Interview With an Artist -- Robert Milaschewski

Thorn Apples, Milaschewski

It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to interview an artist. This installment showcases the unique style of one of my New Jersey high school classmates who now resides in Maine. I reconnected with Robert Milaschewski last year before attending our 50th high school reunion in June. I found out that we had an 'art' connection which I hadn't realized or recalled, although I 'majored' in Art in high school and was voted Most Artistic (along with Lisa Tate) by my classmates. I also used to sketch the athletes during basketball games with another classmate. Yet another classmate recalled that I drew his portrait. Who knew that Bob was also into art!

Anyway, Bob kindly agreed to answer my interview questions.

1. What is your philosophy as an artist? 

I just paint things I always thought were interesting, things people pass every day and don’t really notice or think about. They may bring a feeling of comfort or discomfort, but hopefully never boring.

2. Why do you create art?

A New Dawn, Milaschewski

I have to create art, it’s an obsession. I constantly see things and think how it would look on canvas in my style.

(Bob's style is reminiscent of Pointillism, but with the dramatic lighting of Rembrandt. I love the layering and his rich choice of colors!)

3. Why do you work in the medium that you do? 

I prefer acrylic to oil because it dries faster allowing me to layer my color. 

4. How do you meet people in the art industry? 

By joining an art guild, applying to become part of local shows, attending art classes.

5. How did you teach yourself?

I have always made art, even from a young age. After high school I attended college for art, then returned to art school as an adult.

6. What is the most valuable thing you learned in art school?

Cherry Blossoms, Milaschewski

The most valuable thing I have learned in Art school was how to look at art, composition and design.

7. What have you learned by teaching a class or hosting workshops?

Diversity is wonderful.

8. What have you learned by using social media for your art business?

Social media can bring your work to many more people.

9. What would you do differently or the same looking back?

December, Milaschewski

To free my mind, don’t overthink, let your thoughts flow freely and just make art.

(I think this is my favorite Milaschewski work (at least of the ones shown here). I particularly love the contrasting dark blues of the sky against the lighter snowy blue of the mountain landscape. The textured brushstrokes remind me of Van Gogh!)

10. What strategy tips do you have for an art career?

If you’re going to do it, do it! Immerse yourself, join art groups, surround yourself with other artists, apply for shows, promote your work, have a positive attitude, it takes time. Don’t be afraid of failure, keep trying, and eventually it will come.

11. Which advice should you have listened to or ignored starting out as an artist?

Make art for yourself, do what pleases you. Remember it’s just paint.

I hope you enjoyed this interview. I haven't featured local artists in an interview format since November 2020. Please check out my other blog posts for their artwork and insights. You can also see some of my own artwork on FineArtAmerica. (Unfortunately, when you visit the site, the Train art by the other Ken Patterson shows up ahead of mine, so I had to select 'most recent'.)

Caricatures -- Cartoon Celebrity Cameos

The Hanna Barbera classic, The Flintstones got interesting when they included recognizable celebrities and television characters like Darin and Samantha Stevens (from Bewitched). Animators captured Darin well, but something's off with Samantha. My favorite was probably Gina Loadabricks (after Lollobrigida).

And in the 1994 Flintstones movie, Liz Taylor played Wilma's mother, who looked nothing like the original animated version of Fred's mother-in-law.

The Cartwrights from Bonanza appeared in the Flintstones episode "Sheriff for a Day" in 1965, riding dinosaurs, of course! I can't tell whether the 2nd guy is brother Adam or the ranch hand, Candy Canaday. 

Scooby-Doo also had its fair share of celebrity guests. While I never saw these episodes, you should recognize The Three Stooges, Sonnie & Cher, Batman & Robin, and surely Don Knotts (Mr. Furley or Barney Fife?).

Apparently, Whoopi Goldberg also made an appearance as a psychic back before she grew less popular hosting The View. 

In my opinion, the best caricature of the Scooby-Doo guest stars is 'Weird Al' Yankovic. He runs an accordion camp in the mountains, and the music awakens a dinosaur from a cave. It turns out to be animatronic figure operated by 'assistants' on an archaeological dig.

Futurama was a show I never watched. It included caricatures of guests such as: (the heads of) Paula Abdul, Snoop Dogg, RGB, and Bjork. I especially enjoy seeing the Star Trek characters as animations. Sulu and Uhura are captured very well!

Paul McCartney's (and wife, Linda) animated character made an appearance on The Simpsons. Notice that the upper jawlines are similar to the artistic style of Futurama.

Ryan Reynolds is unrecognizable on Family Guy. Some celebs just don't translate well into toons!

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is a bit more accurate on BoJack Horseman, but I can also see Seth Green.

One of my adult 'cartoon' favorites (though irreverent) was MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch, which originally aired in 1998, lasting four seasons and 75 episodes. It was interesting to see the 3D caricatures of the celebrity pairings. The outcome was always gory and not appropriate for displaying here. What impresses me is the sculpting of the stop-motion Claymation figures. It was like watching a wax museum come to life on TV. It wasn't the best publicity for the celebs; way more coveted to be asked to host Saturday Night Live!

