PRIVATE
SHOWINGS

Scott Burdick

I really do experiment a lot. And right now, I really feel that a lot of what I've been doing up to this point has been more learning, and now I really want to start painting some things I've had in mind for a long time [that have] more of a story to them. That's some-thing I've always wanted to do. I dod really think that in portraits or landscapes -- in simpler paintings with just one person -- you can get just as much of a story. But I want to get even more of that into portraits. [When I] try to put that together with the technical aspects of painting is when, to me, I get a successful painting -- technical as well as getting the stroy across. I feel now I'm starting to get to the paoint where I'm able to [tell those stories] because when you're in school, just drawing something accurately, and getting the right color [are your goals]. It's like writing: You've got to learn grammar and spelling before you can really express yourself.

I'd say Waterhouse, Sorolla, Sargent, N.C. Wyeth, Richard Schmid, those are some of my favorites. There's many more. My walls are just filled with prints and post cards and things from magazines of artists I like. [Nicholai] Fechin -- I love Fechin, too. In fact this particular portrait is from what I call my Fechin stage. I really studied his technique. Richard [Schmid] wanted me to take the artists who I like and take a couple of months and study their techniques, one after another.

BY ALLISON CAMPBEL