Fodder for Thought

Antique Wagon Wheel 8 x 6

Once you have started to paint on a regular basis, you will notice that you begin to look at the world around you in a different way. You will notice the color of light.  You will see a combination of shapes instead of a single object. You will ask yourself how to capture a certain moment in time. You will become more attentive.

I have noticed lately that for me, the smallest things are becoming fodder for thought. The small things have great potential for exploration in your paintings. The idea does not have to be grand or expansive. If you are paying attention, a whisper can be louder than a shout.

A Few Thoughts on Criticism

Reflection-Collected Gold oil 20 x 16



 I have been thinking about the pros and cons of criticism lately.  I think it is really easy to dismiss another person's work with off-hand criticism.  It is hard not to do it sometimes. We all have our own views of what makes a piece of art legitimate. I do think that criticism should be CONSTRUCTIVE and is useful when it is delivered constructively.

I have a few stories of my own, largely from art school critiques, where the criticism was aimed at the person, not the work. And I think that it even easier to criticize some one's work when you don't know them. I would like to believe (and I know this is not always true and may be viewed as idealistic) that everyone who picks up a paint brush is doing the best they can at that particular moment in time. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to hang one's imperfect paintings on the wall for the world to see. And perfection is REALLY hard to achieve. The best we can do is take one step at a time towards improving our work and work diligently.

I read this on illustrator Dan Santat's blog recently: "In a world where the arts seems to always be the first thing that gets cut or closed down due to financial strain I think it's more important than ever that there are people out there trying to create some form of art whether it may seem good or bad."

Ditto.

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

Across the Divide oil 36 x 30

Artists are supposed to be the ones with imagination.  A good part of our job description is to get people to use theirs.

--Robert Genn

If I could write a job description for the art profession, it would probably include something about making the ordinary extraordinary.  The best artists make the viewer use their senses in a new way.  They take the everyday and make it special.  They make the viewer notice the small things. They paint not objects, but subjects. They cause you to pause for a moment during a busy day. They tell stories.  They allow their viewers tell their own stories. They use skills that, in themselves, are quite ordinary to produce a kind of magic that can be awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, uncomfortable, noble, ambitious, curious, and commanding.

Our job is to expand upon the world--to make some kind of order out of chaos. A skill that is rather extraordinary.

On Borrowing and Stealing

Under the Canopy oil 12 x 16

There is little or nothing new in the world. What matters is the new and different position in which an artist finds herself seeing and considering the things of so-called nature and the works that have preceded and interested her. — Giorgio Morandi

I think it is important to be looking at art--all the time.  Look at art from the past and look at contemporary art and figure out what it is that attracts you to a certain piece.  Is it color, or technique?  Is it subject or design? Would you hang it on your walls? What can you borrow from the work? Be a sponge and soak in what the artist does well. If you are a collector, you will probably notice that certain styles appeal to you time and again.

Throughout the history of art, there are countless examples of how one artistic movement borrows from another. What is important is how those influences are extracted and molded to what satisfied the artists that followed.  If you have influences (and you should), ask yourself how you can make those ideas your own. How can you put a new twist on an old idea? How can you learn from the past and explore some of your own thoughts at the same time?

In Support of Art

Catching Light oil 18 x 19

I was interested to read that a new study suggests that cultural participation such as visiting art museums, going to the ballet, or attending gallery openings encourages good health and happiness in men. These activities measurably improved their lives. The study found that the effects were not the same in women--perhaps because we find other ways to wind down.  So, where physical activity was previously recommended for men, it seems that the leisurely activities that stimulate the mind and the eyes are just as important. Another reason to cultivate, not cut the arts!

Put Something of Yourself In

Autumn Collection oil 18 x 14 SOLD

You paint the way you are made. And the viewer, looking at your pictures, is interested because he senses your mind and your emotions at work --Emile Gruppe

One way to improve upon using reference photos in the studio is to put something of yourself in.  Show your viewer how you think--how you see the world. Merely replicating the photograph pixel for pixel doesn't say anything.  Can you change the compostition to tell a story?  Can you change the palette?  Can you capture a shape with one brushstroke?  Can you express in paint why you picked the photograph in the first place? Are you thinking about what you are trying to express or are you blindly copying?  Are you trying to make something whimsical?  Political? Thought-provoking? What makes the painting uniquely yours?

When I look at art, I want to see something of the artist's personality there.  I want to see how the artist thinks--even if I don't entirely understand the message. I am not interested if the painting "looks real".  I want to see an interpretation of the artist's world. So go out there and make something that tells a story about you.

Postcards

Painting Detail

I read somewhere (I can't remember quite where right now) that in painting, one should be happy if any part of the painting goes well. Quite often I find that if I am struggling with a piece, somewhere in the painting there is a little postcard size section that really sings. A little 4 x 6 that works in terms of color and brushwork and composition.  It is piecing a bunch of postcards together that is the difficult part.  Sometimes it can be hard to let go of a painting that has a passage like this and wipe it out, though I suppose it is enough that that little postcard happened in the first place.

When I used to teach watercolor techniques, I recommended actually saving that little piece and using it as a postcard to send to a friend. It is more challenging to do so if you are working on board, but I suppose one could do the same.  Or photograph it and stick it in the recesses of your files. The best thing to do is to try to replicate it in another attempt.

