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How long have you been painting? Where did it all begin? I am a lucky man. I have been doing what I love -- painting professionally -- for 29 years. I was born and raised in the small town of Oakley, Idaho. My great grandparents helped settle the area and I feel a special connection to the people and the landscape. With artists on both sides of my family tree, I grew up appreciating big landscapes and gardens. I felt like I was moving to the City of Oz when I came to New York after art school. I graduated from the Art Center College of Design in 1980 and married Cynthia Watts -- a classmate -- in the same weekend. We moved immediately to begin our careers in NYC. Four years later we relocated to the Hudson Valley to raise a family. Do you have a favorite subject for your paintings? I developed a special love of painting plein-air landscapes over 15 years ago. My subjects come from around my home and the places I travel. I also take advantage of my backpacking adventures to capture some spectacular scenes from locations such as the Adirondacks and Yosemite. Some of my favorite painting experiences have been during those focused hours spent recording views from amazing places. I love gardening and I am always drawn to flora when I am outdoors. My goal while painting outdoors is to capture beauty with an economy of work and immediacy of gesture. I often charge my artistic batteries by going on "paint-outs". These outdoor paintings influence my indoor work reminding me to let watercolor be watercolor and balance the controlled and accidental processes that make watercolor unique. I try to keep an update of my plein-air work on my blog. What experiences have shaped your life? I have had incredible opportunities to travel the western United States and Western Europe and I love New York City. We spend a lot of time in New York and are always on the lookout for Art, Music and cultural events of many kinds. I have also had the pleasure of being involved with vocal music performance groups and have performed at Carnegie Hall with Camerata-Chorale. My wife and I have recently taken an interest in a vocal jazz ensemble called River Jazz. My 14-year involvement with the Rhinebeck-Rheinbach Exchange program has been extremely rewarding. This program takes 100 high school students to Germany to perform music and tour Rheinbach, the sister city of New York's Rhinebeck. We then host 100 German students in our homes the following year. In addition, my love of the outdoors has grown significantly through my leadership in Boy Scout Troop 222. I truly have a rich life and try to take advantage of the flexibility that freelancing affords me. Are you embarking on any new artistic ventures? Over the past three years I have helped to establish a new company called Living Celebrations: Life is a Masterpiece. Living Celebrations captures people's life stories and celebrates them through story and art. The Masterpiece process includes interviewing the celebrant to help them remember those special times in their lives and to determine their life passions. It also includes meeting with a creative team of artists, craftsmen, writers, designers, bookbinders, project managers, etc. Through these steps, the team creates an heirloom artistic biography -- a person's story in both visual and written form. This has been significant work for me as an art director. What has been most rewarding about your career? I consider myself fortunate to make a living doing what I love. From childhood I have been an artist. To see and study great art and to be able to paint nearly every day for a wide variety of clients has never gotten old. Painting also allows me the freedom to fill my days with my family. My wife -- who is also my best friend -- and I have raised three wonderful children. I am truly grateful for this amazing life.
Bradley Clark, Watercolorist and Illustrator Bradley Clark is a traditional watercolor painter & illustrator with a reputation for creating paintings filled with light and color. He uses realism and romantic landscape to create images that immediately make a connection with viewers. As a freelance illustrator, Bradley takes on an array of projects including book covers, travel images, magazine illustration, product packaging, advertising campaigns, and licensing decorative images.
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