Interviews
The Directories of American Art Galleries
An Interview with
Robert Burridge
by James Leonard-Amodeo
How long have you been painting?
Since 1966 I have painted for pure fun just for myself, but for the past 15 years I have painted professionally everyday. EVERYDAY!
Everyday? That's incredible! How do you do it? How is that possible?
I have good work ethics and it's how I make my living. It's my job. You don't just walk away from an unfinished painting at 5:00 and go home. I work on up to 50 paintings at a time and they are all at various stages of development. It's difficult for me to turn off my curiousity at 5:00 and go have a "normal" American weekend. There are days that I'm not in the studio, I'm either traveling or teaching a workshop.... but then I'm still painting.
Is there any particular reason why you chose a career as painter? Were your parents artists?
Today, painting is something I just have to do for myself after spending so many years creating for other people, like my clients. My parents, though not artistic, exposed me to all the arts as part of my early education. I had 4 brothers so my parents gave us each a "hobby table" for us to make things and break things... an art project table. It sparked my curiosity. Periodically I watched my dad sketch and work with pastels; so drawing became a natural pastime for me.
You mean your dad was an artist and shared his pastels with you?
My dad is a self-taught artist. I first noticed his artwork in his high school yearbook. He seemed to be the official artist of his class. His cartoon drawings appeared throughout his high school yearbook. He was the manager for a company that made ornamental iron railings and his job was to design and sketch on site for estimates. He didn't share his pastels with me--- I just took them to work on my own sketches. I also remember using a paint-by-numbers kit: the classic horseheads and I remember signing up and taking those home correspondence courses when I was in grade school. Remember those "Draw Me!" ads on the back of matchbooks? That's what I did.
Where did you grow up?
On a farm outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Plenty of chores but my "free" time I spent doing art, practicing magic and flying on a trapeze my dad made for me.
Can you tell us a bit about your ethnic background?
My mom is French Canadian and my dad is English from New Foundland.
Were you born in Canada?
No. I was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on June 17, 1943.
Having a French mother means that you probably speak French. To what extent do you feel her French influence in your own life?
Yes--- I actually spoke French before I spoke English. But since I don't hear it everyday anymore, it's gone... I can fake it in a French restaurant, however. My mother came from a family of 13 children and was "chosen" by wealthy aunt to live with her in the Plaza in New York City, where she lived until she was 20. Her "clan" the Gauguin/Gueguen reside in New Brunswick, Canada. There is a big Gueguen Reunion every year. They originated in Brittany and were among the original settlers of Cocagne, New Brunswick. My parents met in New York in 1930 and were later married in Pennsylvania. Both parents are living.... 92 years old.
That is wonderful that your parents are still vigorous. They must be proud of their son.
They are proud of all of their sons. I talk to them weekly and send them the latest news and articles. My mom says that she's somewhat quiet about her children's accomplishments because it sounds like she's bragging. She's very religious and bragging is not one of her attributes.
Do you go up to Canada to the Gueguen Reunion every year?
I wish I could, but my schedule hasn't allowed this to happen yet. My parents however, have gone. At the reunion they attended there were over 300 Gueguen relatives and it lasts for several days with plays, musical events and readings, or so I'm told. So I'm anxious to go and meet my relatives.
I wonder if the name "Gauguin" has any relation with the great French painter by that name. To your knowledge, does it?
From our geneology research he was our distant cousin. The spelling of "Gauguin" changes as relatives moved from country to country.
Is your art represented by a gallery(ies) in Canada?
Not yet! I'm pretty busy just keeping the six galleries I already have happy. Everything I do is original work. I don't have a lot of prints and reproductions on purpose.
Does your wife have a French background?
No--- She's English and Dutch-German.
At one point in your life you had an advertising and marketing agency. So you haven't always been a painter?
I graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art (now called the University of the Arts) with a degree in Industrial Design and extra-heavy credits in painting. I rose up through the corporate ladder quickly as an Industrial Designer and eventually moved to Santa Barbara California and opened up my own 35-man Design Office, which included advertising and marketing. Weekends however I was still painting for myself.
