New book on portrait painting underway

I just sent in the first phase of my instructional book on portrait painting to my editor. I'm excited, for it's an opportunity to offer more people what I share in my workshops. It'll cover the basics (materials, for instance) as well as give step-by-step instruction on my procedure for painting children, adults, and even posthumous portraits. We're targeting to complete the book by next March. I'll keep you updated on the progress!

"If it can't be done, I'm on it." - John T. Unger

I came across John Unger's work via an announcement on Alyson Stanfield's newsletter. She extended an invitation to hear John speak regarding a lawsuit against him by a competitor who has copied his art designs and is mass-producing them as his own. Yes, it's sad, but John isn't folding, but fighting back against what he calls a viscious strong-arming by a competitor. John's made good efforts to resolve this in an amicable manner, but it seems some people are just, well, ruthless. You can read more about this story at John's site.

While reading about the lawsuit, I got to know John a bit through his "about the artist" page. I smiled when I read his comment "If it can't be done, I'm on it," for it's an outlook that is deeply rooted in my family, stemming back to my Dad and Grandpa Chambers. My kids know that the moment they say "Dad, it's impossible," they've issued a challenge. It's kind of like Marty (Michael J. Fox) in the Back to the Future movies, when he was called "chicken"; um, wrong taunt, guy. Now you've got a battle on your hands. Sounds like John Unger's the same way.

John's already invested over $50,000 into defending his copyright. If you're interested in helping him by purchasing his beautiful work, go to his website and invest in some really cool creations, like the fire pit below.