I liked this small section of a recent painting because of the brushwork and subtle color ideas and I am going to try and capture the feel of the successful parts in another painting.

The I in Artist

Pathway oil 11 x 14

I have been feeling a little uncomfortable with how much the word "I" appears in my blog posts. But it did get me thinking.  Must an artist be comfortable with talking about themselves?  Can we successfully market our work and not have the conversation center around what we do and how we think?

Madeleine L'Engle wrote (to paraphrase) that all artists are "a paradoxical combination of arrogance and humility". There has to be some degree of "Hey, look at me" to decide to put your work out there.

I do know a couple of artists who make good work and are so introverted that it is virtually impossible to talk to them.  The work is good enough that it sells without the egocentric "I". I also know a few whose work perhaps does not sell as well as it could because they are uncomfortable talking about themselves in front of a crowd. And I know a few who sell well and aren't that good at the painting part, but very good at talking about their work. It is an interesting debate.

Colorado Governor's Invitational Show

The Golden Hour oil 9 x 12

I am very excited to be participating in this year's Colorado Governor's Invitational Show which opens April 23rd at the Loveland Museum in Colorado.  There is a ticketed opening on Saturday from 5:30-9:30 which benefits the local Rotary Club and the show runs through the month of May.

I have been working for most of the winter to compile four paintings for the show.  If you are in the area, stop by the museum if you have the time--the show presents a cross-section of Colorado's contemporary artists and should be worth the visit!

I always worry a little about my choices for shows like these. The pieces are not juried first. The artists are chosen based on their previous body of work and so there is some pressure to perform. It does keep me focused though! I was captured by the abstract nature of winter and the late day color that happens right before the sun goes down in the painting posted here. It is easy to overlook the beauty of a snow covered landscape.

Pivotal People



Cattails in April oil 10 x 8

 I recently watched a video of a talk given by the artist Bo Barlett and was struck by his artistic journey.  Every time he thought about closing the door on painting, someone would show up and lead him back to a life in paint. He was very fortunate that one of those people was Andrew Wyeth.  He was invited to work with the family to produce a film and that led him back to painting.  Since Wyeth's death, he says he has been even more motivated to do the best paintings he possibly can.

When I look back at my winding path in the arts, there have been several pivotal people that have shown up at the right time. There are memorable people who tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me to stay on course when I thought I wouldn't be able to make a living in the arts. People who opened doors for me and provided opportunity when I needed it, oftentimes immediately after a run-in with someone who did everything in their power to discourage me.

In fact, every time I tried to head in a different direction where I thought I should pursue something more stable, roadblocks appeared, and someone would show up and whisper, "hey you, remember painting?" Nothing but a career in art has made sense to me and I am lucky that there have been positive influences and pivotal people who make me want to work harder every day.

Inviting People In

Reflection in Sienna and Gold oil 12 x 12

Something jumped out at me as I was reading another artist's blog post today.  They were talking about sharing your secrets--about letting people in as a way to connect with your audience (they used Bob Ross as an example). It resonated with me.  The idea was this: a piece is more personal to a collector if they know more about the whys and wheres and hows of your work. Be an open book. A collector is going to remember you if you were generous with your time and you told them a story or shared your technique. Or you offered them something extra like a personalized inscription on the back of their painting. And you did it with a smile. This may seem elementary, but you would be surprised at how many artists there are who would rather remain mysterious.

Yesterday, I was talking with someone who had purchased a painting by Stephen Quiller.  They visited his studio and he offered that they stay and fish in the river on his property.  Then he offered to deliver their painting to them since they didn't have room in the car with the dog.  They subsequently bought three more paintings and raved about how nice he was even though he had just met them.  Those paintings are going to mean more to them than the painting bought without the personal experience and the story and the generosity of an artist inviting someone in.

Themes--Earth not Air

When I look for themes or strengths in my work, I notice a gravitation to earth and water, not air. I just don't connect to skies, though I admire a good skyscape when I see one.  Maynard Dixon is a master. I also am intrigued by the cloud studies of John Constable.

Maynard Dixon

As much as I have tried and tried again to paint skies, my efforts fall short.  I paint earth--mountains, trees, fields, rivers--most with high horizons. I like to garden and dig in the dirt.  I love the smell of Spring--its earthy, wet scent. I notice the pebbles on the beach, the hidden aster in August, the cranberry torch of the understory in autumn.  I think I am fairly grounded, not flighty, when it comes to personality. So it is earth and its many variations and surprises that speak to me. You may have noticed if you are familiar with my work.

Is your head in the clouds or do you connect to land and water?



Mountain Theater oil 12 x 24

Anne Truitt

                                                                 

One of my favorite books is called TURN: The Journal of an Artist by Anne Truitt.  I reread it about once a year.Truitt was a sculptor (her work appears above).  She is no longer living. In the days before the internet and the current blogging trend, she wrote a couple of books that chronicled her daily life as an artist. The other book is called DAYBOOK and is also very worth the read. Since I have started to write this blog I have been thinking about her and her writing.  She was courageous and her writing and her sculptures were spare, but luminous. Secretly, I enjoy her books more than her sculptures. Second to painting, I love reading and any book that makes me look at my life as an artist in a different light is worth recommending.