Do you mean to say that painting was actually part of the Industrial Design course?
I attended an art college. The first two years, no matter what your major, was filled with courses on all the arts, which included ceramics, weaving, sculpture, graphic design, painting, etc. The last two years I continued to paint as an elective. I kept painting because it was a nice balance from the mechanical and engineering design courses and besides, it was more fun. Instant satisfaction!
What particular aspect of painting did they teach you at the Philadelphia College of Art? Or was it a general course?
I learned the fundamentals of painting which included a strong drawing course. I remember however, visiting the Philadelphia Museum and being moved by the French Impressionists. I personally lean toward that direction. My painting teachers are still having exhibits and I read about them in the art magazines from time to time.
Tell us more about your academic background.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design/Engineering. My professional career enabled me to receive 25 design patents in the fields of medicine and electronic components, designing biomechanical body parts, all the way through to home computers.
This is fascinating. What are some of the patents in medicine that you designed?
Working with leading surgeons and rehabilitation institutes, I created surgical tools for brain and heart procedures; the first disposable syringe; defibrillator which is an electrical shock to restart the heart; the custom contoured seat for wheelchair patients, including quadraplegics and cerebral palsy patients. I designed daily living applicances for severe mental disability patients. Since this was Vietnam War time, there were a lot of survivors with missing body parts and I was the only designer on a team of surgeons designing bio-mechanical parts, which included breast implants, penile implants and facial implants. That in itself is another story, but that's not what I'm about today.
What was your involvement in home computers?
I designed the style and look of the very early portable UPS (Uninterruptable Power Systems), keyboard layout, the first barcode scanner and the first electronic adding machine (can you believe they were all mechanical before 1966?). I made them "home and office friendly" by eliminating the steel gray color and covered them in trendy fabrics of the day, i.e. paisley patterns. Can you imagine doing that today?
Can you remember your first painting? What was the subject of the piece?
Yes-- it was an abstract watercolor at my very first show. It was at a time when I was doing experimental watercolors. I knew I had so much more to learn about painting but this was as good as I could be at the time.
Where was the show?
It was a group show in a Danica House danish furniture showroom in Santa Barbara. As I was bringing the paintings in to be hung, a lady who was buying furniture also was picking artwork to puchase, which included 3 of my 5 pieces. That was my first sale. I didn't even have a price figured out yet. Talk about being thrown into the business with a bang.
Who were the painters that you most admired as you settled into your career as a painter?
Matisse, Motherwell, Diebenkorn and the San Francisco school of Abstract Painters.
If I'm not mistaken, i believe Motherwell highly regarded Diebenkorn, going so far as to model his own art after his. Much has been said about Diebenkorn's "Ocean Park" series which, superficially examined, look like abstract paintings. The repetition of compositional motifs, the juxtapositions of color, the subtle cadences, pastel tonalities, and so on, belie this series as anything but "abstract", according to experts. What is your personal reflection on this series?
First of all I admire the man for his painting lifestyle. I believe he picked up where Matisse left off and just continued to explore possibilities within his own work, as did Matisse. Painters I admire are those who have dedicated themselves completely to their profession. That's where I get my work ethics. "Ocean Park" series was just one phase I admired but it's his eloquence and his ability to articulate about abstract painting is what turned me on. One of my favorite books is the "Collected Writings of Robert Motherwell" edited by Stephanie Terenzio, which helps me to understand the painting process. Motherwell, as you know, is the unofficial spokesperson for modern painting.
Printmaking occupied an important position throughout Diebenkorn's career. Have you ever done Printmaking?
Yes, of course, in college. Printmaking was a required course for all. I love monotypes and one of my dreams is to find the time to go to Crown Point Press in San Francisco and do a body of work there.
Diebenkorn's use of flattened depth, shallow space, and expressive lines echoes the fluidity of the graphics of Henri Matisse. Can it be said that your art was influenced by Matisse in this same respect?
