Art Chowder : How about a tip for buyers at these shows ?
Art Chowder : What do you hope to accomplish with your art ?
Andy : Do your homework . Know what you are purchasing . If you are going to buy an original painting , find out how the artist did it , and what other people have to say about their art .
Andy : I want to paint something beautiful . Something that brings back good memories to people . Something that touches them , and makes them happy , so they ’ ll want to hang it in their home .
I ’ ve seen pieces where someone took a picture with their IPhone , ran it through a few filters , then tried to pass it off as an original painting — when in actuality , it ’ s all digital . It ’ s a real grey area , because some of that stuff does take skill . Some of it doesn ’ t . But those guys need to be honest about what they are selling . The buyer should know what they are getting , especially if they are paying the price for an original , thinking that they ’ re getting a painting made by hand , with an actual brush , that started with a blank canvas .
Art Chowder : Good advice ! Your website finewatercolors . com says you have a home gallery ?
Andy : I have a little gallery at my house . Before we moved to North Idaho , people would call and say , “ Hey can we come look at your art ?” And I ’ d have to line paintings up on my living room floor to let folks look at them . I needed a better way to show my art . So when we moved , I bought a place with some land and room . The previous owner had a small outbuilding he fixed cars in . We built a dividing wall in there , and now one half is my gallery , the other is where I make frames .
There ’ s another small building on the property that ’ s currently full of stuff . I ’ d like to clean it out eventually and use it as a welding shop , so Josh and I can make more metal art .
I just have to say , I follow God , all right ? I believe in , pray to , and trust in Him . I believe that you reap what you sow . I also believe that God wants artists on the planet .
A while back I did a painting of Jesus driving a truck along a road in the Palouse . He was driving , but he was also in the back of the truck with a bunch of kids . They were just hanging out eating ice cream cones . The message was , we ’ re supposed to be the kids — hang out with Jesus because He ’ s a nice guy . He ’ s not going to hurt us , or drop a piano on us . He just wants to get to know us and we can trust Him to take care of us . You know , the truck ’ s not going to crash because we ’ re not driving it . He ’ s driving it .
So when I painted that , I was almost scared to bring it to shows . I don ’ t want to be labeled as a Religious artist , because I feel there can be a turn off there . But I wanted to see what people thought of it . Turns out , it ’ s one of my best selling pictures , and it ’ s been cool to see how this thing speaks to people .
Anyway , I believe I ’ m doing what God wants me to do , and He ’ s adjusting me along the way . I think He was that little voice that told me to get into oils , and now it seems He ’ s pushing me toward learning acrylics — to abstract paint . I ’ m kind of scared , but open to moving in that direction .
Art Chowder : What has been your greatest challenge as an artist ?
Andy : If I chose to focus on the money thing , that would be a challenge . Finding the balance between not being an airhead , and trusting that things will work out . I guess the other challenge would be figuring out what people want to buy , which shows to go to , and what will sell .
Art Chowder : What do you feel has been your greatest success ?
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