Get to Know the RAA Art Show Judge- Beth Stebbins

The judge for our show will be Beth Stebbins.
She is a magazine illustrator and has illustrated two books. She has been an art teacher and a tutor. She was awarded the obsidian cross – the highest honor of the Chris McCandless Educational Foundation for a portrait painting. Her mediums include pen-and-ink, Japanese colors, watercolor, pastel, pencil, textile art, embroidery and sculpture in Sculpey, and oils. She is currently attending the College of Business at the University of Wisconsin Superior. The following is written Ms. Stebbins.



Thoughts on Art
By Beth Stebbins

I like to get to know an artist by discovering that artist’s preferences among the masters. My method does not apply to artists in toto; for example, I would not critique the work of animal artists, such as elephants (whose works sell to collectors worldwide) in this manner. Yet, regarding most human artists, I think is amazing the things that can be learned about them and their artistic goals in this way. For example, a person who aspires to paint at the level of Claude Monet cannot be held to the standards of da Vinci. Yet, if that person achieves his goal, (in my opinion) he is just as successful as a person who aspires to paint like da Vinci.

My own paramount preference among the masters is the work of Jacques-Louis David, for his realistic historical portraits. My lifelong goal in art is to paint historical works in the neoclassical manner of Jacques Louis-David with the incredible realism skills of the modern wildlife artist Carl Brenders of Belgium.

When I look at human art, I like to think of each work in terms of the artist’s vision (spirit), hand, and eye. I think art is best when it is inspired. Inspiration, then, requires a preliminary “vision” of what the work will be. Sometimes – even when the hand cannot entirely translate the vision through the chosen medium – if the vision is powerful enough, it may still shine through. That is why the original vision is so important to an artist’s success. The “hand” means how skillful the artist is in translating his vision through his chosen medium. Has he mastered the technique? This is only important if it affects the interpretation of the vision. The “eye” means that the artist has acquired skills that can influence others to interpret the artist’s vision as closely as possible to the original vision. A famous musical artist once said that when he is creating an album he continually asks himself, “Can my audience sing along with me?” He did not mean that he merely wanted to lead the party. He meant that he realized the importance of translating his feelings through the medium of music in a way that others could interpret and relate to. Some art can be so esoteric that it only holds meaning for the artist – and not for humanity. The fact that many works by the old masters still speak to us today is the best illustration of this important concept.

Though the years, I have had my work judged harshly by other artists and competition judges. I have learned that even when a piece that I have created speaks to me, it will not endure unless it speaks to many others. Additionally, another wonderful artist once told me, “If you cannot part with what you have already created, then you are not a true professional. A true professional knows he can do better – and actually feels uncomfortable seeing any of his previous work.” He continually looks forward – to newer and better visions.