Absolutely. I borrow as much as I can from those who have plowed the fields before me.
What attracted you to Motherwell?
His ability to articulate the nature of the creative process and the avant-garde. Speaking of which, I was part of the early Fluxus Group in New York City. I did "Happenings" with Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, and Charlotte Mormon, to name a few. This was during the time of a very pro-arts in public places spearheaded by Mayor Hoving. It helped me to remain in a creative thinking mode when I went to my Industrial Design day job. I even made some very early underground films with the then unknown Andy Warhol.
Now, this is exciting news, Robert. You were actually a part of the Fluxus Group? Wasn't this an event back in the 60s?
Yes. It was a movement of avant-garde thinking through the arts. A few years ago there was a Fluxus Group Show that traveled around the United States. I
believe Art in America had a feature on it.
What was your involvement there?
I was only one naive 23 year old artist who had a day job as an Industrial Designer and thought that this was a cool thing to do on weekends. It was a nice balance to be a medical engineer during the day and over-the-top, outrageous player at night and on weekends.
In what capacity did you participate?
I was invited to midnight New York City parties to make art which included Warhol and his entourage. We all ended up making films about each other. One of my instructors from college, Jim McWilliams tucked me under his wing and took me for a ride through this art scene. Through his tutelage, I was able to also teach film making at Cooper Union College in New York City in an advanced Graphic Design course. It was because of this environment I got to meet and play with the avant-garde. Your questions have gotten me to go back and look at the posters for the Avant-garde Festivals. The 4th Annual New York Avant-garde Festival, September 9, 1966, Central Park--- I'm looking at names of about 50 artists, including John Cage, Nam June Paik, Robert Breer, Joseph Beuys, Christo, Diter Rot, Allan Kaprow, Dick Higgins, Wolf Vostell, to name a few. I was in a piece written for me to perform and it had to do with a lot of American food. No elaboration is needed. Hey man, it was a Happening.
Can you tell us a bit about both "Happenings" and the "Fluxus Group"?
For me it was one and the same--artists in their studios and public places all over the city doing their thing for galleries and the public. It was a time when the galleries "made and discovered" artists.
What about Warhol? How well did you know him?
Through Jim McWilliams, I tagged along to one of Warhol's ingatherings of groupies. I had no idea who or why he was. He was just another character in the room that I found more interesting than the transparent phonies. He wasn't a lot of flash-- he just did his work, mostly with a Polaroid. Filming was connected with his photography. I was there one night in his basement, where the art just evolved as a consequence of a bunch of artists getting together and goofing around. (They were known as "underground films" at that time because they were shot in his basement.) That's how I saw it then. My job was to put aluminum foil on everything so we could increase the reflective light for our low ASA film. When he saw me wrapping his toilet it was the only time I ever saw him smile.
What ever happened to those films you made with him? Where are they now?
I don't have that film because at that time it was the process of doing the art, and not the end result. We were doing conceptual art.
What were the films about?
I remember they were black & white, that's about it. Nothing memorable or
monumental as an art piece. I remember handing the camera over and taking a bus back to New Jersey at 6:00 am so I could get to work, wearing my coat and tie.
Earlier you said you highly admire Diebenkorn and Motherwell. What do you think of Pollock and de Kooning's work relative to that of Diebenkorn and Motherwell?
They were of course, from the same school and time. What I admired most about those two painters is they went to their studios and did their work. That's my bond with them... I go to my studio and do my work. I thank them everyday for making what I love to do a credible career.
Didn't Pollock and Motherwell share a studio at one point in new York?
Reading their biographies, you can tell everyone visited everyone else. They knew they were doing something new and their frustration in doing something so new would come out in the stories of their drinking, fighting and partying. I can understand their frustration and make a conscious effort not to buy in to that destructive lifestyle.
What would you call your particular style?
Impressionistic Pop and Ethereal Abstracts.
Would you say you have a personal style of painting or do you strive to achieve the styles already recognized in the world of Fine Arts?
