Stan Hamiltons Biography at Stan Hamilton Fine Art Gallery.com

HAMILTON'S FINE ART GALLERY

ARTIST BIO

Greetings, art lovers. I’ve been told that some viewers of my art would like to know how I ended up as an artist and how art has impacted my life. While, I’ve enjoyed different art competitions, both juried and non-juried over the last fifteen to twenty years, I’ve received positive feed back with placements here and there. I’ve never kept track of them nor took them very seriously, which I now regret. As you may know, most galleries and museums will consider your art by your credentials and track record. As a self-taught artist, I’ve had to learn most things through trail and error. Retrospectively, I would have majored in art in college and as a career choice; therefore getting all the formal training and education available. The following is my story.

My love for art, particularly drawing and painting became apparent to me as a young child in grade school. My grade school years were during the 1950s’, raised in a small town in Kansas and part of a large family. Drawing and painting during the “Art” periods in class were my favorite but the teachers and other authority figures never seemed to be interested in my opinions or feelings about art.

Occasionally, we were given a tin container of ten watercolors to use for painting, rather like what the children are offered today. Two things stand out in my childhood memories of school art classes back then, unfortunately, both negative. While I loved the colors that crayons and watercolors offered, I would continuously get criticized by the teacher for not staying in the lines when using the crayons and paints. I was reminded that I would never be an artist because I couldn’t stay within the lines in the coloring book. (I was afraid to tell the teacher that I wasn’t interested in staying inside the lines.) I was instead, encouraged and motivated to focus on the practical things in life instead of art. So, I would privately draw, doodle, and color things on my own, but never bothered showing my creations to others because of expecting criticism.

The second thing that remains strong in my memory is that I was dissatisfied with crayons because I couldn’t seem to “blend” the colors to my satisfaction, because of the waxy surface the first layer would create. And the watercolors; when applying the brilliant colors I wanted, the watercolors would then dry, causing some fading, thereby resulting in frustration and disappointment. I wanted to mix the colors to create different colors but the teacher wouldn’t allow it.

I was continuously encouraged and motivated to focus on the practical things in life instead of art. So, I would privately draw, doodle, and color things on my own, but never bothered showing my creations to others because of expecting criticism.

In high school, I continued to keep my love for art on the back burner. Most subjects in school were a struggle for me, except Art Class. There, for the first time in my life, I was exposed to the great art masters, which ignited that “back burner” within me. I continued to be reluctant and shy about expressing my desire to create art because of that early childhood conditioned criticism. But, it was the only class in high school where I got straight “A's" without having to “study”.

When I graduated from high school at the age of seventeen, I moved to the ‘big city’, a hundred miles away from home, to work on construction. Feeling free to express myself without concern of criticism, I would occasionally have someone sit and pose for me, while I would sketch them with a pencil. Never having been taught how to do this, it was a natural, easy, and a wonderful experience to do this and capture their likeness.

It was kind of like having a wonderful, secret love and for the next twenty five years, I would, when I was not fully occupied with working in a factory and raising a family, privately draw and paint, only showing a few people. I couldn’t afford “wasting” any money to purchase art books; after all, art was just a foolish past time, right?

It’s amazing how childhood conditioning can influence and directionalize a person’s life. Looking back, especially the last twenty years when I had the opportunity to go back to school and get formal art training, something inside me resisted, perhaps because of those early childhood experiences in school. Even today I enjoy reading art books and watching television programs about art but can not follow the instructions much because of my inner resistance. Although, when I see good art from other artist I am continually humbled by their ability and talent.

About twenty years ago, while talking to a co-worker whom I had known for many years, I discovered he was an artist, the first one I ever knew! He showed me photos of his paintings and told me that he was self taught. This excited me and I told him I had been dabbling a little here and there all my life and always wanted to be an artist but never thought I could be one. John Dine knew me quite well as a fellow employee, looked me straight in the eye and told me that being a good artist was 95% love and passion for art and 5% talent. He convinced me that if that’s where my heart is, I can’t fail. I got so excited and inspired by what he told me that I started practicing my drawing and sketching daily. He advised me to do this for about a year or two, and then graduate to painting. I followed his advice, creating thousands of pencil sketches, then about 1 ½ years later, started painting, first with pastel chalk, then acrylics, and finally oils. His encouragement changed my life. I painted a portrait of him which sits on my computer desk. He’s been gone since December, 1999.

My favorite medium is oil paint and the subject I feel the most confidence in undertaking is portraits. I love painting landscapes, seascapes and wildlife too and they are actually more exciting to me because they are a more difficult challenge. I enjoy applying paint with an impasto effect, both with brushes and a pallet knife. For most landscape paintings, I don’t start out with any pencil or charcoal sketch, but instead, start immediately with a bush, making a few general placement marks. When I paint a portrait, I start out with a rough pencil sketch, refining the portrait as I paint. If I create an oil painting portrait from life, I start out with a brush, just like a landscape, making a few general locator marks.

Currently, in my gallery/studio, I offer commission portraits in pencil or oil, either from photo reference or from life. When creating a portrait from a photo, it usually takes me about 10 to 15 sessions, a session lasting up to two hours. This type of portrait is more of a detailed and finished oil portrait. My portraits from life are basically a one-session, two hour portrait, less detailed and more sketchy. My goal for this type of portrait is to capture the likeness and character with the least amount of brush strokes. This is my most challenging and enjoyable preference.

Last year, 2005, I was able to finally retire from my “bread & butter” job of forty years and enjoy the wonderful challenges of creating art full time. My life goal is to become a “good” artist. Thus far, I believe I have created some “fair” art. Therefore I will continue working toward becoming a good artist until the end of my path. Currently, I have paintings installed in homes resident in nine states.

I’ve told my wife and friends that when my day to die comes, I want to be painting, with a paint brush in my hand.

With Sincere & Best Regards,

Stan Hamilton

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