If you log onto Rick McClure’s Facebook page, you might think for a minute that you’ve wandered into an online Buddhism class where the teacher has become the student, asking his former pupils to critique his teaching skills. “Generous and sincere,” offered one. Another responded, “Doesn’t hesitate to share all the tips and techniques he’s spent a long career learning.” And a third asked, “Is this a trick question?” Not necessarily.

Art professionals will tell you that great art teachers share many characteristics, including passion, dedication, and perseverance. Being a great artist and a great teacher are not mutually exclusive; McClure is proof of that. “I feel I have been blessed with these two gifts: a degree of skill as a painter and the ability to communicate what I understand as a painter to others,” says the southern Oklahoma artist.

Read the full article in the November/December 2021 issue.

Cimarron Carriage House

Oil
30” by 30”

“A day of painting on the Chase Ranch near Cimarron, New Mexico, resulted in this painting of the old ranch carriage house. The two ladies who owned and ran the ranch were truly gracious and very interesting to say the least.”

Moonlight Mood

Oil
24” by 36”

“After years of painting the low country in full daylight, I wanted to try my hand at capturing the quiet stillness of a moonlit summer evening on the marsh. Color harmony and mood was my goal in this piece.”