Artists' Portraits & Self-Portraits

Berthe Morisot with a bouquet
of violets (1872), Manet

Self-Portrait (1885),
Morisot

French painter, Berthe Morisot was a young subject of Édouard Manet, here dressed in all black. Years later, Morisot painted this rather impressionistic self-portrait using more muted colors and perhaps showing her age.

Which portrait do you like better?

Self-Portrait with palette
(1878-9), Manet

Manet himself then painted himself holding a palette and paint brush, again using dark colors. Does it seem odd that he is dressed formally and with a black fedora, tie, and jacket?

Self-Portrait with a Beret
(1886), Monet

Claude Monet sported a beret in this early self-portrait. It surprises me how only a bit of blue accompanies a rather boring color palette for Monet's portrait. Note how as a much younger man Monet can paint with full focus and precision, as opposed to later in life when his eyesight began to fade.

Self-Portrait (1888), Gauguin

Paul Gauguin also painted several self-portraits. Here is the self-portrait that Van Gogh challenged him to paint, along with his painting of mutual friend, Émile Bernard (in the background). The reference to Les Misérables refers to Gauguin's insistence that his life was like that of the book's hero, Jean Valjean. The Post-Impressionist livened up his portrait with a yellow floral background in homage to its recipient, his friend Vincent.

Self-Portrait with palette (1890),
Cezanne

Paul Cezanne did his share of self-portraits, including this one 'with palette'. What I enjoy about this is how Cezanne, who has been identified as a Post-Impressionist, makes use of multiple colors in his palette, face and neck, and even as decoration (and balance) on the reverse side of the canvas he's painting.

So much livelier and more engaging than Manet's rather monochromatic composition in brown and black! 

Self-Portrait #1 (1894), Beaux

I actually prefer this realistic self-portrait by Cecilia Beaux to Morisot's impressionistic portrait. I enjoy the use of earthtones and the treatment of lights and darks, highlighting her face. While the golden-brown background is what one might see in a professional photograph, she has created offsetting visual interest with the striped pattern of her dress.

Somehow, I prefer the character of older self-portraits of Renoir to those of the younger man. Here, his palette is less colorful than a typical Renoir, though the facial highlights seem to be channeling Rembrandt. I like Renoir's choice of warmer tones for the face and background. I especially like his pork-pie style hat! No fedora or palette in this one though!!

After visiting a Travel and Adventure Expo in Seattle this month, I became interested in Kenya. Besides the attraction of a safari for viewing animals in the wild, I think a visit to Kenya would provide a window into the culture (and art) of Kikuyu, the Bantu people native to Central Kenya.

Kikuyu Man (1908-10),
Gallen-Kallela

This portrait of a Kenyan man is by Akseli Gallen-Kallela and was painted early in the 20th century. Here, the subject is dark with a golden yellow background, as if the sun is shining on the back of the figure. The foliage and subtle brushstrokes give the impression of a somewhat barren grassy field.

I show this portrait because it shows art at the tail end of the time period of the other portraits of the late 19th century. Though not a self-portrait, the artist has captured the personality of his subject without forcing a formal pose.

Self-Portrait (1943), le Doux

I include this self-portrait by Charles Picart le Doux in comparison the that of Édouard Manet. Like Manet, le Doux painted self-portraits, portraits of family and friends, still lifes, landscapes, and even murals. His work also reminds me of Impressionists Paul Cezanne and Paul Gauguin (above), obviously with a more limited palette!

With a simple diagonal line, he suggests that he's working on a canvas.

Please note that I purposely excluded the artists who are more well-known for painting self-portraits -- specifically Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Frida Kahlo.

Museums of Spain

Las Meninas (1656), Velázquez

I'm anxious to explore Madrid and Barcelona, Spain for the architecture, history, scenery, and of course the art museums. The Museo del Prado in Madrid would be the first place I'd like to visit. I am interested in the works of El Greco, Velázquez, and Goya, and as a bonus: Titian, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. It's always a welcomed surprise to find a Rembrandt! In 1656, as part of the royal court of King Philip IV in the Spanish Golden Age, Diego Velázquez painted his iconic Las Meninas. In the group portrait, images of the King and Queen are reflected in a mirror, while the Queen's attendant, José Nieto pulls back the curtain to let more light into the room through the doorway. Édouard Manet admired Velázquez as Painter of the Painters.

Assumption of the Virgin
(1515-18), Titian

Assumption of the Virgin
(1577-79), El Greco

Unfortunately, I missed the Prado exhibition that ended in June 2025 displaying El Greco's (Greek artist born Doménikos Theotokópoulos) Assumption of the Virgin. It resembles Titian's earlier Assumption of 1515-18.

Dogs on a Leash (1775), Goya

Another 'Assumption' painter is Francisco Goya, who, besides painting religious panels, also painted this portrait of two dogs on a leash. It's disturbing to see them chained together, as if being enslaved by the unseen hunter. The detail reminds me of the portraits of Sir Joshua Reynolds, famous for being the President and founding member of the British Royal Academy.