My style changes everyday--- I'm not stuck in a style. "Style" is the least important word in my painting vocabulary. It's more about what can I learn today if I do one thing differently.
Yet, in music the artist (musician) is keenly aware of his style, knowing that he must remain within the boundary he's established (the "style") if he is to continue serving the same public who buys his recordings. Wouldn't a painter be as aware of his "style" in this sense?
Do you remember how upset everyone was when Bob Dylan went electric? His public freaked. The audacity of Bob Dylan to move out away from acoustic to electric was a shock to all those who wanted him to stay only in that one style. That was 40 years ago today and he's still doing concerts. So much for the public insisting you stay where THEY put you. I'm in a creative business and my business is to create new work. My work does have a style that is popular and I continue that style for the most part and I continue to push my own boundaries everyday to make new work from the same subject-theme: The Good Life.
You seem to paint a lot with a mix of acrylic and oil. Is there any particular reason for this?
I paint in acrylic on canvas and paper. I use oil varnish on everything for two reasons: 1) To intensify the colors and 2) eliminate the necessity of glass over my paper pieces.
There seem to be two camps when it concerns acrylics. Oil painters say acrylic paint is just a cheap form of oil imitation and dislike the medium. Acrylic painters, on the other hand, couldn't care less--they'll use acrylic and oil without as much as blinking an eye. Oil painters tell me they find it extremely hard obtaining delicate shadows and contrasts with acrylics, especially if working on a figurative piece. You seem to thrive with the medium. Is this because abstract painting is less demanding when it comes to very fine details than, say, figurative realism?
In a way, I think abstract painting is MORE demanding than figurative work because the artist is not trying to copy a subject in front of him. Anybody can reproduce a figure if they take the time. But not everybody can paint a meaningful abstract work of art. Abstract painting is more about what the artist sees and feels and communicates. It is artistically a more subjective experience but the artist has an objective basis in that he has to be scientific in his approach. This is often done in an unconscious way but the scientific element is there just the same.
On your other point about acrylic paints, to my mind there does not seem to be any precise consensus against the acrylic medium, although there are oil painters that won't touch it. Oil painting does receive a perceived higher value from the galleries and some art markets, however. This might be true because of historical tradional leanings. But acrylic painting is very much alive and well, just ask the National Acrylic Painters Association. NAPA was founded in England but now also has a new chapter in America.
What are some of the qualities of acrylic paint that you like?
My technique is to paint fast, furiously, spontaneously and not cerebrally.
The fast-drying and quick results I get with acrylic allows me to do this. When I
do paint with oil, it's a luxury, both in time and my connection with dead artists.
Oil painters swear that it is easier achieving delicate effects with oils?
Painting is not easy; I don't look for an easier way of working. (Is writing
a novel easier than beat generation poetry?) If I do want delicate effects I
use thin glazes and washes of transparent acrylics.
How would you describe the difference between acrylic and oil, then?
People assume that I paint exclusively in oils. My paintings DO look like oil
paintings, probably because I was trained with oils in college. I paint with the same techniques now, only using acrylic. People even think my watercolors are oil paintings! (young artists--- avert your eyes!) My brother, who is an oil painter, I would say a John Singer-Sargent-ish painter, accuses me of using too many colors and too much paint. Not that I'm a genius, but hell, even Mozart was accused of using too many notes.
Mixed and applied... contemporary oil painters start out their canvas with an acrylic underpainting (fast drying) and finish off the final layers in oil. However my final coat on all medium paintings is an oil varnish. I just like the look and the protective finish. It is true that adding white to oil to change a color or hue is a different end result when adding white to acrylic. It gets paler. Oil and acrylic are completely two different techniques and a painter should not choose one or the other for the ease of painting. It's all about for the love of painting (musicians play all kinds of music for the love of playing music, n'est pas?)
Taking into consideration how busy you are these days, how do you divide your time between taking care of business, teaching, lecturing and painting? How often do you paint per week?
