Garnto says, "I started painting in 1986 with oils and have never stopped. Oils are one of the most forgiving mediums I have ever worked with. As a classically trained artist that has gone astray, I feel constrained by traditional approaches to the canvas. My thought patterns are more complex than I feel I'm able to convey when working with strictly classical approaches to paper or canvas. Don't get me wrong. My students have heard me say this many times, I feel it is extremely important (especially to the beginning art student) to learn the fundamentals of drawing & painting. I do not believe in limiting one's ability to any particular style or approach, and that's what happens to the beginning artist that does not take the time to learn the fundamentals. I spent many years learning how to draw and paint. Even when I am working with abstractions, I find myself falling back on this core knowledge when a problem arises in the composition. All of these doors have opened up to me because I took time to learn the fundamentals."

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