In October of 2010, in my Joie de Vivre blog, I published a post on the history of trompe l'oeil painting, which garnered a lot of interest. It is a subject dear to my heart, as I devote most of my painting time to the exacting art of trompe l'oeil.
I have been asked what I find so fascinating about this style, and the answer is simple: challenge, challenge, and more challenge. I labor to make my paintings look so realistic that viewers want to touch them to make sure they are actually paintings. Achieving this requires hours and hours of patience: looking, painting with tiny brushes, looking again, removing paint, correcting, adding layer after layer of paints and glazes, shadows, highlights, etc. Many people would find this process tedious in the extreme (well, okay, it is)... but I am exhilarated by it! Most days, I can't wait to get a brush in my hand and repeat the same process I have done for days on end before, in order to come up with a flat surface that looks 3-D. For me, it is all about the challenging process. I get a thrill when a tiny detail of a painting suddenly jumps out as "perfect". Seeking that thrill is what makes me head back to the easel day after day.
Some of the words I have just used might seem tough to love: labor, challenge, patience, tedious, removing paint, correcting... Call me nuts, but somehow that's what I do love about it! Are there moments of pure frustration? Absolutely. But those moments only make the glee of success all the more precious.
Wow! I just found you, thanks to your sweet comment on my blog. I love this post. I totally understand you passion for trompe l'oeil painting. That's how I feel about portrait painting. I'll die trying to master that difficult art form. As Jacques Boulenger wrote, "L'art est difficile!" Can't wait to follow your stuff.
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