This Artist's Journey

Capt Joey of www.goodmorninggloucester.com recently sent me a questionnaire to fill out to be posted on his blog. I gladly obliged. One of the questions was: who is your favorite local artist. My immediate response was 'me'. The more that I thought about my response I realized that there are local painters that I have admired, that have informed and guided my journey as an artist. This post is about my first art teacher Ken Gore. His studio is where I began my long apprenticeship (17 years) to becoming a 'master' artist.

The first Cape Ann artist that I have always admired is landscape painter Ken Gore (1911-1990). Ken was a member of the Northshore Art Association and The Rockport Art Association. He had a studio and gallery on East Main Street across from the The Beacon Marine where he taught painting on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. My father, a student of Ken's, arranged for me to have lessons with Ken. My paintings were not very good, but Ken saw ability in my drawings and encouraged me to seriously pursue art. I was 13.

The photo is Ken's painting "The Willow" that was auctioned through Blackwood March Auctioneers of Essex, MA a few years ago. I chose this painting to accompany this post because of the sheep, as well as his trademark use of the palette knife. Ken told me that when he was first learning to paint he was given a 2" brush to paint and 3 colors: red, yellow, blue and white. The subject? sheep. He could paint them in his sleep. Ken said that anything one could do with a small brush, could be done with a big brush; but, a small brush cannot do the work of a big brush. This advice has guided me through 40 odd years of painting, My preferred brushes are 1-2" bristle chip brushes that can hold alot of paint.

btw: my first lesson was to draw a portrait of another student's husband, then to paint his portrait. the drawing was true to the man's age. the painting made him look so much younger that his wife bought it. i didn't get the money, it was paid to Ken for my very first lesson. In exchange for future lessons, I posed for Ken's classes.

best,

deb.

Prince Conger!

Domenic Cretara suggested that if I ever had the opportunity to study with Conger Metcalf, that I should.   Within a year of leaving The Art Institute I found myself exhibiting with Conger at Boston's Park Street Church.  I introduced myself, showed him my work and gave Domenic's recommendation.  Conger had a studio above a cleansers on Charles Street.  We would meet on Wednesday evenings during the weekly 'cocktail hour'.  I was placed at a window with a plaster cast of a head.  My instructions were to draw the symmetry of the face.  Several weeks passed this way, I drew at the window, Conger entertained.  On the final night of my lessons (4, 6?) he gave me a plaster cast of a face.  He told me to return when I could draw the symmetry of the face.

20 odd years later my daughter EB and I returned the cast to him.  "Are you here to see the Prince?"  and then "Prince Conger, your audience is here."  then to us, "go on, up the stairs to the top on the left.  we passed stacks and stacks of paintings and books.  His rooms...Venetian tapestries, gilded frames, Venetian Shutters nailed to the walls.  and Conger, "did you bring the pink Ginger Ale?".

I returned the mask to Conger and told him that while the face appears to be symmetrical, there is no real symmetry, the left and right sides are not alike.  "oh, really."  he laughed.  "you know, I gave all of these masks away.  this is the first to return."

He reviewed my work.  suggested I was having a lot of fun with my work and asked if I taught.  me, full of myself, suggested that "I haven't had to" and as soon as the words were out of my mouth, i knew the slap in the face to the generosity of my teachers.  as if whether i taught or not had anything to do with my needs (although teaching is incredibly fulfilling), in that moment the needs of a student entered my thoughts.  3 days later my first student entered my studio.

Conger's painting is up for auction through the Blackwood Auctions in Essex on April 28.  estimate $400-$600.  wish I could.

sleep on sweet Prince.
deb.