Who Is Winslow Fitch, My Studio Assistant?

This post introduces Winslow Fitch, my studio assistant. Every artist has that one voice in the back of their mind — the one that critiques, encourages, questions, and occasionally sighs dramatically when you choose the “wrong” shade of blue. I decided to give mine a name.
His name is Winslow Fitch, and he has… thoughts.
Winslow arrived in my studio the way most characters do. Slowly at first, then all at once. One moment he was a passing joke in a conversation, and the next he had a full personality, a résumé, and a growing list of opinions about my color choices.
He’s the kind of gentleman who would straighten a crooked frame with a single raised eyebrow and then ask if I’m quite sure that’s the composition I intended.
And honestly? I adore him already.

Winslow’s First On‑Camera Appearance

Over the past few weeks, Winslow has become a sort of creative mascot — part muse, part critic, part theatrical narrator of my artistic chaos. He’s the patron of “constructive commentary,” the keeper of dry wit, and the unofficial supervisor of my brushstrokes.
Today, I’m finally introducing him to the world.
Below is Winslow’s first on‑camera appearance — a brief, dignified moment that captures him better than any paragraph could. A gentle nod, a subtle smile, and the unmistakable expression of someone quietly evaluating my entire artistic life.

Winslow will be popping up in future posts, newsletters, and even the occasional Facebook comment. Think of him as the studio’s resident narrator — the voice that says what we’re all thinking, but with better diction and a more distinguished posture.
If you’ve followed my work for a while, you know I love weaving story into everything I create. Winslow is the next chapter of that — a character who lets me share the behind‑the‑scenes moments with humor, honesty, and a little theatrical flair.

More Winslow Fitch studio assistant moments are coming soon. He insists on it.

For more future antics from Winslow Fitch, feel free to friend me on Facebook.

Windberg Style Bluebonnet Painting

In this prior blog post https://hagermanart.com/blog/dalhart-windberg-a-recollection/ I wrote  about famed Texas Artist Dalhart Windberg and how he had an early influence on my art. Early on I tried to emulate his style, before embarking on my own way of painting.

After 30 plus years, I decided to try out the technique he employed once again in this Windberg Style Bluebonnet Painting.

It’s not as flawless in it’s smoothness as Windberg’s but then again, he had many years to hone his skills in applying this smooth brush style of painting. This painting is 8×10 and was painted on a prepared cradled panel.

If you’re not familiar With Dalhart Windberg’ his work, here is an example. It was fun revisiting this technique and I may just have to try it out once again!

Dalhart Windberg: A Recollection

The following is a recollection of the early influence that artist Dalhart Windberg  had on my art.

I was around 8 years old when I first became aware of famed Texas artist Dalhart Windberg during the mid 1970’s. My aunt who was quite talented and painted as a hobby and my uncle, collected Windberg prints. During a family visit, my aunt was showing my mother their print collection and I wanted to see it too. Even at this young age my interest in art was already quite high. My eyes became glued to the works as my aunt carefully unveiled each print. Windberg’s atmospheric qualities and little hidden details so characteristic of his work captivated my attention. This was probably my first real experience in seeing another persons art and I wanted to paint like that I thought to myself. The image below was one of the prints.

Dalhart Windberg’s “Contentment”

My Introduction to Oil Paints

My aunt must have taken notice of my interest in painting and a couple of years later bought me a starter set of oil paints as a gift. The first attempts were clumsy to say the least and I didn’t pursue it much until a couple of years later when a family friend and artist C. L. Curry began teaching lessons.  Thankfully my parents agreed to the lessons and at the age of 12 I regularly attended the weekly 3 hour class. Soon the clumsiness that I first experienced with oil paints had passed.

Meeting Windberg

Soon after this time at the age of 13, Dalhart was having a print signing in Houston, TX where we were living and was also showing a few original works. My father took me to see him. There was a long line to wait for him to autograph my copy of his first biography book “In The Path of the Masters” printed in 1978. While standing in line I overheard the conversation of a couple standing in front of me. One gentleman was describing one particular work of Windberg to the other about a night scene that he liked, but couldn’t remember the title. I spoke up and said: “Nocturnal Harmony!” The man turned to look at me with a very surprised look on his face. “That’s it!” he said in a voice of disbelief. I don’t think he expected a skinny little 13 year old to know that. But, I did. I liked that painting too.

