Today we’d like to introduce you to Peach McComb.
Hi Peach, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I moved to Old Hickory Village in the 90’s and met my mentor, Mary Field Neville, a very talented commercial artist. We became fast friends and one day when she was visiting my house, she saw a mural that I painted on a wall to disguise a very bad plastering job. Mary said, Miss Peach, I believe we have found you a new job! Thus began a friendship of over 30 years.
I was still in the military then, and worked as a project manager as well, so had limited time to paint. I took a few workshops and painted when I could, mostly watercolor. It was after joining the Tennessee Art League that things started happening for me. I had my first solo art show at their downtown Gallery in 2007 and things developed from there. By then, I was also painting in acrylics and added water soluble oils to the mix. I retired from my corporate tech position in 2016 and painted more regularly after that.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been easy, mostly because of time constraints and also because I did not know very much about painting, composition, and values. I believe that most beginning artists, and some more experienced ones as well, have problems figuring out how to paint using values, lights and darks, as opposed to counting on color alone. I know that this was very difficult for me to learn. If ever I got discouraged when I painted something, I would turn to ‘Mother’ Mary as I called Mary Field Neville. She always told me to turn the painting to the wall for a few days and look at it later. Excellent advice! She also advised me to get off the painting, in other words, step back and look at it from afar, and even look at it in a mirror for a different perspective. All these suggestions worked great! Mary also drummed the ‘value’ lesson into me and showed me many examples that illustrated what she was teaching me. It still did not come easily and it took a lot of practice before I truly understood the difference between value and color. I now realize that value makes the painting and color is the high note!
As you know, we’re big fans of Peach McComb – Art with Attitude. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I have a studio at home where I paint. I also paint outside, en Plein Aire. I am an impressionist and paint fairly loosely. I belong to several local art organizations, the Nashville Artist Guild, the Tennessee Art League, the Chestnut Group, and the Tennessee Watercolor Society. I also belong to several art organizations around the country such as Oil Painters of America (OPA) and the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society.. I have found that membership in these organizations has allowed me to showcase my work to a much wider audience, as well as introduce me to other artists’ work.
As for what I ‘specialize’ in. I don’t. I enjoy painting everything. People, landscapes, flowers, animals and some abstracts too! Quite frankly I believe that everything is a shape and, as such, can be rendered in paint. It just takes practice! I paint with watercolors, acrylics, oils, and pastels. I find that some subjects call for different mediums. It just depends on how I feel that day! Some artists feel that one must always use only one medium, and that is their privilege. I believe my work is fairly well known no matter the media and people have said they enjoy my landscapes and still life paintings. I like to try anything subject-wise and find great joy in painting! It is my meditation practice. I teach experimental water media classes both online and at a local museum and I occasionally teach Plein Aire classes as well. Because I paint with what is known as a ‘limited palette’ my work tends to go together. I adjust colors to make them warmer, cooler, brighter, or quieter, and have learned a lot about color mixing and composition. My goal is to help the viewers step my into my paintings, look around and enjoy the view! I teach, both online and in person, and I also take commissions.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I learned is to sketch, paint, or create something, every day. I often hear people say that they cannot draw a stick figure, so how can they create art? I ask them if they were born knowing how to drive a stick shift, or bake a cake. They always say, “No.” Drawing and painting, like any skills, are learned and you have to practice a lot to become proficient! There are periods where I could not spend much time in the studio and carrying a sketchbook everywhere I go has been my saving grace! I always have 10 minutes to sketch something. Whatever is in front of me. It’s a great way to spend time if you’re stuck waiting for something. A plane, an appointment, whatever. The prodigies in this world who were born ‘knowing’ how to paint, or compose music, are few and far between! The rest of us have to work at skill building and it takes time, energy, and commitment.
The next important lesson is to always keep learning! Even if you teach, as I do, it is always helpful to keep taking workshops, or lessons, from other artists. One can always learn something new and it is so helpful to have a fresh eye on your work! I have taken classes and workshops from many other artists, such as Roger Dale Brown, Frank Baggett, Mary Whyte, and Joel Knapp. The artist community here is a very generous one. When I need help, all I have to do is ask for it. It is amazing how being an artist has taught me to ‘see’, as it does all artists! Noticing what is around you and being able to paint it is wonderful! Knowing what to leave out is helpful too and that comes with experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://peachmccomb.fineartstudioonline.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peachmccomb/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peach.mccomb.7
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peach-mccomb-art-with-attitude-34494711/
