Mitsuno Reedy has long been a shining star in the art firmament of Oklahoma; her portraits are in hot demand at the top government and corporate level and her paintings hang in the State Capitol’s permanent collection. Clearly, she is doing something right. But a couple of years ago she confessed to feeling a little stuck. She wanted to improve, to grow and refresh her already considerable craft.
So she went back to school.
At a time of life when most folks retire, Mitsuno enrolled in a rigorous 4-year program at a Philadelphia atelier, pursuing an academic, classical art education. She put everything in storage, rented her house, and drove east to become, as she put it, “a true artist”.
Two years into her studies, her work has grown by leaps and bounds. There’s a new power in her hands and her work is glorious. “As artists, our mission is to see what no one else can see”, she said in her painting workshop in OKC today, where a group of us struggled with the classically radical oil painting technique. Tomorrow we’ll tackle figure painting. Hard to say what’s more inspiring: painting with Mitsuno, or Mitsuno herself.
Happy Friday.
(Raw umber thinned with turpentine applied with a long-handled #4 filbert held out at the end of the arm like a fencer’s épée.)
Drawing The Motmot 
Wonderful! Love it!
Thanks for sharing a great story! I looked at Mitsuno’s portraits – they’re amazing!
I thoroughly enjoyed this Post. I hadn’t come across Mitsuno before and it was interesting to see something new – so thank you for the link to her page. Your sketch of the drawing demo is delightful.
Oh my and go girl! I’d have such a time as still life’s bore me to death as a subject. How to paint and become part of something with no love attached to it? Perhaps not putting a name to anything and going for the shapes and angles would help! Can’t wait to see more of your workshop studies 🙂
Reblogged this on chataboutart and commented:
Wow, lovely sketches.