Nocturnal Harmony

Soon I was standing in front of the artist whose work I first admired several years before. He signed my book and then I viewed for the first time some of his original paintings. They were even more beautiful in person. There was still a long line of people waiting to see the artist and have their prints and books autographed, so I had to move along. I could have stared at those painting for a long time.

Another Meeting

In 1984 another opportunity to meet the artist was in Midland, TX. He was having a showing of works at a local bank with artists Mark Pettit and Daryl Trott. I had purchased his first instruction book on his painting technique and wanted him to sign it. I took my aunt along who also had a copy. This time I got to spend quite a bit of time talking with him and even got to show an example of one of my paintings. It surprised my aunt who had never seen me talk so much as my inclination is to be rather reserved and quiet. But, when it comes to talking art, I can chatter with the best of them. The encounter ended with Dalhart giving me his business card and the invitation to contact him.

Visiting Windberg at His Home

About a year later, I mailed some photos of recent work to hopefully get a critique or some advice. I followed up with a phone call to see if he got the photos. He received them, but he told me it was hard to tell much from the photos and was there anyway for me to bring some of my paintings to his home so he could look at them….nope, not a chance, couldn’t possibly do that…yea right, I was already packing my bags.

I drove several hundred miles to his home in Austin, TX where he lived at the time. By now I had my driving license. Dalhart took me to dinner at nearby cafe where we ate and talked art. I was shown great hospitality from him and his wife Evelyn. I spent the night in the guest room and the next day was able to watch him paint in his studio. A funny moment was when while watching him paint, I noticed that some elements with a similar shape in the painting lined up in a row. I spoke up and pointed it out. Thankfully, I wasn’t thrown out onto the street. No, he was very gracious and admitted that I was right. He then corrected the area. Later, he told me; “I can’t teach you to paint. You already know how to do that. But, I can teach you how to get a more professional look to your paints.” Thus he shared from his experience some of the technical aspects of painting with me. What a privilege.

For a considerable time after that I tried to follow his technique from reading his instruction book. Then in 1987 I was invited to spend a day or two in Fredericksburg, TX where Dalhart was teaching a workshop. Again, I accepted the invitation and took along one of my paintings. By this time my work was receiving comments from others that they looked like Windberg’s! Dalhart even showed the painting I brought as an example to some of the other students in his workshop. One of those students later took a few art lessons from me!

But, as time went on and as appreciation for other art styles and my artistic knowledge about various techniques grew, I now had the desire to find my own look and style. I’m happy to say I feel I have, but I’m still ever grateful to the advice and experience of Dalhart Windberg who became one of several early influences on my art. All receive a heartfelt thanks for sharing their time and expertise.

Painting a Mural

Of late, I’ve received several different projects that were out of the ordinary, one is painting a mural for the Haystacks restaurant in Sulphur Springs, TX. The subject matter isn’t different as it consists of a Texas landscape, but it’s in a panoramic format of a little over 18 foot in length by about 4 and half foot high.

New Materials to Try Out!

To paint  the mural, I’ve abandoned oil paints for mural paint and fluid acrylics. The combination seems to be working out well. I started with a small sketch that I gridded off and then mostly free handed the sketch with a large graphite pencil, followed by washes of Burnt Umber Acrylic to establish the scene. Afterwards the work begins of adding color.

Here’s a little short video. I’ll post more on painting a mural.

In this short oil landscape painting demonstration, I hope to highlight a general procedure that I use in all my work whether it’s highly detailed or more painterly.

The first step is to sketch my scene onto canvas using thinned down ultramarine blue and a small brush. The ultramarine blue color is easy to wipe off and over paint without it showing through. My first marks of color is generally going to be my darkest mass area. In this case the large tree.

Generally I will paint the areas directly adjacent to the big tree to compare my values, but I departed from this by going to the next largest mass putting in the water. Notice how the color becomes lighter in the back and darker towards the front. The lighter blue color in the back has some Phthalo Blue and white with increasing Ultramrine towards the front and with the addition of Permanent Rose for more of a deep violet cast.

Now colors of the land are put in. Again notice how the color intensity diminishes off into the distance to create depth. This is called atmospheric perspective.

Now the colors can be compared to the darks in the larger tree.

