Mark Orr Interviews Artist RB McGrath

Interview with Artist RB McGrath
by Mark Orr

RB McGrath is a painter who was born in a small fishing village named Branch, in Easter

Cove, St. Mary's Bay, Newfoundland, and has called Arkansas her home since 1964. I

found RB's art when I joined the Ovation TV Community web site. I was immediately

impressed with the beauty, quality and detail of her work. Her paintings are so life-like, they

could be photographs....but even photographs rarely capture the mood and feeling her

paintings seem to effortlessly bring to life.

After you (loyal reader) finish reading this

interview..please visit her web site(s) and take a

look at her outstanding art. I know you will

be as amazed and enamored of her work as I.

Hi RB..thank you for allowing me to ask you some questions about yourself and your

amazing art. As you know I'm a huge fan of your work.

1. Let's start with your childhood....were your parents artists or artistic and were you

surrounded by art or encouraged to be creative? At what age did you come to realize you

had a love and gift for art?

This first answer is not going to be pretty. My father was a military man and a violent

drunk. My mother, a Newfoundlander who cleaned houses and worked as a nanny from the

time she was sixteen and who also developed a penchant for booze. I was born in

Newfoundland, which is known for it's rich artistic and cultural heritage and my lineage

extends to several successful Artists as far back as the 1700's. Our particular household

however was totally dysfunctional, often violent, and inevitability divorced. I was the first

born and I was born out of wedlock, subsequently I was the outcast. In 1949 in a Roman

Catholic village in Newfoundland, having a child out of wedlock was a big no no. Being born

illegitimately I was taken to an island off the East coast of Newfoundland named Isle St.

Pierre where I was hidden, so to speak, with a family for the first year of my life, after which,

and following my parents eventual marriage, I was brought back to Newfoundland and

registered as having been born.

I was never encouraged in anything that I ever endeavored to do, and to be quite frank, I

was literally told I would never amount to anything. I suppose that is why I have always been

driven to prove myself, not so much to anyone else, but to myself. I showed an artistic

ability at a very young age, and I remember vividly an art school rep coming to our house

to talk to my parents about entering me in the school because they thought that I had

exceptional ability. My Father refused to enter me in the school saying only that I "would

never stick with it" and it would be a waste of money.

One Christmas day I was hoping to

get a paint by number set that I had dreamed about all

year. When we all opened our

presents, to my horror and disappointment, my parents gave

my brother a paint set and

not me. I can't remember what I got, I can only see that paint set

in my brothers hands.

Fortunately he tossed it aside down the line. Naturally, I grabbed it

for myself. Those are

the only memories I have of my childhood artistic dreams.

2. Did you study art growing up and was it a passion?

I have never had the opportunity to go to an arts school. I have learned to paint

through my own research, endless reading, constant study of the masters, and a killer

library of some of the worlds greatest Artists on DVD and video. I learn something new

everyday. And watching the greatest Artists always inspires me. I guess that makes me

"self taught", so to speak. I've always been passionate about Art. Everything from Art

History to the actual production of fine art. I haunt museums. I eat it, sleep it and swim in it.

3. Do you think great painters are born with the gift...or is it something that can be learned?

I think that everyone has an ability when it comes to painting, or artistic creativity in

one form or another, but I feel strongly that the greatest painters are those who where and

are more inspired in their craft to the point that it takes over their lives. I think that's pretty

much the same with any chosen occupation or skill. Everyone can mop a floor, but some

people are more inspired than others when it comes to that so they do it better than

anyone else and in many cases make it their life's work. Great Chefs started out as good

cooks, great plumbers began as apprentices and so on. Many people love to draw and

paint for fun, and others are so inspired by drawing and painting that they immerse

themselves in it and are inspired to do more with it.

I think the basic rudiments of drawing

and painting can be learned by anyone, and there

are a lot of degrees out there that

belong to people who have studied fine art in college

and earned a degree, but if the

individual is not "inspired" then their ability will wane.

Having the knowledge is one thing,

putting it into practice is another. Hence, great painters

are born with a gift and they

recognize it and run with it.

