Twins by Faye Christian Phillips. 16 x 20, oil

In October of last year, Faye Christian Phillips stumbled upon several daily-painting blogs and after studying their archives she could SEE the artistic growth from this. “So, I decided to try it myself”, stated Faye. Her goal in creating this daily painting blog is to share her work with her blog readers, and exchange ideas and insight along the way. The way it works is a reader can register their email address with her feedburner service, which in turn automatically sends out each new painting each day it is posted and she is still going strong! “I am often asked if I ever have a problem finding something to paint everyday but actually the opposite is true. I have too many ideas about what I want to study in paint”, said Faye.

Faye Christian Phillips was born in Tennessee, and grew up sketching, painting, reading about art and artists. She studied art as well as psychology in college at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. She moved to Bowling Green in 1995 when her husband was invited to join the Bowling Green Medical Clinic. When her third and youngest child entered kindergarten, Faye decided to study art again.

Ms Phillips has since taken watercolor and oil classes beginning with Nell Peperis class through community education and for a couple of years at Cheekwood in Nashville. Additionally, she has attended workshops in Nashville, Asheville, Scottsdale, Chattanooga, Santa Fe and more including study under twenty five master artists including Peggy Kroll-Roberts, Kenn Backhaus, Jeannie Mackenzie, Kim English, Jove Wang, and two weeks ago, she had the opportunity to study with Kevin Macpherson in Taos, NM.

Faye explained, “I paint in a contemporary realist style and have been inspired by many artists. When I was young, my 5th grade teacher assigned a research paper on a country of our choice. I chose Italy and ended up with an entire scrapbook full of information I had gathered, mostly about the art, the Renaissance, and Michelangelo. I am also inspired by many artists living today, including Kevin Macpherson. What makes him stand out to me is that he is gifted not only in making art but no one explains it more succinctly. He has written a couple of books Fill Your Paintings with Light and Color, and “Landscape Painting In and Out. Both stressing the importance of painting from life everyday, a commitment, he argues, that is guaranteed to provide rapid growth as well as mastery of brushwork, composition, color relationships and texture. I admit I couldn’t imagine making such a commitment as he suggested until I studied the archives of a few daily painters’ blogs. And once I could for myself the artistic growth he promised, I knew I had to try it! So, eight months ago, I began a daily painting blog thinking it would be a good way to share my work with family and friends who were always asking “what are you working on now?” But what I didn’t know is that I would make so many new artist friends in the blogging community. Since October 2007 when I began, I have gained several hundred regular reader-subscribers from all across the world including Mexico, Scotland, South Africa, Austria, Morocco, Canada, Germany, and Finland. We have exchanged suggestions, critiques, and ideas and it has been such a lovely discovery. In March, I participated in a worldwide virtual exhibit featuring DOORS where bloggers posted photos, poems, paintings and musings of the meanings and significance of doorways. As artist Frank Gardner of Mexico explained “There is something intriguing about doors. Doors are all over the world. Doors lead somewhere. They keep things in, they keep things out. Doors have histories, stories, mystery. Let’s share some.” I have enjoyed learning about other cultures firsthand from these other artists/photographers/writers/friends, and find it makes the world a smaller place to have discovered such a diverse art community”.

Ms. Phillips has posted over 200 paintings since making that daily painting commitment in October, and continues to enjoy the journey. In addition to the feedback she receives, she also revels in the fact that there are no rules about the daily painting/posting and is free to make changes as she discovers new ideas, or simply wants to go in a new direction. She varies her subject matter which also keeps the challenge fresh for her. “But regardless if I am painting still life, figure or landscape, the subject I am drawn to is always light, how it hits the form and models the subject, so it can never become boring”, stated Faye.

In addition to the daily painting, Faye said she also has enjoyed meeting with local artists Marian Pascuta, Rhonda Hartis Smith, Angela Kuprion, and Allison Bacovillard and going out to paint en plein air. “We have a lot of fun challenging each other, and I would encourage young art students to find mentors who are willing to offer feedback, inspiration and support in the way these artists have done for me”, stated Ms. Phillips.

Faye added, “Our newly formed local group ArtWorks is a great resource for artists looking to get acquainted with, and share ideas with others. Bowling Green has a large number of talented painters, sculptors, musicians, performers, etc. and I am honored to live here and be a part of such a talented arts community”.

Faye has shared her daily paintings locally too. Last month, she took fifty of the daily paintings to The Gallery at Lot 916 for a month long exhibit there, and said she looks forward to a second show at the gallery this November. She stated, “The owners, Lynn O’Keefe and Melissa Walblay do a terrific job promoting and supporting the arts in BG, and were most gracious to host to an ArtWorks exhibit there earlier this year. Lynn is also a terrific writer who has contributed her expertise to the SOKY magazine. Next, in the summer of 2009, I am honored to participate in a three-woman show at The Capitol Arts Houchen’s Gallery”.

You can view her blog and get a look at her paintings on her website: http://faye-christian-phillips.blogspot.com/ or email her at: fayzin@insightbb.com

Ronnie Jaggers has been a master crafter and fine artist for years. Her work can be seen on Chiseled-Features.com. She reminds other artists “Trust the beauty of your art, for if you see the beauty, others will too.” To be considered for the featured artist call Ronnie at 791-3505 or email ronnie@chiseled-features.com