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PART II: WOGRIN INTERVIEW
Goals as a
painter
 The
best way to describe what I am trying to accomplish is to go
back to my artistic endeavors when I was an architectural
artist, bending to the will of the client, producing a
drawing of the building that is complete in every little
detail, every little mullion, every small sharp shadow. You
have freedom as far as color, but every detail is tight and
precise.
After
you do something like this for thirty years, it is difficult
to say, "Well, now I am going to be a very loose artist." A
good example is Norman Rockwell. His museum in Massachusetts
has a few samples of his oil paintings not done for
magazines. They were quite poor by comparison because his
skill as an illustrator far surpassed his skill as a fine
artist.
It's
much the same with any artist who starts in one endeavor and
then attempts to be something he has not been up to this
point. I think that describes pretty well what I was trying
to accomplish. Learning is not difficult, but unlearning is
very, very difficult. I have been going through a process of
trial and error--painting, reading, talking to
others--trying to find out who I am as an artist. That is
really all that any of us have--who am I?
I
did not want to paint like others; I wanted to paint like
myself. The only problem is, I donšt know who I am. But now
through all this trial and tribulation, I am getting to the
point where I am getting more and more comfortable all the
time with those things that I have been trying to
accomplish. It hasn't been just the lighting or any one
facet of painting, but putting it all together so that when
someone looks at a painting, they say, "Now that's a classy
piece of work, the pigments have been done beautifully, the
color is wonderful; everything about it is just
outstanding."
Now
I am beginning to feel comfortable in the fact that I know
what I am trying to accomplish. Now my concentration is on
getting people to say when pick up a painting, "Whoa, this
guy really knows what he is doing." That's what I'm
after.
I
love the mountains, I love the detail of the mountains, the
little creeks and all the rocks. What I want to be able to
do is turn around and illustrate the detail I see--all those
shadows and branches--but do it loosely, some people say
painterly, fashion, maybe that's the term I am looking
for.
(above) Elk Country, 22" x 28" and a detail from the
tree in the center of the painting (below).
I
am beginning to feel so excited about my work. I followed
one alley for awhile, and then learned how dumb I was. You
bounce around, but I feel very comfortable with this. It is
like I have been in the shoe store, and I have put on all
these shoes that feel nice at first, but then begin to pinch
your toes. Now I don't feel like that; I feel very
comfortable with this pair of shoes. I'll be here with my
style of painting for a long time, because there is a lot of
perfection I have to learn in this vein, lots to learn. Who
was it--Matisse--who passed away at age 90, and on his
deathbed said, "I am finally beginning to understand."
Who
knows, maybe. I hope I get there.
People
say, "You're lucky because you are talented." I don't know
about the talent business, but I do know this: that I am a
very privileged person because at my age I am still learning
and growing every day and so excited to get back to the
studio tomorrow. Not many people can say that.
I
have had several shows in New York City. Two years ago at
the Salmagundi Club on Fifth Avenue I received the A. E.
Labontis Klue Award for best atmospheric effect. We went
back for the presentation. It was nice to be known more on a
national basis.
It
doesn't matter how many galleries you have. What you have to
do is perfect yourself to the point that your work is
recognized to be outstanding. Without that it doesn't
matter. You must turn the corner somehow to get that
recognition from collectors and dealers that say, "This is
an outstanding artist." And this is my goal.
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