4. One of the amazing things about your work is that you can paint in any style. Your

portraits are wonderful as are your landscape, still-life and abstract. (My favorite is the

beautiful landscape "Paradise Park"

shown above

)

Do you have a favorite style of painting; portrait, abstract, landscape, still-life......and is

each style equally difficult to master? Is one more fun or come more easily to you?

This is always one of my favorite questions. One of the most common statements

about my work is that it is so diversified in style and technique. The reason I paint in

different styles is that I always allow the subject to dictate to me how it wants to be painted. I

might see a piece of fruit in the grocery store that beckons to be painted impressionistica

because it's colors are so vivid, or I might see a person who's back story is so interesting

yet convoluted that I am inspired to paint them in the abstract, or, I might be so

overwhelmed by another individuals dignity, intelligence, or high achievement that I can't

help but to bring every element of their portrait to extreme realism.

I don't think it's a

question of mastering any one style, I think more so that it important to

learn by practicing

different styles and applying them to the right subject in the right

moment. No styles or

techniques come easy. Every work is a brain burner and exhausting.

Personally I feel that

I've lost some of my life after each painting I finish. For me, it's all

about the subject and the

mood of the subject. When I paint impressionistically I dream,

when I paint abstract, I feel

reality, when I paint realism, I am searching for God.

5. I have a deep love for my area of the country, Indiana. and almost all of my photography

depicts this part of America that I am so rooted in and enamored of. I noticed that many of

your paintings are representative of Arkansas. The portraits of President Clinton (we'll

discuss in more detail later) and of Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Dr. Alan

Storeygard (The Alan Storeygard Trio CD cover). Is Paradise Park a real setting in

Arkansas as well and are you drawn to paint regional people, places and things by

proximity or desire?

Yes, Paradise Park is a real place. It's about ten minutes down the road from my

studio. I am drawn to paint what is around me simply because I am not in any other setting

right now and it's good practice when I don't have a subject that magnetizes me. Although I

do find a few interesting things to paint in my surroundings I am more drawn to people of

great accomplishment, of high achievement. People who's contributions to humanity in any

form go far and beyond that of average life. Were I in England I would be inspired to paint

the Queen. In France, I would paint the beautiful French countryside and probably Notre

Dam. In Ireland I would head for the villages and glens. In Arkansas, I zero in on anything or

anyone that takes my mind.....well......elsewhere.

6. Let's talk about the CD cover you painted/designed for The Alan Storeygard Trio's

"Third Time's a Charm" CD....I'm listening to the track "Summertime" right now...great stuff!

I read that you have some very exciting news regarding this cover. What is the scoop....and

how did you get involved in this collaboration?

Yes indeed, and here's a really exciting tidbit that occurred last night in ,Saturday, the

18th: Ramsey Lewis appeared in Little Rock and after his show met with Storeygard.

Storeygard covered two of Lewis's original tunes on his new CD. He gave Ramsey Lewis a

copy of the CD with my cover design. As for the CD itself "Third Time's A Charm", Allen

informed me several weeks ago that the music from the CD and the Cover Art are both in

the running for a Grammy. If the Cover Art makes it into the top five nominations then I will

have scored a coup. Being in the running is great, but making it to the top five nominations

would be awesome.

I came to know Allen Storeygard and his Trio through IBLA, the international music

competition out of Ibla, Ragusa, Sicily (Italy) about ten years ago. The IBLA performers

come from Europe and do a show at Carnegie Hall every year, and before they leave the

country and head back to Europe they come to little 'ole Jacksonville, Arkansas and do the

show for us at the largest church auditorium in town. Allen Storeygard is a past winner of

the IBLA competition for Jazz Piano Composition. He lives near here and is responsible for

bringing the IBLA show to us. The first year I saw the show I was so inspired by Salvatore

Moltisanti, the President of IBLA that I painted him. That painting, which is a four by four

foot work, is now hanging in the IBLA Headquarters in New York City.

