David lives on a small farm in Maryland. Not knowing much about this place, I googled it, and Wikipedia told me it is a relatively small coastal state (in the US) that has such a variety of topography within its borders that it’s nickname is America in Miniature. That sounds like an amazing place to live in and to be inspired by on a daily basis! One look at his portfolio of beautiful ink and watercolour illustrations reveals a great love for the coast and sea, for birds, animals and nature in general. His graphic, whimsically simplified style is inspired by doodling and his childhood drawings.
Over to David:
What do you create – in your own words?
I am an illustrator and painter, and work in watercolors. I paint in two styles, one has its roots in more traditional and realistic watercolor painting, the other is a whimsical, graphic illustration style created with ink and watercolor.
What inspires you and gives you new ideas?
Learning about nature and wildlife, through reading, tv, and of course getting outdoors and exploring. I enjoy hiking, birdwatching, beach combing, and fossil collecting. All of these things inspire my artwork.
What advice would you give yourself if you could time travel back to when you were just starting out?
Don’t be afraid to invest the money you need in tools, supplies, and promotional materials to start your business. At the same time, it is ok to start small and then grow as your business expands. As you grow you will need to invest in tools and supplies to streamline certain processes (fulfilling and shipping orders for example). I think I did a pretty good job of this, but I had people around me (especially my wife) to push me and give me ideas to improve.
Best advice you received from someone else?
This is a quote I read a while back by the painter Lucien Freud. It is specific to representational painting, so not the most universal, but it has stuck with me and I like to keep it in my mind when creating art.
“The picture in order to move us must never merely remind us of life, but must acquire a life of its own”.
This is an important idea to me. I feel it’s not enough to simply copy a subject realistically when I paint. I try to give my paintings a personality and life of their own even when painting very true to life.
Can you share some tips about other artists, blogs or websites you love & admire?
Yelena Bryksenkova – beautiful watercolour and pen illustrations [Helena: that I recognize from Flow Magazine!]
Jon Klassen Canadian writer and illustrator of children’s books, for example I want my hat back
Patrick Latter’s hiking blog; stunning images of wild landscapes and happy people exploring them.
Can you recommend a novel?
Any of the Jeeves and Wooster books by P.G. Wodehouse!
And a Non fiction book?
The Owl and the Woodpecker by Paul Bannick. This a beautiful book about the many species of these two birds in North America. Great writing and images by photographer Paul Bannick.
Exciting upcoming new projects or products:
Right now I’m finishing up illustrations for this year’s Holiday cards. This year I’ve drawn a polar bear, a pine marten, and am currently working on a snowshoe hare.
Thanks very much for taking the time to give us an insight into your work and inspiration David! Just had another look around your Etsy shop, and you have a lot of really lovely Christmas cards in your etsy shop. The belugas above is a gorgeous example.
To see more, have a look at David’s beautiful website studiotuesday.com where you can also see his wonderful owl drawings and some of his realistic watercolour work.
Of course all artwork in this post is copyright David Scheirer – Studio Tuesday.
