Richard Sneary on the Worst Thing You Can Do When Painting, and More

Plein Air Podcast 255

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In this episode of the Plein Air Podcast, Eric Rhoads interviews Richard Sneary, who began painting as an artist primarily en plein air in 2011 after 40 years as an architectural illustrator and architect. Architecture was the first love of his career and formed the foundation of his understanding of design composition, freehand drawing perspective, and the built-in natural environment, as well as many other aspects of his personal and professional growth.

Listen as they discuss:
- Why so many painters - especially watercolorists - started in architecture
- What he was thinking when he quit his successful career as an architect to become a full-time artist (how it was a leap, and a stumble)
- Richard's advice for others who are developing their art career
- Letting go of tight details and painting more loosely
- The difference he experiences as a painter in regards to being more relaxed day to day versus the pressure of working at an office job
- Why he travels to 11-12 plein air events in a given year (Hint: It relates to what inspires him as an artist)
- Embracing the struggle and his pitch to those who don't paint en plein air
- The worst thing you can do when painting indoors or outdoors, no matter your level of experience

Bonus! How do you price your paintings (and not set the price too low)? And how can artists use AI for their business? Eric Rhoads answers in this week's Art Marketing Minute.

Click here to watch and listen now!

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Kelly Kane's Pick of the Week: Warren's Beach

Don Demers, "Warren's Beach," 2007, oil, 12 x 16 in., Private collection, Plein air

"I like the Albert Einstein quote that says 'imagination is more important than knowledge.' … Flawless technique without heart has no purpose. It's only a technical exercise. I'm interested in the smell, mood, and atmosphere of a place — and using them to provoke a human reaction."

— Don Demers ("On Land and at Sea," December-January 2019, PleinAir Magazine)

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