I am a retired engineering professor and a novice painter, having just been introduced to the art community early this Spring. The underpinnings of engineering - especially mechanical engineering - require an understanding of mathematics and the ability to visualize and represent three dimensional objects. The development of computer graphics and computer aided design certainly makes it easier. It is one thing, however, to be able to mathematically model and represent visual models in three dimensions with the aid of the computer, but I found it was another matter completely to be able to create and paint realistic scenes on canvas from scratch.
I always had an interest in art but didn't brave art lessons until this March (2008). During my first few lessons I became so discouraged that I came close to walking out on the teacher. She was determined, however, to "round my engineering corners" and within a few weeks had me painting my first oil painting. I was hooked! By the end of the summer I had painted four subjects that I could be proud to show. Nothing I had ever done as an engineering professor gave me the satisfaction that painting did.
Because of an engineering background I found it fairly easy to create shapes. However, paint was by far the biggest and most frustrating medium I had ever encountered in my entire career. I found it difficult to create the range and tone of colors that I wanted, not to mention the difficulty of getting the oils to respond and behave the way I wanted them to. I thought that I had 'hit the wall' with my short-lived painting career. In October of 2008 I attended the Savannah College of Art & Design's Art Materials Show and met Lance and Brandi Main and their Occhuzzie Paint Company based in Charlotte, NC. Suddenly I was back in the more familiar technology world and learning about paint chemistry and paint mechanics, i.e., how do you get paint to move the way YOU want it to? There are underlying concerns regarding temperature, viscosity, adhesion, smoothness, reflectivity, resistance to fading and resistance to cracking. I confronted many of these material characteristics with white paint alone while trying to paint semi-transparent and translucent feathers of a snowy white egret in flight.
I have read other Occhuzzie testimonials and completely agree with their assessments on paint quality and reliability, on the handmade, beautifully vibrant colors, the great texture and Occhuzzie's bold venture into ground graphite and charcoal. And getting paint from jars is absolutely user friendly and very convenient. (I now try to stay away from cumbersome tubes.) But what interests me most about this family owned company is the great lengths they go to cordially answer ANY question you might have or make a concerted effort to find the answer for you. As a former research engineer, I am now developing an interest in the technology that's behind providing us 'oilers' with exceptional and professional grade materials. If you're like me, once you start dealing with the Mains you become a member of 'the family' and the frustrations inherent in dealing with this medium begin to fade. There are so many aspect about paint that I am learning from this young couple that it is hard for me to think of paint as .... well, just paint!
Dick Garrett
Beaufort, SC
As a mechanical engineer (retired) I was able to do mechanical drawings and enjoyed the drawing and shading. But as far as painting artistically, I 'knew' I would never be able to do so. I had always admired artists with the talent to express themselves through this medium. Earlier this year I became interested in photography and joined the Photography Club of Beaufort, SC, at the persuasion of the organizer of the club, Sandy Dimke. As it was, she turned out to be the guru who got me interested in the arts in general here in Beaufort.
In March I took a risk (for an engineer) and started art lessons with a talented local artist, Christine Bates. During the first lesson in charcoal I became so discouraged that I almost walked out on her. She was determined to "round my engineering corners" and within four weeks she had me painting my first painting - Tulips in Reflection - and I was hooked! The hardest part was to learn how to take criticism and count it as being constructive. By the end of the summer I had painted a representation of clear glassware, painted a statue of the Greek Goddess Artemis, and painted our son Dave on a Wave in Southern California. Nothing I had ever done as an engineering professor or as an athlete ever gave me the satisfaction that painting does, and it's a feeling that must be akin to individuals that feel 'born again'. No one, least of all myself, would have ever thought I would be presently painting a Christmas present for our two-year-old granddaughter, Riley. I'm trying to capture on canvas the excitement of one of her early trips to a beach where she witnessed her first jumping dolphins.
The ancillary benefits of this new hobby are several. First of all I need not concentrate on how my work is received by others. It just doesn't matter as much as the pleasure I get from doing it - certainly a departure from conducting engineering designs or analyses. Secondly, I can now happily share the feeling of being a part of the local art community where wife Gladys is a performing tap dancer. And lastly, as a former research engineer, I am developing an overlapping interest in the technology behind and within the art paint companies whose mission is to provide us with exceptional and professional grade media. Not bad for an old timer.
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