My goal is to paint everyday, whether I'm teaching or lecturing. My wife Kate manages the business side while I'm in the Studio, booking me and scheduling me into various workshops throughout the world. I paint a great deal during my workshops and lectures; I have a very interactive, hands-on program.
Besides being a professional painter, you are also a lecturer and a teacher. Can you tell us a bit about yourself as a teacher. Where and what do you teach, specifically?
I teach positive attitude and show my students how to paint the way THEY have always wanted to paint. I emphasize that I am only one way of painting, not THE way. I teach painting and art marketing at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. I am a guest lecturer at Santa Barbara City College and Sierra Nevada College. My workshops are held at various art centers, museums and for art organizations across the country.
I used to teach, too, and cannot seem to reconcile what you've said about teaching a student "how to paint the way THEY have always wanted to paint." If they are students, obviously they seek instruction precisely because they are still seeking to know how to paint. How do you respond to this?
I teach the fundamentals first to get everyone on the same page. My classes are a mix of professionals who are stuck in a style along with "scared to death" beginners. We do basic warm-up paint sketches that teaches them color, form, line, focal point, light source, etc. Once they have the basics down I give them permission to leap and paint from their hearts, rather than copying me and my brush strokes. I can show them how I paint but I can't teach them why I paint. I help them to think for themselves and develop their own painting voice. Remember, my workshop is called "Loosen Up..." not "Tighten Up."
What about lectures? Can you tell us more about this aspect of Robert Burridge?
My lectures are based on a typical day in my studio, starting with "small sketch" painting exercises, all the way through to large canvases. My lectures are entertaining and inspirational because I include a painting demonstration, teaching elements of design, color, and most importantly, a positive attitude in taking risks to try new things.
What sort of "risks" might you be inferring? If a painter has an established audience, wouldn't taking risks be risky (no pun intended)?
The risk of making a failed painting and looking foolish. Painting is all about risk-taking. If you need to be sure of the end result of what you do, don't be a painter. Risk-taking is failure prone; otherwise it would be called "sure-thing taking." Thomas Edison knows a thousand ways the light bulb does not work. Professional painters don't paint for an approving audience.
Your wife, Kate Becker-Burridge, and yourself, have assembled a course teaching artists how to sell their art. Can you briefly give us an outline of this course?
This is our published course description:
mARTketing: The Business of Selling Your Art
Learn the "Secrets" from professional painter and teacher, Robert Burridge and Marketing Director, Kate Burridge, in an information-packed workshop setting. Even if you have read all the art marketing books, get the hard working information you need first hand from the artist and his marketing manager who do this everyday.
Topics included: copyright law, inventory, record keeping, gallery visits, studio sales, publicity, how to approach galleries, how to get into art festivals, and more.
We also cover "How to Photograph Your Art with Goof-Proof Results Everytime."
We share what has worked for us during our 15-year journey as well as all the things that HAVEN'T worked.
Is the course available as a distance learning tool or must one attend in person?
We have an Art Marketing Workbook that is for sale on our website, as well as at our workshops. We use it as a textbook for the Art Marketing workshops. Many artists have had success following the book without taking our course. The beauty of the hands-on workshop though is that it ends up being a networking session and all the artists start learning from each other, too. We both feel that artists need this kind of information since we are the president and CEO of our own companies and we have a "product" to sell... our art. Fascinating subject!
In looking through the list of products you make available, I see you provide giclée prints, books, videos, inspirational materials, lithographs, posters, How-To workshop notes, and so on. Would you suggest to other artists to develop this sort of "sideline" inventory as a source of extra revenue or is this sort of thing not for everybody?
Not all artists can teach, or even want to share their information. I do not recommend this for every artist because it takes a great deal of organizational skill, enthusiasm for the subject matter and a strong business sense. We've built up our product line over the years mostly because of market demand and self promotion on the workshop side of my business.
How did you come about producing so many products? Is it just your business side that prompts you to "hit the market with everything you've got," as they say, or is it, in fact, the reality of an artist's life that he should do whatever it takes to try to make a living in our difficult economic environment?
