Genes Artistic Style

Although Gene has experimented with oils, his medium of choice is pen and ink. He uses this method most because of the detail he can achieve, which he says is an important key to making his work believable. After a subject has been chosen and sketched, he then decides whether to add color or not. He states the initial image is most important and color is of secondary importance. Besides drawing in the traditional solid line method, he also works with stippling, creating an image with a series of dots that depict shadow and form. “I really like the effect that stippling has. It’s not hard to do, it just takes so much more time, but to me it is worth it because you get an image with such a unique dimension,” stated Gene.

His peers from the Casa Grande Art Association appreciate all the dedication that goes into each of his pieces. Gene doesn’t believe in simply drawing something on paper. He must research any potential subject thoroughly before beginning his project. He spends countless hours analyzing the angles, structure, and history of his subjects. His pieces are quite detailed and accurate. Yet his pieces don’t always meet the standards he has set for himself; oftentimes a piece will be discarded into a growing pile of sketches in his studio.

Gene states Pinetop is an excellent source of inspiration because of the scenery and types of fowl that live in the region. “It’s been very gratifying to spend summers drawing in the mountains.” Most recently he has been exploring more use of watercolor. Gene feels his artistic talent is always expanding, never latent. It is a self-expression of his many interests in the world of nature and living in the southwest.