I followed up the

Moltisanti painting with a portrait of Allen Storeygard and subsequently

Storeygard

approached me with the idea of using his portrait as the cover art for his

newest CD. I was

thrilled. I used the portrait as the basis and then designed the front cover

title and credits

and when Lawrence Hamilton, Broadway star and guest vocalist for the CD,

was in town, I

went to Little Rock and did photographic portraits of him, Storeygard, and the

entire trio for

the CD booklet. It is my first venture into cover design and portrait

photography. It was a

great experience. If the CD wins a Grammy for cover art, it's going

right under my name on

my resume and business card. I mean...who wouldn't?

7. Is it true that you have painted a self-portrait each year for the last 14 years? Are these

paintings available for viewing online...and if so...where? That's such a cool idea....what

was the impetus, and do you find your paintings have become better over the years or your

style has changed?

Well, I don't know how this will sound but......I like me very much. As a matter of fact I

like me better more than anyone else in the world likes me. I love ME so much that even I

get sick of hearing about me sometimes. Be that as it is, every year I like to paint a self

portrait in an attempt to examine my ageing process and my state of mind in that particular

time of my life. When I paint me I can be brutally honest, I do not have to align myself to a

particular style or theme and I can experiment. I also gain new style knowledge in that I can

go outside the boundaries of what I've learned and stretch.

In 2002 I did an ink drawing titled "Rage" which reflected my state of mind that year. In

2005, after decades of working, I finally acquired my first real home, my Shangrila so to

speak. I was happy, happy, happy. Then Mother came to live with me for a month. It was a

miserable month. My depression reflects in my self portrait for that year. In 2006 I was

emotionally wired and consistently confused by life, so much so that I began to wonder if I

was a total nutcase and everyone else is normal, or just the opposite. I painted a head and

shoulders portrait that was abstract and very Picasso-esque and it reflects my total state of

being at that time. Then in 2007 I painted the life size self portrait that won the Harold

Shultz FAA International Portrait Competition. That painting reflects who I really am and

what I am about. It is the image that represents me on my resume and in all my promotional

materials.

Yes, my paintings in every genre have become better over time as a result of self

exploration through painting. And through that process I have, I believe, finally found my

own voice insomuch as style. I would describe it as realism infused with impressionism and

peppered with light. I used to post all my self portraits online at my web site, but now I show

only one. The happy one. The real me. The one that says "I am an Artist."

8. The Clinton portrait. Wow....I was immediately impressed with this painting. Not just

because of the exact likeness, wonderful muted tones and amazing light, but also because

this painting really allows the viewer to see what a complex man Clinton was/is. Perhaps it's

because he was a President of my generation and probably had more exposed about his

personal and private life than any President before or since....but when I see this painting, I

see a lifetime and not just one moment in time...the rigors of being a world leader, the

personal struggles and even the fear he must have felt with his health issues. Yet he hasn't

lost any dignity and he looks completely confident, proud and ....Presidential. To use one

of your favorite words...this is "Fabulous"!

*There's a question in here somewhere....ha.

Maybe you can find it...if not just consider this

a glowing review...ha.

Oh yeah....what kind of response have you gotten from this painting and what do you hope

happens with this outstanding rendering of our 42nd Commander in Chief.

Thank you. The Clinton painting is one of my favorites to date and is a heartfelt

attempt to capture on canvas a man who I believe, from a historical standpoint, is one of

our greatest Presidents. If I were to list them in order I would say there were four great

one's, George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and William Jefferson

Clinton.

I live just twelve minutes from the Clinton Foundation Library in Little Rock. I was here when

Bill was Governor and throughout his Presidency. I've met Mr. Clinton before he was

President. My reasons for painting him are several: first, he is a man of high achievement

who has contributed greatly to humanity. Second he is a perfect subject for portraiture;

he's mesmerizing as a presence, his back story is the stuff of legends, he's recognizable

worldwide no matter if he's seen in profile or any other angle.

I wanted to paint something

that would compliment the complex, almost surreal life that he

has led. You can find

thousands of paintings and drawings of him anywhere on the net that

are little more than

amateur knock-offs of magazine photo's, but I felt that I could paint him

better and I wanted

to go a completely different direction. I wanted to produce a painting

that would not just

compliment him, but would be more for the viewers in that it would draw

them in, cause

them to analyze and make them question and present them with someone

whom most

admire. I wanted to do something very dignified and something Presidential.

