Fred Schollmeyer turns airbrush magic into photoreal art.

Art has been an integral part of Fred Schollmeyer’s world for most of his life. However, retirement finally gave him the time and freedom to explore it fully. “I was an elementary art teacher for 30 years and always on the side did a little drawing or painting or something,” he recalls. “I retired in 2007 from teaching. The kids were away from home, my wife was still working, and I thought, ‘Man, I’m going to get serious about it.’”

He did indeed get serious about it, choosing to work in a particularly precise and demanding medium. Fred creates photorealistic paintings using an airbrush.

“When I do an art fair, people leave my booth and go, ‘Oh, I like your photography,’” he says. “But it’s not actually photography. It’s a painting.”

This method requires a high level of skill, something Fred has developed over years of practice.

“When I first started it in the mid-80s, it was very difficult,” he explains. “There was a tough learning curve. It took me forever. I went through a lot of frustration, but once I got to a certain point, it became easy for me.”

However, “easy” doesn’t mean “simple.” Each piece Fred creates involves multiple steps and a lot of time and patience, generally taking three or four days for a single 16”x20” piece.

“I take photos and use those as a reference I look at,” he says. “Then, I do a drawing on either a board or an illustration board, and I put a film over the drawing and cut through the film to make a stencil. I peel the stencil in sections, spray with the airbrush, and then put the film back on. I actually put a film over each and every little part of it, then spray it in layers. I also use a regular paintbrush to add details sometimes.”

“There are times when I have to get away from it,” he continues. “I’ll work on it for a while, then take a few hours off, and then come back. It gives a different perspective to let it set for a while and then come back to it.”

In the past, Fred has created artwork on commission, but his established reputation as an artist and retiree has allowed him the freedom to follow his own inspiration. He now creates paintings based on whatever sparks his imagination, from an old barn, to the play of light on glass, to rain seen through the window, to still-life scenes involving Fisher-Price Little People or comic strips that have passed into the public domain.

“I’m not thinking, ‘Is this going to be accessible?’ Or, ‘Are people going to buy this?’” he says. “I think, ‘I’m going to paint this for myself. I want it to be good, and if somebody likes it or buys it, that’s fine. If not, I’ll survive.’ Some people think that artists are like little art factories. They create artwork, put it out there, and sell it. But an artist who does a good job, who does legitimate art, when they sell that piece, they’re selling a part of themselves.”

Though he uses photographs as reference material, Fred never merely replicates those photos.

“I always try to put a different twist on it to make it more creative,” he explains. “Being creative is a very important part of my life. It makes life very interesting and gives me more of a feeling of accomplishment.”

In addition to his artwork, he has been blogging since 2012. Each post features one of his remarkable paintings.

“I usually write a little detail about what inspired me or where I was at when I took the photo, references, and what I may have changed for the painting,” Fred says. “I’ll explain how I did it and include photos of the process as I’m working on it. Mostly, it’s just little comments about the painting itself.”

Instead of following trends and commissions, Fred lets his creative instincts lead the way. His artwork has been published in nine national art periodicals, including three times in Artist’s Magazine’s “The Best of Acrylic Painting.” In addition, his artwork has been featured in over 30 national art exhibits including 12 times in Watercolor USA in Springfield, Missouri.

To learn more or purchase Fred’s artwork, visit his website here.