We're not in the business of selling products, per se. My main income is as a Studio Painter that sells through galleries. Because of my success through the galleries, I am asked to teach other artists. That is how the "Robert Burridge Workshops" developed. The products were developed as a result of teaching the workshops; i,e. Studio Notes, videos and our Art Marketing Workbook.
In 1998 you were commissioned to do twelve large abstract paintings for the studio sets for "Dean Quixote," the movie. How did you get the contract for "Dean Quixote"?
The Director's Godmother was in my painting class. She told me about the movie and asked me for some paintings to be used as props in an "artist's studio" in the movie. I sent slides, got an interview with the producer and was hired.
How long did it take you to finish the paintings?
I only had two weeks to reproduce my slide images into twelve larger canvases.
Can you share your feelings about having landed such an undertaking as painting sets for a movie?
My college training taught me how to think on my feet and to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. I said "Yes" first and didn't want to waste my time in a panic mode, but to get down and do my work. It was a very real problem of creating my work within their time schedule. I love creative problem solving, and this was one more. I couldn't be late on this shooting schedule deadline because it would have affected the production schedule, which included many actors, crew members and equipment.
And you didn't panic at all?
No, it was exciting! An opportunity like this doesn't come along everyday. Beside, I only had to copy myself and make the paintings larger. It was a no-brainer.
Can you tell us a little about the experience of working for Victor Simpkins?
Victor Simpkins is the Producer of Dean Quixote. Orion Walker is the Director. We worked mainly with the Set Director and the Producer. It's not as "Hollywood Glamorous" as one might think. I painted solidly for two weeks, rented a large UHaul truck and drove 4 hours to the set for a 7:30AM call. We spread the paintings out in the back lot of the set. The Producer and Set Director came out and enthusiastically approved the paintings. The paintings were taken on the set of a studio painter. They asked our opinions on how an artist would lay out his studio. We were invited to stay in the wings while they shot the scenes for the next two days.
So, in fact you did much more than just paint the twelve panels. You helped to setup the "studio" and even offered yourself as an art consultant.
Yes. When we got on the set of what they thought an artist's studio would look like, I simply opened my mouth and suggested simple things, like the painting easel should be near the window. Things like that.
What did you think of your paintings in the actual film when it finally came out?
Wow! We were invited to the cast & crew screening in a private movie theatre in Hollywood. As they say in Hollywood, "Everybody was there." I was nervous and excited. Three months prior I received a phone call and was asked how did I want my name to appear in the credits. It only took me a second to say, "BIG AND SLOW." During the movie I was ecstatic to see my work fill the whole screen in some of the scenes. Some of the paintings were an integral part of the story line so my paintings had lots of close-ups. My heart was pounding and I was so emotional at times that it brought tears to my eyes. When the screen credits appeared at the end, I was a nervous wreck. And sure enough, my name did roll up "big and slow."
Has this involvement ever produced offers from other filming projects?
Not yet. But I have made it clear to the producer that I'm a team player and I'm ready to do the next one.
Have you ever contemplated producing your own movie?
No and why would I want to? My plate is full just being a painter. But I wouldn't mind having my own "Paint with Bob" television series!
An intriguing series is the paintings you did for the Starbucks Coffee Company. Is there a story behind the lithographs?
There's always a story. Believe it or not, we got this job by selling paintings of coffee cups on a table at an outdoor festival in Santa Barbara. Their people talked to "our people" (us) and after 3 years we struck a licensing deal. It was very exciting walking into a Starbucks and seeing all my prints for sale and my images on their commuter cups. Other licensing products include: Riddle & Cockerell tapestries, Pearl Vodka hang tags, wine labels, and Williams-Sonoma prints.
Why did it take three years for the "deal" to be concluded?
Negotiating contracts with corporate lawyers doesn't happen over night. Licensing agreements typically take a long time to develop. Most deals don't get past the talking stage.
Now that you have experience working with such large conglomerates as Starbucks, what advice would you offer an artist should he meet with a similar request from a large company? Should he hire a lawyer to take care of the contracts? Should he go it alone?
