Original Inspiration - Joahua Meador - Disney Animator - Palette Knife Painter

 Paintings in this post are by artist Joshua Meador 1911-1965

The more I teach workshops I find there are some common questions that I am asked. One of the most frequent questions is, what inspired me to start painting?

My grandparents were close friends with a Disney animator named Joshua Meador and his family. Meador, like many Disney artists, painted in his spare time. He worked in oils using a palette knife to create his paintings. My grandparents collected a great deal of his artwork.

 Paintings in this post are by artist Joshua Meador 1911-1965

If you don't know what a palette knife is, it's a metal, diamond shaped tool used for mixing, scraping off and applying paint. When used as a painting tool it creates simplified and loose style of painting.

  Joshua Meador 1911-1965

When I would visit my grandparent's house as a child I would see the dozen or so paintings that they owned by Joshua Meador. I was fascinated by the what I call the "Monet effect" in which each one of the paintings appeared to be an abstract mess up close but a few steps back each would coalesce into recognizable shapes and scenes.

Joshua Meador 1911-1965

Through the years I would visit them and every time I would find myself standing in front of his paintings trying to absorb every detail and understand how each was created. I believe that's where my love of painting began and ever since I've paid close attention to fine art, expanding my knowledge of art and artists. While I've picked up many new influences along the way, without being exposed to Joshua Meador's work I may never have started painting.

 Joshua Meador 1911-1965

A quick thank you to Patience Brewster for their kind email encouraging me to participate in Artist Appreciation Month. Patience is a talented artist and designer of handmade and handcrafted unique Christmas ornaments and gifts.

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