babette_grunwald

Herbert Berman

Painter

When I start a new work, I feel like a juggler constantly trying to balance all the elements that, if successful, will lead to a good painting. My paintings are about light, and the challenge of interpreting what I see.
Most of my work is done in my studio, where I can control the light source. How light falls on an object, the shadow it casts, how reflected light behaves, and how all the pieces in the painting relate to each other, are the questions I must answer while painting.
I find I get results I want with oil or acrylic paint. I do not draw on a new canvas. I start by applying paint, and the drawing emerges as I progress. After experimenting with other styles, I found that realistic painting in the tradition of the old masters, works best for me.
The art instructors that ihnfluenced me the most were, Daniel Greene, David Leffel, Jacob Collins, Gregg Kreutz, and Ted Seth Jacobs.
I moved from New York City to Corvallis, Oregon in 1996. My studio is in my new home at 457 SW Butterfield Place, and I am currently teaching art there. I am also the artist-in-residence at the Forrest Temple Gallery, Corvallis, Oregon
Thanks to the influence of Leffel and Kreutz, I do not waste time when I am doing a portrait. I can finish a simple portrait in oils in one session; about two hours.