Hire a lawyer and read books on the subject matter. There is lots of published information readily available. So do your homework, don't expect to get rich overnight and hire a lawyer. There are attorneys who specialize in art law and licensing.
What about royalties and other derivative payments for such work? What should an artist expect?
Royalities are based on a complicated schedule of percentages and what the industry will pay. Royalty payments to the artist are not as high as everyone thinks they are, but they are a great way of making an income while you sleep. Some companies will negotiate a buyout at the beginning and pay the artist one check or sometimes the artist will opt to receive a percentage of sales through the life of the product. Depends on the contract.
I'd like to talk a little about your techniques and materials used. Can you talk to us a bit about your palette.
My "palette" is a 4-foot by 8-foot plywood table, 15 inches off the ground. I use large jars of pure acrylic paints into which I directly dip my brush or fingers. Mixing is done on the table. Since i stand and paint, my canvases are laid flat on the table/palette and my brushes have been elongated with twigs from the trees on my property. Typically my brushes are about 30 inches long. It's one of my ways of staying loose and free.
Do you use any specific formula to produce desired effects?
My typical day in the studio begins with opening 24 quart jars of pure acrylic colors. Primaries, secondaries and any exotic, glorious colors I find interesting, such as all the metallics and pearlescents. My colors and combinations are spontaneous everytime. Prior to painting I do, however have a color scheme in mind to create and communicate a mood, such as "early morning light," "late afternoon cocktail hour," or the "glow of sunset," etc. I like my paintings to have a surprise "tweakedness" to them... to make them more fun to paint and worth looking at.
Who is your source for paints? What are your preferred brands?
Holbein paints are what I'm currently using in my studio and in my workshops.
Do you use special brushes or just buy standard products?
I use a combination of brushes, some extremely expensive (hey, I'm a
professional and I deserve them!) as well as the cheap throw-away type from
the hardware store. With my aggressive style of direct painting, I prefer
inexpensive brushes. My watercolor brushes however, are treated with more
respect. I also scrape into my wet paintings with long twigs. And of course,
my fingers are used for final touches.
How many brushes do you go through in a year?
I don't go through them, I save them. They'll be great for my grandkids
someday. In fact, my wife, Kate, saves all of my encrusted painting clothes and shoes. We've even donated them for local fundraisers. Crazy, isn't it? Or should I
say shameless.... But seriously, I'm continuously buying new brushes because they wear out due to daily use.
Do you go out plein air painting or do you use photographs for your
landscapes?
Neither. I stay in my studio and make it all up--- seriously, I make it all
up. In fact, I'm currently in my studio doing a series of "ethereal landscapes" so I keep painting until it surprises me and looks like a landscape. However, I am influenced by the magnificent views from my 8-acre property here on the central coast of California. I don't take photos but I do use mental snapshots. I am visually stimulated by what I see in nature and I use my memory for reference.
How do you approach this business of having to clean a brush in between color changes?
Not very scientific--- my studio is filled with many 5-gallon buckets of
water. Whereever I'm painting in the studio, I merely stick my long brush in
the closest bucket of water in between color changes.
What kind of solvents do you use?
None for acrylic. And when I do oil paintings I use cooking oil to clean my oil brushes and environmentally-friendly solvents, such as turpinoid.
Do you ever paint on board or canvas rather than on paper?
I use all mediums on canvas and paper.
Have you ever painted in watercolor?
I started out as a watercolorist. I have no favorite medium. I just love to paint.
When you approach your easel, do you already know what you are going to
paint? Is it premeditated?
Picasso once said, "If you know exactly what you're going to do, what's the point in doing it?" I concur. Everything I paint is made up on the spot. The
only preconceived idea I have is subject matter from my "To Do List," fruit
and vegetables, still lifes, or landscapes or abstracts, or commissions. I do
however, spend a few minutes each morning writing my goals in my studio
journal. Writing down my goals are important to me because halfway through
the painting I get lost in "BobLand" so I need to refer back to my goals to
get me back on track.
