Art that looks good enough to eat? Yes, please! We’re thrilled to feature master painter, Noah Verrier, for this month’s Artist Interview! My boss, Linda Wehrli, and I have been admiring his work on Instagram for years. Linda loves his use of “Rembrandt” and otherwise subdued palettes for his subjects. A recent post revealing this hamburger painting caught our eye (and stomachs) – we just had to contact him for an interview. He gladly accepted! So sit back, grab your favorite winter beverage, and enjoy the read.

“Wine and Cheetos”

JLS. What is your style of painting referred to? For our art students, would you please describe what this style means or represents?

NV. Painterly realism. Paintings that are loose in some way when painted, showing brushwork.

JLS. Love that loose, painterly style. Much of your paintings feature delicious food. What is the story or inspiration behind your choice of subject matter? Do you create the paintings off the top of your head or work from still life?

NV. I work from life and always look for inspiration in my everyday life.

“Club Sandwich”

JLS. Very cool! I understand you have an art wall calendar available for purchase on Amazon. How fun! How did you come up with this idea, and do you plan on making books or other print materials?

NV. I worked with a book publisher so they reached out to me to create and sell my calendars.

JLS. Nice! May I ask, are you represented by any art galleries? For our students, what do you believe are the pros and cons of gallery representation?

NV. Sometimes I do work with them. I usually prefer to represent myself and market myself through social media. Galleries can connect you with their audience. Con is they take a larger portion of sales income.

JLS. Thanks for the insight. Indeed! Our students are interested in the latest tools of the trade. May I please inquire, what is your preference for paints and brushes? Do you use oils or acrylics? Do you paint on canvas board, panels, or…? Do you finish with a varnish or leave as is?

NV. I don’t just use one brand. I like M. Graham, Winsor & Newton, and Gamblin. For brushes, I use mongoose or similar and hog bristle, also white nylon smaller brushes. I paint on hard board hand-prepped and also hand-prepped canvas. I use spray varnish.

“Shake Shack”

JLS. Good to know. Linda also recommends Winsor & Newton for her Oil Painting 301 Course. We love that brand! If you don’t mind my asking, at what age did you realize you wanted to be a professional artist?

NV. Very early, maybe 7.

JLS. Wow! You knew it from the beginning. 🙂 Did anyone try to talk you out of venturing into an art profession? If so, how did you handle it?

NV. Yes, constantly, but I loved it and would not give up.

“Espresso Martini & Uncrustable”

JLS. Inspiring. Did you study art in college, attend masterclasses or are you self-taught? What are the pros and cons of studying at a university vs. self-taught? Were any masterclasses memorable? With whom did you study?

NV. I studied at FSU for both my BFA and Masters degrees. Finding good instruction was important for me and some universities have good instructors. Being self taught might not cover all of the needed skills.

JLS. Impressive! I understand you were a former Art Professor. Where did you teach, and do you currently teach any workshops via Zoom or in-person?

NV. Florida State University. I have instructional vids on Patreon and Etsy.

JLS. Awesome – we’ll check them out. What is some advice you can give the young artists studying at Pastimes?

NV. Take lessons. Practice a lot. Don’t give up. Look around you for inspiration constantly.

“Fillet-O-Fish”

JLS. Sound advise. Thanks! Do you have a favorite quote or mantra you turn to for inspiration?

NV. The Holy Spirit is my inspiration. As a Christian, I rely on him.

Beautiful! Thank you Noah, for this insightful and engaging interview!

Want to learn more about this fantastic artist? Check out his website, Instagram, Facebook page and YouTube channel.

We hope you enjoyed this month’s Artist Interview blog! Curious to learn how to draw? Pastimes offers an Intro to Drawing with Graphite Course. Set up a free consultation today!

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Pastimes For a Lifetime Art and Piano School is located in Valley Glen, California. 818-766-0614. School is open Tuesday – Saturday year round, except major holidays.

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