Hence, my

painting depicts the President in his final days in office as he looks out a window

from a

room somewhere in Washington. The glow from the window represents the light of

humanity and the presence of God washing over a man who's epic presence in the world

has risen him to the status of Legend.

I sent out a press release after completing my portrait of President Clinton, as I do with all

my works, and within ten minutes I received a call from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,

Arkansas' statewide daily newspaper, asking if they could send a reporter and

photographer to the studio for an interview. Things just started snowballing from there.

Loads of visitors from cities around Arkansas coming to the studio to see the work. It's fun

to watch people when they first stand in front of the work. It's life size and people's jaws

literally drop. They are speechless at first. But the one common statement that each and

every viewer makes is "I wonder what he's thinking?".......Mission accomplished.

Over the past few weeks I've spoken with Skip Rutherford, Dean of the Clinton School, and

Vincent Insalaco, Motion Picture Producer, both are close friends of Bill, and although I've

already had an offer from a private collector for this piece, I've indicated to Rutherford and

Insalaco that I would be willing to donate the painting to the Clinton Library. Allen

Storeygard, who plays piano for Clinton's formal dinners when he is in Little Rock, is trying

to arrange a private viewing for the former President. The red tape and logistics are mind

boggling. We are working on it.

In the meantime, I've picked up new commissions as a

result. And even more exciting is that

Sherman Banks, President of Banks International

Consulting has agreed to represent my

portfolio in Europe in the coming year. While that's

all happening, I'm back in the studio

hard at work on a huge commission portrait. This year

has been good. I may have to paint

myself as happy. Again.

~ COPYRIGHT INFORMATION~
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Mark Orr®

Artist
RB McGrath

You can view RB McGrath's work at her website :
RB McGrath Fine Art

Comments and Contact

RB, I';m touched by this interview. Your talent, your art work and your honesty are amazing! I've always been a fan of your art, now I'm
also a fan of you as an artist.
Thank you, Mark for those wonderful interviews. They help people understand artists better as the creators of art.
~Anna

9. I read that you were an extra in the movie "The Stuntman" starring Peter O'Toole, and
that you made appearances on "The Sally Jesse Raphael Show" and "The Joan Rivers Show".
What was that like and do you have aspirations of being an actress?

Ah, "Memories, in the corner of my mind". In my younger days at the tender age of

eighteen I ran off to California to make my fame and fortune and conquer the world as an

entertainer. I did it all, danced, acted, sang my way into nightclub reviews, bit parts in

movies and documentaries, television, I tried it all. I even did two stints on the Gong Show

as one of the paid, fake contestants - hey! union scale was four hundred and sixty five

bucks a show, so don't laugh. Yes, I was an extra in the movie The Stuntman with Peter

O'toole and Barbara Hershey and Steve Railshack and a bunch of other big names. I

even

got to sit on the grass and have lunch with all of them during a break in filming at La

Jolla

Beach. A good thing too because when filming resumed they killed me off in a scene

where

a mono-plane strafes the beach with bombs and bullets and blows us all up.

Anyway, I'd

done enough in my younger year attempts at a performing career to garner

the

attention of

River's and Rapheal and a few radio talk show hosts. So I did the shows,

got to

take the all

expense paid trips to New York, and to Connecticut and stay in lavish

hotels

and ride in

limousines and the whole nine yards. But the bottom line is, I gave

myself ten

years to be

where I wanted to be with my career in entertainment. If, at the end

of that ten

years, I

wasn't where I thought I should be then I would pull back and persue

other

ventures. And

that's exactly how it went down. After ten years I knew I would never

be a big

star,

I didn't

like the viciousness and inside politics, and scandal and drugs, and all the

horrendous

elements of showbizness, so I walked away from it all without looking back. I

remember

vividly the night I decided to chuck it all. I was scheduled to appear in a show at

the Riviera

in Las Vegas. I met with the producers earlier in the evening. I sat through a

run

through of

the show that I was to join. Afterwards, I went upstairs to my hotel room,

packed

my bags,

picked up my little terrier Woofgang Amadeus Mozart, said "fuck it all!" ,

got in the

car and

hit the highway for Little Rock, where I rented an apartment and got a

job as a fry

cook in a

grease pit on Capitol Avenue.

