MENTOR

April 2025–Present

Private instruction with Phyllis Oliver, Certified Betty Edward’s Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain instructor and expert colorist. Oliver brings over 40 years of private teaching experience and previously served as Adjunct Faculty at Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Washington.

One of the most important lessons I learned as an artist was how to truly observe what I was seeing instead of what I thought I was seeing.

Studying perceptual drawing with Bakersfield artist and educator Phyllis Oliver introduced me to the concepts taught in Betty Edwards’ Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Phyllis was part of Betty Edwards’ final instructor certification program, and through her private instruction I gained skills that have had a lasting impact on my work—especially learning to see negative space and abstract shapes.

Instead of focusing on drawing a horse, a tree, or a mountain, I learned to look at the shapes around them and the relationships between those shapes. Observing negative space helped me recognize accurate proportions, angles, and placement in a way I had never experienced before. It completely changed how I observe the world.

That way of seeing continues to influence every painting I create. Whether I’m working in realism or exploring a more contemporary, atmospheric style, I begin by looking for the underlying shapes, values, and patterns of light before I think about the subject itself.

Today I often use digital tools to study compositions, simplify value patterns, crop images, and even turn reference images upside down. These exercises help me stay focused on observation rather than assumption, allowing me to create paintings that are both structurally sound and expressive.

Over the years, I’ve continued to learn through workshops, instructional videos, and independent study. Each experience has contributed to my growth as an artist, but my goal has never been to paint like anyone else. Instead, I use what I’ve learned to create work that reflects my own experiences and my appreciation for nature, atmosphere, light, emotion, and the quiet connections we find within the world around us.

Whether I’m painting from direct observation, memory, or imagination, the principles of perceptual drawing continue to guide my work. They give me the confidence to simplify forms, strengthen compositions, and create paintings that capture not just a place, but a feeling.

For me, learning to see negative space wasn’t simply another drawing technique—it changed the way I see the world. It gave me a stronger foundation for expressing not only what I observe, but also the atmosphere, emotion, and sense of peace I hope each painting conveys.