Modern and Contemporary Painters

The Elephants (1948), Dali

Other artists I would encounter are modern artists such as Dali, Picasso, and Miró. Salvador Dali has museums in Barcelona and Figueres (his hometown), Spain and St Petersburg, Florida. His works are also featured at the Prado in Madrid. When I teach art to elementary school students, I often use Dali's Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937) as an example of surrealism. Later, he conceived of this more futuristic version of gigantic elephants.

Robots of Star Wars

Makes you wonder if Steven Spielberg was a fan of Salvador Dali's dreamt up pachyderm-like figures.

Guernica (1937), Picasso

Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró works are also exhibited at the Prado. Picasso's Guernica was returned to the Museo Reina Sofía in Spain in 1981. It depicts the bombing of a town in the Basque country in Northern Spain in 1937 by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

House with the Palm Tree (1918), Miró 

Born in Barcelona, Catalan Surrealist Joan Miró's paintings may be found in multiple Spanish museums and galleries. While The Farm (1921-22) may be seen in Washington D.C., you'll have to visit the Museo Reina Sofía to admire the earlier House with the Palm Tree (1918).

Harlequin with a Mirror
(1923), Picasso

While in Madrid, you may also want to explore the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. An exhibit of Warhol and Pollock artwork will be there until January 2026, with Picasso and Klee paintings through February 2026. I will surely miss those!  Harlequin with Mirror (1923) and Bullfight (1934) are apparently part of the museum's permanent collection, though the website says, 'not exhibited'. I guess you'll have to go there and see!

View onto a Square (1912), Klee

This rather primitive landscape by Swiss German artist Paul Klee is at Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. As you may have guessed it is chalk and crayon on paper and mounted on cardboard. He used gouache, an opaque, watercolor paint thickened with a glue-like substance. I can envision an art project for kindergarten thru 3rd grade students, using crayon or oil pastels to resist washes of watercolor paint, that would surely not intimidate the young artists.

After visiting France and Italy in 2011, the UK in 2017, and cruising the Baltics in 2019, I was able to check off several of the 14 must-see museums from my bucket list. The Prado is next! And, if I make it back to Florida, I will not miss the Dali Museum!!

Pet Portraits

Jeju, the Korean village dog

Bodhi, the 7-month-old kitten

This post is inspired by the mini animal portraits I painted on wooden cookies that I gifted to family and friends as Christmas ornaments this year. The family pets made me want to delve deeper into animal portraits painted by famous artists.

Chloe, the dog

Sexy Rexy, the cat

Next, are the Rosemarys' cat and dog, taken from rather blurry photos in a small Christmas card collage.

Shock, the dog

Maze, the dog

The next pair of dogs belong to my neighbors, Amber & Max Staples. I had promised them actual full-size portraits, but I haven't gotten around to painting them yet. 

Cookie, the dog

Kya, the dog

The final pair of my mini portraits are of my daughter's mother-in-law's dog, Kya and my friends' dog, Cookie.

I must say that these were challenging to paint with acrylics at this small scale!

Now that I've admitted my lackluster ability to paint detailed animal portraits on wooden cookies, I need to show you what my uber-talented older brother has accomplished digitally using MS Paint 3D. He recently completed a collage of all of his son's family pets. Amazing!

Head of a Dog (1876), Manet

Head of a Dog (1930), Munch

So, clearly, we Pattersons have some talent, though not professional artists. My brother can certainly compete with the likes of Manet and Munch! Manet's portrait is in oils (another challenge) in a blending of Realism and Impressionism styles. Compare Munch's dog, also in oils, in the Expressionist style.

Le Chat Tigre (1863),
Rousseau

I usually like the works of Henri Rousseau, although his striped cat reminds me of the works of some of the novice seniors whom I've taught through volunteering at Paws with Cause. Let's compare side-by-side. I think it's encouraging to first-time painters to see the works of more famous artists.

My Commissioned Portrait

Sitting Dog on a Pillow
(1855), Courbet

I appreciate Gustave Courbet's rendering of a dog sitting on a pillow, and happy to compare it to one of my own commissioned works. Although his portrait is in oils and mine in acrylics, I think I prefer mine for its brightness. I've even captured the dog's apparent cataracts!

I'd like to finish this topic with one of the lesser-known paintings by Vincent Van Gogh. I know it's not a pet portrait, but it certainly captures the expression of the animal using the artist's recognizable style and brushstrokes. Apparently, it is one of two cow paintings from 1882-83.

 

Lying Cow (1883), Van Gogh

Please check out my other animal portrait posts: Animal Art & Wildlife Photography (May 2020); Animal Portraits (Oct 2021); Animal Portraits with Seniors (Nov 2021); Making Connections with Artists & Animals (Dec 2021); Cats in the World of Art & Painting (Jan 2022); and Animal Portraits Revisited (Jan 2022).