Featured Artist: Tina Swindell

"Monet's Garden" by Tina Swindell

"From a Distance" by Tina Swindell, copyright

"Lexi" by Tina Swindell, copyright

"Wild Mums" by Tina Swindell, copyright

Tina Swindell

I am an artist from North Alabama on a path to full-time artistry in a few years when I can retire. I've always looked at things and said to myself "Man! I wish I could paint that!" Well, when my daughter got her driver's license (she's 24 now) and I was waiting up nights to hear her pull into the driveway, I decided to buy a book on portrait and flower painting. Those were the two things I wanted to learn to paint. I dug in and started trying. Those two things are still the ones that give me the most joy I believe...especially portraits. There's just something about seeing that essence of a person come to life in your painting. It's what keeps me up at night and keeps me entranced to the point that I forget where I am and whatever worries I might have. It's great therapy and I am constantly trying to steal time from the rest of life to get back to the canvas. I must say, my original inspiration to go ahead and try painting this late in life was a video at the Huntsville art museum about Grandma Moses. (She started late in life and in the video she was in her 90'S). She was sitting at her little table painting in the video talking to the person doing the documentary and she said "I just paint what I see". That just about distills it down to the basic best advice I've heard yet. You just paint what you see! God has granted me the ability to see more and more deeply everyday....in so many ways. I know that He is the source of all gifts and He's given me SO much in my life that I'm thankful for each and every day. Since I started to paint I look at things differently...the way the light hits things, the blues in shadows, the yellows in the leaves, the pinks in the clouds... and as I look at those things I am in awe of God's glorious creations and I bow to the Master creator. I give him all the glory for the gifts I have been given and my humble attempts to copy his creations.

I attended a workshop with artist Bart Lindstrom and greatly admire his work and have studied many books on painting. The most impressive being one by Chris Saper on flesh tones. I'm very excited to be planning a trip to Arizona in July to study under her with my new friend and local artist Glennis Black . I have also had the privilege of learning from my dear friend Carole Foret' for the last 3 or 4 years. She has taught me so much that I am deeply indebted to her.

Please check out my website at www.tinaswindell.com and my blog atwww.tinaswindell.blogspot.com I will be posting my latest in this creative journey I'm on and would love to share my journey with you. I'll be posting to my blog too and you can sign up and get an e-mail each time I post. I'd love your feedback there so don't be shy, post a comment! Thanks for your interest in my work. Contact me at TinaS@pclnet.net

Wishing you joy in every day!

Tina