Trish Wend
Ridgefield, CT.
I’m a representational painter -- I paint from life, love the tradition of old master painting and value the skills that are required. I paint still life and plein air, working mostly in oil. I love the depth and glow from oil paint and its buttery consistency. I trained at the Art Students League of New York and the Palette & Chisel Academy in Chicago.
www.trishwend.com
Ridgefield, CT.
I’m a representational painter -- I paint from life, love the tradition of old master painting and value the skills that are required. I paint still life and plein air, working mostly in oil. I love the depth and glow from oil paint and its buttery consistency. I trained at the Art Students League of New York and the Palette & Chisel Academy in Chicago.
www.trishwend.com
Is your studio at home or outside, and if at home, is it a dedicated room or are you having to share it with other family members?
My studio is 50 meters from the house. It feels huge to me – there are two rooms. The larger one is filled with light, fabulous shelving for props and supplies and….a pool table. It came with the house and since it weighs 500 pounds, it’s not going anywhere. I scale up my plein air sketches in here. I do my still life work in the smaller room, because I can control the light. I use cool daylight bulbs to simulate northern light as much as possible for my setups. I like the consistency and I can paint in the same conditions any time of the day. I know I’m lucky to have a space like this. In the city I crammed as much as possible into a closet and had to set up my easel in the living room every time I wanted to paint.
My studio is 50 meters from the house. It feels huge to me – there are two rooms. The larger one is filled with light, fabulous shelving for props and supplies and….a pool table. It came with the house and since it weighs 500 pounds, it’s not going anywhere. I scale up my plein air sketches in here. I do my still life work in the smaller room, because I can control the light. I use cool daylight bulbs to simulate northern light as much as possible for my setups. I like the consistency and I can paint in the same conditions any time of the day. I know I’m lucky to have a space like this. In the city I crammed as much as possible into a closet and had to set up my easel in the living room every time I wanted to paint.
Are you finding it difficult to work now? Or has this become a time of great creativity?
If I’m feeling off, I’ll do a small painting to the finish. The routine is incredibly calming. We’re so blessed to be artists because we can still create in tough times. It’s a lot better than resorting to cleaning out closets for a release. For me it’s important to build up a body of work. I enter various competitions and the 80-20 rule really does stand. Twenty percent of my work will be better than the other 80 so I need that brush mileage. I’m also on Instagram and Facebook, and once you start with those, you have to keep feeding the beast. So that motivates me too.
If I’m feeling off, I’ll do a small painting to the finish. The routine is incredibly calming. We’re so blessed to be artists because we can still create in tough times. It’s a lot better than resorting to cleaning out closets for a release. For me it’s important to build up a body of work. I enter various competitions and the 80-20 rule really does stand. Twenty percent of my work will be better than the other 80 so I need that brush mileage. I’m also on Instagram and Facebook, and once you start with those, you have to keep feeding the beast. So that motivates me too.
What is it you are working on now? Does it relate in any way to current events, or are you letting this be a time of releasing all that while the ideas flow?
At least it’s Spring, which brings so many varieties of blossoms and flowers. The forsythias in my garden have finally bloomed so I’m working on setups with those right now. I’m also painting my daffodils and hyacinths. And the magnolias are early this year. There’s always plenty I want to do.
At least it’s Spring, which brings so many varieties of blossoms and flowers. The forsythias in my garden have finally bloomed so I’m working on setups with those right now. I’m also painting my daffodils and hyacinths. And the magnolias are early this year. There’s always plenty I want to do.
Do you think this experience will permanently alter the way you create, or do you think you will go back to your way of creating art before, and if it will change you, in what way and why?
In times like these I really believe people want to look at something beautiful – beauty is a refuge. So now more than ever, I’m driven to paint something to bring the viewer joy and serenity. The great thing about representational painting is that it’s accessible to everyone – they don’t need someone to explain anything. And when people are stressed out and exhausted that’s really important.
In times like these I really believe people want to look at something beautiful – beauty is a refuge. So now more than ever, I’m driven to paint something to bring the viewer joy and serenity. The great thing about representational painting is that it’s accessible to everyone – they don’t need someone to explain anything. And when people are stressed out and exhausted that’s really important.