Before beginning a work, do you think in terms of composition, overall effect, lines, forms, or is it all dependent on inspiration on the spur of the moment? What is the thought process here?
At this point in my life, it's intuitive. At the beginning of my painting
career however, I spent hours planning a painting and then spent many hours
after that trying to paint according to my plan. It was a painful way of
painting. Something like "do you remember how difficult it was to learn to
tie your shoes?" This morning though, I bet you don't remember tying your
shoes. It's because we do something so often it gets to be intuitive and
automatic. If you do something often enough it becomes who you are. Robert
Motherwell calls it "automatism" in painting. Now I just paint and think on my feet and search for something new to learn everyday in order to stay fresh and not paint automatic, as in assembly-line production.
Does it happen that sometimes you have to draw sketches of a subject before committing yourself to painting it?
Since I've drawn my entire life as an Industrial Designer, it's how I would
communicate an idea. I draw directly with my long brush and wet paint right on the canvas and work out composition at that time.
Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 25 years, has said that "Art is NOT entertainment." This is a loaded statement and a meaningful one. Today many claim to be entertainers. Is the role of a painter in fact just that of "entertaining" or is there something deeper involved?
Well in fact, when you make a painting and you show it, in a convoluted way you are in "show business." If someone finds my paintings entertaining to
look at then they've found something more in my work than I had intended. There are a slew of artists out there who I find to have less of an artistic talent, but more flair for self-promotion and getting their names in lights. Of course the media picks that up first.
My message is to keep the "Good Life" spirit alive and everything that it entails.
If i look around the planet, i can see only a very small fraction of fellow humans who enjoy the finer things in life. In fact, the majority of humanity suffer in a vicious circle of poverty and misery. How does your vision of the "Good Life" fit in with this reality?
The Good Life has nothing to do with financial status. You may be referring to my still life subjects of wine, martinis, etc (the Good Life for the affluent) and I also paint large simple landscape vistas as the Good Life. It's all a matter of my philosophy of "enjoying being alive, appreciating daily life and where you are;" not necessarily the outward trappings of the affluent good life. (I don't paint fancy cars and expensive watches.)
Can you define what an "artist" is?
No. I struggle with this daily and know that I have no answers, just more questions and the knowledge that I know I just need to go to the studio and make my paintings. I'm constantly reading (searching) about other artists and their take. It's lonely in the studio, so I need as much stimuli as possible to keep me going. Instead of looking for answers, I stay open to all the questions. That's what i believe an artist can be.
What is the role of the artist in contemporary society, as far as you are concerned?
The importance of the arts in any society is paramount. Look at any culture that has eliminated or censored the arts and watch them slide into ruin. The voice of the artist and our job should be at the top of our society's structure, however our current leaders in Washington seem to put no value on art. Art is the conscience of the society. It reflects and mirrors what is going on around us. After September 11th I was so devastated I couldn't paint for months. Then it hit me, how could I not paint? My personal work took off in a new direction that reflects the importance of the personal relationship between just two people. I didn't want to do paintings that pandered to the American flag, rescue workers and American eagles so I just worked on a direction that was more important to me... Kate and I and our relationship together.
What are your plans for the future?
The immediate future is to keep my galleries happy since I have exhibits booked through 2005. My long range future is to be hanging in a PROMINENT museum while I am still alive. (Nothing wrong with dreams) and as long as students are interested, i will continue teaching and giving lectures and demonstrations. The future is going to happen automatically around me, regardless of how my paintings are received. I am committed to painting in my studio; that is the only future I look forward to. That's why they say, when I'm in my studio painting, "he's in bobland!"
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Robert Burridge is represented by the following galleries:
Powell Street Gallery
San Francisco, CA
ICAAN Galleries
Manhattan Beach, CA
Edmunds Fine Art Gallery
Sonoma, CA
Nuance Gallery
Tampa, FL
Main Street Gallery
Murphys, CA
David Ryan Gallery
Orcutt, CA
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