Bob Coonts
What is your first memory of creating art ? I remember a drawing with crayons of some Mexican Cowboys that I did when I was in third grade . I had seen the image in a magazine and I tried copying it . In my mind I think that I remember it as a pretty good painting . Probably was not nearly as good as I think that it was . My mother threw it away because she didn ’ t like clutter . I asked her a few years before she passed why she didn ’ t keep any of my art . She said if she had known that I was going to be an artist , that she would have . Was not quite the answer that I wanted .
Do you have a favorite piece that you have created ? What makes it special to you ? I did a large painting of two of my stylized , straight legged horses . It was 60 ” h x 72 ” w . I titled it “ Night and Day ”. I borrowed the title from the Night and Day sculpture that Michelangelo did for the Medici Family and is housed in the Medici Chapel in Florence Italy . He did this in 1531 . I enjoyed seeing this and remembered the title and thought that it fit for my horses .
Do you have a favorite artist that you admire or that inspires you ? I have many but my most favorite would be Gustav Klimt from Vienna Austria . He died in 1918 . I love the color , the shapes , the inventiveness and really all aspects of his work . A few other artists tho that I really favor are the fauvists , primarily Henri Matisse and Andre Derain . Of course I have to say Picasso and Van Gogh . Modern day artists would be Chuck Close , Dan McCaw , Mark English and Brad Holland .
What do you listen to when you paint ? I listen to the Blues primarily . Most often , I am not listening to anything . I become so lost in thought that even when I have music on , I am rarely listening to the music or words . It is just in the background . I day dream way to much !
What tool in your studio could you not live without ? A sketch pad would be tough for me to do without . I do thumbnails and sketchs all the time it seems .
Do you have a favorite subject matter ? Over time , my preferred image has been the horse , probably . I think they are beautiful , large , elegant creatures . I paint them in all different ways , stylized mostly . But I have learned also that it doesn ’ t really matter what I paint . I enjoy all of it .
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