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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