After a great deal of soul searching I finally found myself and knew what I wanted to do. I

knew I was an Artist. I wanted to paint.

I had a great deal of fun back then, and good or bad I don't regret any of my past, it is all

part of what makes me...me. But, I have no aspirations to be anything other than a painter.

The Artist as Queen Elizabeth I

10. I can't let you get away without talking about your musical talent. I saw a video clip of

you playing the violin and it was awesome. How long have you been playing the violin and

will you be posting more videos showcasing your musical talent?

Well,

I'm an amateur but I've always been drawn too and inspired by classical music.

Throughout my youth, in school, I played French Horn, Clarinet, and Flute in the school

orchestra's and bands. But my heart was always with Violin. I use classical music

religiously

as part of my studio method when I'm painting.

Be that as it is, I always wanted to learn to

play violin, so back in 2005, I had a good year

financially, so I bought myself a violin and

taught myself how to play by watching videos on

youtube. I found a friend of mine here in

town who also liked to play so we started getting

together to play for fun. Eventually,

wanting to know if I was playing the instrument and

doing it right, I hired a professional

violinist named Ryan Lee for a few lessons just to

make

sure I was doing everything

properly. Turns out I was. He was amazed that I was self

taught.

At any rate, Ryan, who is

with the Little Rock Community Orchestra and whom I painted in

2006, decided we should

get together and "jam" on the weekends. That was five years

ago

and we still get together

on Sundays, sometimes with other violinists or violists and

cellists

and play for the entire

day. Loads of fun. I plan on video taping our group for a few

youtube musical clips in the

future. But I have no aspirations to be a professional

musician.

I'm a painter.

11. Last question.......what lies ahead for RB McGrath? Any special projects or dream-

projects you want to do soon?

Well, right now I'm hard at work on that big commission piece I mentioned previously,

and of course we are working on the presentation of the Clinton painting, and then there's

the Grammy thing which I can't do much about except wait and see, but I just got word of

the possibility of another large commission portrait for a Doctor in Little Rock, and then I

would like to do an update of my previous book ICON The Art of RB McGrath, which did

pretty well in it's first run. I do have a dream project but I won't state it publicly because I

don't want to risk having someone do it ahead of me. But I will say this, it involves every

organized religion in the world and....it's never been done

I anticipate that 2011 and beyond is going to be good for me. I'm finally getting beyond

emerging Artist status and I'm making a name for myself and getting some attention. I now

know that a few of my works are going to be hanging in collections for decades after I'm

gone. There is something almost surreal about that. It's feels like no matter what I do from

this point on I have already left my mark on the world, which is something that I believe a

great many people want to accomplish, you know, having meant something or having

done

something that means your were here.

But ultimately my short term goal is an old, fixer upper home in the country, financial

solvency and peace and quite where I can paint and not have to stand behind a salon

chair

every day cutting hair to pay the bills. If I can get to that point I believe my work will

improve

and grow. Following that I'll take everything as it comes.

Longliner in Quidi Vidi Harbour. Quidi Vidi, Newfoundland. 48" x 66". Oil on
canvas. RB McGrath 2006. Collection of Robert and Tommi Fell. N.L.R., AR

SHIFT #5. Elin Kolev. Violinist, Musician, Motion Picture Actor.
A child prodigy, Elin made his solo debut at the age of 8 with a
German philharmonic orchestra. At 17 he now tours the world and
made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2010. He recently starred in the
movie "Wunderkinder" and "Orchestra of Exiles", in which he played
his own music.
35 x 48 inches. Oil on canvas. RB McGrath 2012©

In 2012 McGrath begun her "Shift" series of portraits. The first 6 portraits in her "SHIFT -
A Paradigm of Masters of the Arts" collection are now posted on her official web site:
www.rbmcgrath.com
The following is #5 in this series.

Thank you so much RB!
You can see more of RB McGrath's wonderful art at the Ovation TV Community website and at:
http://www.rbmcgrath.com/
Mark Sean Orr September 20, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013©
All Rights Reserved