I am Michael L Wascher, a randomized almost-daily-painting explorer of plein air/alle prime genre motif... I laugh at those fancy words... I like painting scenes of people in non-staged, randomly captured scene of then doing real life.
I had the opportunity in October 1980 to visit the Louvre in Paris for a 10-day course on the French Impressionists. I was moved by the "market place" scenes painted on sight showing people in there real places in life, doing life, enduring day-to-day life, " such as Edward Manet's "A Bar at the Folies Berger'e", the style more generally known as "genre painting". Their style provokes the viewer to "be there", to see the light as it was and get a sense of the story as if actually there. So I changed my artist mindset to pursue this purpose, one that can never be completed as long as life occurs.
I admire so many artists able to paint fabulous compositions. For me, I prefer to capture the scene before me with the lighting and the atmosphere and let viewers of the painting be there vicariously thru the painting. While I appreciate and study the skills for developing a constructed, pointed compositions, I actually prefer the looseness and rawness of the unplanned real life source, the randomness of the capture, and, hopefully, I include the essence of the fleeting experience in the scenes I paint.
My "style" and my "artist voice" will likely always have a limited following; and even if it is only myself, that is more than enough for me. I love the experience, I was there, even seeing beauty in the mundane, so the painting become more like the post card saying "wish you were here."
I enjoy watching people just doing life. I want my scenes to depict that. I have a long way to go on this extended journey of painting... where I cannot yet see the horizon...and that to me is a very good thing!
Hope you find something of joy in my paintings. Hopefully I will get then all on the site and better presented.
Mike Wascher - Almost Daily Painter
mike@almostdailypainter.com
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Are you a painter? If not, why not? So much is available to lean it.
Consider the following of the uniqueness of these times to learn such skills:
Capturing the events of life with free-hand drawing and painting was for centuries a skill needed in every area of business and society, such as courtroom artist, reporters, graphic artist for publishing, medical illustrator, scientist journaling, etc.
Today, technology has displaced most of the business necessity of such artistry skill.
Strangely, as technology accelerates, hand-done art, especially plein air (outdoor) painting and alle prima (painting from life) has surged in popularity. As reality is more and more obscured by technology, the demand for human-touch free-hand is increasing. Ironically, technology with videos and online sharing has made it possible for anyone to learn any skill level of artistry and websites for selling outside of galleries.
I hope you are inspired to paint as well.
Email me at mike@almostdailypainter.com if you have questions. I don't charge anything for advice!
