Workshop concentrates on 'Tricks of Trade'

An oil painting workshop held this past week at Louise Mellon's studio in Aiken allowed artists a chance to improve their skills by learning the "Tricks of the Trade" from internationally renowned equestrian artist Booth Malone.

"Tricks of the Trade," the American Academy of Equine Art oil painting workshop, concentrated on brush work and finesse work, shortcuts and how to get from A to Z rather than placing an emphasis on painting 101, said Malone.

"You can learn to be better at any sort of painting," he said. "If you want to be a better horse artist, the idea is to be a better artist. We paint many things that aren't horses, that the artist can take back to their own studios and apply to horse paintings."

And, more often than not, it's the details that make a significant difference in an artist's work, said Malone.

"Sometimes it's just experimentation in how to render wet skies," the artist said. "How do you render a tree in fog? It's those things that start to separate the amateurs from the professionals in painting. Plenty of people can paint horses, but they can't put them in an environment that people recognize."

The workshop provided Malone the opportunity to share his perspective with the other artists, a group that was composed of nine, with half of the participating artists in the class being local.

The class size was ideal, as it gave the other artists an opportunity to gather around Malone while he was painting and to see how he mixes paint. The smaller group allowed Malone a chance to give each artist taking the workshop the individual attention they deserved, he said.

"It's making sure that these artists see with the same kind of eyes that I do," said Malone. "I'm constantly looking. I take walks with the idea of seeing what's beautiful in the world. I'm up before dawn. The prettiest time of day is when the sun is coming up."

Mellon's art studio served as the perfect venue for the workshop, said Malone.

"There are few places in the country that have the facilities that Louise has," said Malone. "There couldn't be a better place for it."

Ben Baugh covers the equestrian beat for the Aiken Standard. Among the awards Baugh has won include the 2003 Raleigh Burroughs Award as the turf writer making the most impact on the Florida Thoroughbred Industry. Baugh is a member of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association, worked for North America's leading Thoroughbred breeder Adena Springs in Ocala, Fla., and interned at Thoroughbred Racing Communications in New York, N.Y.