New Website!

I have a new website. Okay, not that I had an old one but saying that I just got a website sounded so amateur. Which I am, but shhhh...don't tell anyone. Here is a link to it. And there are some new paintings. Let me know what you think, unless it's bad then just keep those thoughts to yourself. Thank you.

www.morgenthruston.com

Talent vs. Hard Work

When I was a baby, my dad taught me how to read. I seriously never knew what it was like to not read. I was also very bored in school because of it and I passed the time by discovering other talents. Drawing, school work, sports, music, sewing...you name it I was good at it. I just had loads of natural ability or talent.

Michael Naples

Then, in fourth grade I started to play the violin. I was so good that by the end of the school year I was playing second chair next to the sixth graders. First chair was 6th grader Stephanie Buckley. Who is now an opera singer in New York City, seriously. She was WAY ahead of me in ability. But by the end of my sixth grade year I was still playing second chair. Why? I didn't practice. The girl in first chair had a private teacher and she practiced EVERY DAY. Practice? What's that? I always just floated on my natural ability. Which gets me pretty far but not far enough. So what did I do? I quit the violin.

Casey Baugh

Now why do I tell you this story? Well, I have been teaching art to kids and adults. Each age group feels like they stink and they can't do it. The biggest tantrum I get is from a very talented little 7 year old who wants to paint like Michelangelo and she can't. And my sweet 70 year old student wants to quit every 5 minutes. Everyone has yucky work. Even Casey Baugh told me that he has a room full of paintings lined up against the wall that will never see the light of day.

James Christensen

I asked James Christensen one time if he ever had a hard time parting with some of his most beautiful work. He said, "A lot of my stuff doesn't really turn out the way I planned so I am glad to get rid of it."

James Christensen

He also says you need to put in ten thousand hours before you are very good.

TEN THOUSAND!

Talent can only get you so far. So, if you have been given a special talent, you better get to work!

-Morgen

p.s. If you know anyone (or yourself) who has a similar story, let me know!

Workshop with Casey Baugh

I just spent the most amazing week with artist Casey Baugh. We was very generous and talented and a great teacher. I learned so much. I can hardly wait to take his workshop again.
He has been in magazines for a few years. Like, since he was 18! This one was in The Artist's Magazine as a demo. His gallery has a page where you can see all the magazine covers he is on. Sheesh, and he is only 26.
Portrait Society of America International Competition award winner.
I think he said he was 17 when he did this one.
My favorite version of "Madame X". He is a genius. I met that model. What 'tude!
Mr. Baugh himself. What a cool portrait. He has a free video of how he painted this on his website here. She? I told you he was generous!
Love it! LOOK at those brush strokes. It looks all haphazard and loose but he plans every last brush stroke down to the last detail. Nothing is left to chance.
This one is so cool.
I love painting tulle. He and I talked about painting tulle and the other guys in the class asked, "What's tulle?" He designs every last detail- even going to the fabric store and buying tulle.
Basically it boiled down to this:

If you were to build your dream house, and you were to put that one special piece of art on the main wall in your living room, what would it be? Paint that. Work hard and plan everything. Spend more time planning than you do painting. And buy Rosemary and Co. mongoose brushes. Thank you Casey!