Episode 3 - How I Learned to Trust the Process - Brent Cotton

Looking for help to improve your painting skills? Join my Animal Painting Skool, where I share my entire process and members are seeing incredible results: https://www.skool.com/animal-portrait... BRENT’S LINKS http://www.cottonfinearts.com/index.html   / cottonbrent     / 297899140234009   SUMMARY In this episode, Mark interviews artist Brent Cotton about his journey and philosophy as a painter. Influenced early on by his grandmother, Brent explored various mediums and took workshops before finding his voice in oil painting. He emphasizes the importance of plein air painting for capturing mood and atmosphere and discusses the limitations of relying too heavily on photographs. Brent shares insights into the artist’s need to connect with nature and recharge creatively. The conversation also explores the business side of art: how to approach galleries, the usefulness of social media, and how to balance authenticity with market demands. Brent talks about his desire to create spiritual, uplifting work and how that focus guides his choices in subject matter, materials, and process. He shares details about his limited color palette, the use of palette knives, and his attention to permanence in materials. While not actively teaching workshops, he occasionally teaches collectors and may consider future classes. TAKEAWAYS Mentorship and learning from other artists play a key role in artistic growth Plein air painting helps artists capture authentic atmosphere and mood Photos can be helpful references, but artists must interpret and push beyond them Artistic risk-taking is essential to development and avoiding creative stagnation Time in nature refreshes creativity and adds sincerity to an artist’s work Selling art can happen through galleries, national shows, and social platforms Building relationships with the right galleries is vital for long-term success Don’t chase trends—stay true to your unique artistic voice Artistic integrity must be balanced with practical financial needs New artists should research galleries and be prepared for rejection Creating uplifting and spiritual work can deeply resonate with collectors A limited palette and palette knives can yield beautiful, textural results Prioritize lightfastness and material quality for long-lasting artwork Brent is open to future teaching opportunities though he does not currently run workshops KEYWORDS Fine artist, artist, journey, oil painting, painting, plein air, creativity, recharge, authenticity, marketing, selling, art galleries, social media, trends, balance, artistic integrity, art, painting, spirituality, beauty, palette, tools, color lightfastness, color permanence, art workshops, art show, art shows