There is something utterly peaceful and relaxing about gazing at one of Andy Skaff’s oil landscapes. They are easy on the eyes, whether it’s a painting of rushing blue water against a granite backdrop or the pop of golden aspens shimmering next to a grassy meadow.
He’s been painting the Tahoe environment and cityscapes for more than a decade, transitioning from being an art buyer to becoming a creator himself.
“Sometimes a painting just works, and I can do it in a day or two. But sometimes I struggle with it. There’s no formula for it. I’ll look at the painting and think it’s finished and then move on. But I have to like it before I ever sell it.” –Andy Skaff
He grew up in Toledo, Ohio, working as an energy regulatory attorney for 35 years. He and his wife eventually moved to San Francisco and bought a home on the West Shore 20 years ago; he currently splits his time between their place in Russian Hill and Tahoe. Skaff burned out representing clients in the oil and energy sector and retired. It was right around the time of his retirement when he started painting. His love of the area and his new interest in art soon blossomed into a second career.
“I really love to paint lots of color and my real focus has always been on Tahoe,” Skaff says. “[My wife and I] like to collect art and one of the things we were always buying were oil paintings because I loved the texture and feel for them. When I was a lawyer, I went to Santa Fe a lot for work and always bought oil paintings. There’s something about them. I enjoy the colors and seeing the paints bring out the vividness of a place.”
Skaff began displaying and selling his work at Wolfdale’s in Tahoe City and at Gump’s, a home décor shop in San Francisco. He learned a lot about oil painting by being in the field with fellow artist Kevin Macpherson.
“In 2003, when I sold my first piece, I had taken classes from Kevin Macpherson, a well-known plein-air painter. I studied with him in France and Tahoe,” Skaff says. “[My art] has developed over time, my style has changed a little. I’ve always loved impressionist paintings and I sort of learn from doing. I’ve always loved Tahoe and the mountains; this is all dear to my heart, so it makes it easy to paint it.”
One of his favorite objects to paint, and the most popular types of paintings he sells, are aspen trees.
“I love aspens, the lake, Fallen Leaf, the ponds and rivers, the Nevada side of the lake and Emerald Bay with the varying colors of green and blue of the water. It’s a vibrant environment,” he says. “Fall is my favorite season. I love the clear, crisp days and cool air. It’s not as crowded and the smell of the air — it’s just so nice. I do not like hot weather. I could never live in the South.”
According to Skaff, repetitively painting certain objects like aspens makes the process a bit easier: “However, with aspens there’s a lot to making the composition just right.”
When asked how long it takes him to complete a painting, Skaff thinks for a moment. “Sometimes a painting just works, and I can do it in a day or two. But sometimes I struggle with it. There’s no formula for it. I’ll look at the painting and think it’s finished and then move on. But I have to like it before I ever sell it,” he says. “If it’s terrible, no one will ever see it. The goal is to keep painting. I’m fortunate enough to have a number of my paintings in private collections and have this level of acceptance for my art.”
At 76 years old, Skaff believes that pursuing one’s passion is good for one’s mental state.
“I really love to paint. What’s great about plein air is that I can paint outside most of the time. I read a phrase from another artist about painting being something I can continue to do when I can’t do much else and that resonated with me. If I didn’t have this, I’d have driven myself — and my wife — crazy.
“And this has widened my world considerably. I’ve met so many interesting people and buyers, it’s a whole group that I would’ve never had the opportunity to meet otherwise,” he says.
Andy Skaff’s artwork is on display at Wolfdale’s, Alpine Home in Tahoe City and online. | askaff.com