Now the sky is started. In this case the color was first applied nearest the horizon with a pinkish cast. The sky color Phthalo blue and Ultramarine. More Ultramarine at top and more Phthalo blue and white. Over all value is also lighter than the water, as water has a tendency to reflect the sky darker and it’s influenced by the depth of the water and what lies underneath.

With the sky completed, it’s time to let the painting dry. Once dry details and refinements are added to all areas.

It becomes a matter of personal decision on how much or how little detail you desire, whether you want it more impressionistic or more detailed. Under my Byron Signature I opt somewhere in between, depending on my mood.

To learn more about painting, contact me regarding my Zoom art classes. This allows you to take a class wherever you are!

Here’s a brief video with a bit of up close views.

Thanks for stopping by and viewing my brief oil landscape painting demonstration. All my best.

William

PS. This painting as of 6/25/2021 is available via my eBay auction. Direct link to auction page. Be sure to first sign into your eBay account to bid!

More new art products!

Art Gifts and Prints

Do you wish to find a gift featuring great looking landscape art? I have a new category of products on my Shop Page that features art gifts and prints fulfilled by Fine Art America featuring my Byron Signature Work.

There’s a good selection to choose from with more art to come. Here are just a few of the items on which my art can be printed on, including phone cases, coffee mugs, framed prints, stationary, greeting cards and even throw pillows with my art!

It’s a great way to have art on more than just your walls. Check out all the selections!  Also will soon be adding to the selection some of my photography!

Painting vs Photos

In this post, I’d like to share the difference between photographic resources and painting from such. As an artist the photo can be an invaluable resource in recording information. However, it never sees what your own eye sees and to paint exactly what is seen in a photo can diminish the impact of what could otherwise be a wonderful painting. The light and dark values and colors in a photo are not true. The following will illustrate.

Autumn is a wonderful time for gathering photo material. I just wished it lasted longer. However, in the photos below you will see my own photos of 3 scenes that became paintings.

Photos provide the necessary information, but you have to learn to use your artistic eyes to make it into a painting.

This scene had potential. The country road and the trees were pleasing, but it lacked enough color.

Here’s the painting based on the photo above. It’s called Return of Autumn, an 18×24 $3500.00 under by William Hagerman Signature work. (it’s for sale via eBay.)

Return of Autumn 18×24 oil by William Hagerman $3500 copyright 2020

So what do you think in this Painting vs Photo?  A painting allows for artistic expression and provide more color than any photo.

In this example I was drawn to the color of the tree and the effect of light and shadow.

However, the scene needed to be tweaked. Just because something is in a photo, doesn’t mean you have to include it. Think about your composition. So what do you think in the painting vs photo?

Autumn Light and Shadow 8×10 Byron Signature oil painting copyright 2020

And finally another recent photograph. I liked the cluster of trees and the slight slope of the land on the right. Again, there’s potential, but it needed more.

In the painting below the coloration in the trees were enhanced and more vegetation in the grasses were added for interest.

So, what do you like best; photo or painting? Hopefully this comparison will help you realize that photos are only good for reference, not to copy verbatim. Choose the best parts of your photos and make it your own. Hope you liked this little Painting vs Photos usage tip.

By the way these paintings are currently on eBay as either an auction or fixed price. You can access all via my user profile.

Thank you and take care!

Painting Better Landscapes. Now there’s a topic I’ve always been interested in and if you’re here reading this, perhaps you are too.

Early on in my art development I was always on the search for books to help with painting better landscapes and the art of oil painting in general. However, when faced with so many choices a statement made thousands of years ago by a wise king came to mind, who said: “To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.”  Agreed.

As time passed, some of those collected art books ended up in garage sales. Others have survived having been deemed worthy of keeping. So I’m sharing one in particular that has survived all these years and one that I still refer to from time to time. The book can still be found on Amazon.

The title is: Painting Better Landscapes: Specific Ways to Improve Your Oils written by Margaret Kessler. You can see it on Amazon here. This is not an affiliate link. Simply sharing where you can find it.  The image shown is the back of the book and highlights some of the contents it contains. Hope you benefit from this same book as I have. There’s a few more and perhaps those will be shared in another post.

Do you have a favorite art book on landscape paintings? Please share by commenting. 🙂

Well, I’ve started running out the gate for 2020 and have 5 new eBay artwork auction pieces that need a new home!

You can access the auction pieces from my profile page or here.

Here’s a preview of theses gems! I also do commission pieces!

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