Most influential artists (deceased):
- Caravaggio (a bit gruesome but I love his lighting)
- Carl Bloch (Christ by the Pool of Bethesda is my favorite painting on so many levels and I recently had a chance to stare at the HUGE canvas in person in the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University. Wow.)
- John WIlliam Waterhouse (Mariamne was another huge mural viewed at another exhibition at BYU and--so impressed by the brushwork, composition, technique, and use of light to emphasize the story)
- Laszlo and Sargeant, of course
Most influential artists (living):
- Marvin Mattleson because although I've not been fortunate enough to take his classes (yet), his website was my very first painting teacher. He doesn't even know that finding him on the web was the reason I had the courage and inspiration to pick up art again.
- Most certainly William Whitaker--not only because he has been my only access to formal painting training, but because he's been inspirational on a personal level as well. (One of his teachers, Alvin Gittins, was remarkable too although lesser known)
- Molly Williams and Emily Gordon, fellow students of Bill who have unique but very inspirational styles. Molly has a gift for depth in her paintings and Emily's patience is astounding.
- Chris Saper and Michele Rushworth, whom I've admired from afar for their professionalism.
- Many others on this forum who so willingly share their experience with the rest of us.
I probably have a million more, but these ones definitely mark more of my turning points in my painting career so far.