As an award-winning member of Oil Painters of America, Oklahoma native Derek Penix strongly believes an artist’s ability to paint intuitively is what makes the difference between creating a work that is technically and aesthetically pleasing versus one that has the potential to become a masterpiece.
“Watching a recent U-tube video listing the world’s 10 most expensive paintings, I observed that the common denominator for each was that none of the artists painted literally,” he says. “All changed what they saw, making it into their own world.”
This type of discernment comes naturally to one who grew up surrounded by artistic family members—mother, father, grandfather, aunts, and uncles—all either painted or were involved in fine art in some capacity.
Derek Penix
Yellow Birds
Oil
8″ x 10″
“In this painting, I had a lot of fun experimenting with texture, heavy paint, and abstractions. This is a direction that I have to continue to develop.”
Derek Penix
Grace Reading
Oil
10″ x 8″
“I enjoyed breaking this down to simple shapes and complementary colors. I plan on starting a series of figures next.”
