The Illusion of Speed

Brush in Sunlight oil 12 x 9

The subject of speed has come up recently in regard to my painting so I thought I would discuss it here.  I love loose paintings. I love accurate, loose paintings. My goal is to create something with obvious brushwork that is applied thoughtfully and with intention. You may prefer something more detailed with hundreds of hours poured into the surface detailing.  Neither one is better than the other--again, it is a matter of preference.

Richard Schmidt writes in his book Alla Prima," Looseness should describe how a painting looks, not how it is done".  In other words, to create something that has confident control takes training.  It does not mean that the painting was done in a couple of hours. It means that the person who created it has practiced for hundreds and hundreds of hours to produce the illusion of speed. And I am still practicing this! Some paintings are finished quickly--on the days where the paint flows easily.  Most are labored over far longer than they may appear.  The paintings that appear labored are burned.  The paintings that appear to have been made quickly on the first try are framed and hung on the wall.

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.

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?

Second Nature

In the Wild oil 12 x 9

One thing that I love about repetition is that things that used to take a lot of effort to get right become second nature.  I remember watching a teacher of mine draw.  His lines were fluid and the proportions seemed effortless. The practice showed up on the page. And it really wasn't as magical as he made it seem.  It was that he had drawn so much over a lifetime that he was fluent at it.  I wished for that ability at the time.

I notice these days that the drawing part of painting is now second nature to me because I have the practice.  I don't have to think about the rules of perspective as much.  I don't have to hesitate to capture the curve of a field or the character of a tree. I don't always get it right the first time, but years and years of doing the same thing over and over make the challenge easier. Like practicing a language or a yoga pose. The body has memory. And I like that I'm in a place where parts of the process are intuitive.  Now there are new things to practice (the list is long)! But I know that someday the new challenges will also become second nature.

The piece above will be auctioned off July 9th to benefit the Continental Divide Land Trust at their Wildflowers and Art Celebration.  For more information visit http://www.cdlt.org/.

Influences





Western Landscape oil 14 x 18

I was browsing the internet today, looking at some of the artists' work at the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Maine.   It got me thinking about influences and how region plays a part in the style of work an artist might produce.   I grew up in the East, but have settled for the past 15 years or so in the West. Much of the work that is created here obviously reflects the Western landscape and people, but also shows the heavy influence of Maynard Dixon, Edgar Payne, the Taos painters and others who have previously painted the area.  As I was looking at the art at Dowling Walsh, I noticed the direct influence of many painters who famously resided in Maine such as Fairfield Porter, Andrew Wyeth, and Edward Hopper. The paintings differ stylistically from those produced in the West.

Does the choice of place--where one chooses to set roots, determine one's influences?  I think in many ways it does.  I can say that I look to Hennings and Wendt and Blumenshein because they relate to my way of seeing the West. We have place in common. I have experienced the landscapes and people that their paintings depict and that carves a certain character in my paintings. Their modern counterparts continue to influence the styles of the region and those paintings also influence me. It is an interesting historical connection and it is satisfying to find some common ground.

Emerging

                                      

                                      

                                  

I've been thinking about the word "emerging" lately.  The dictionary defines it as "1. to rise up or come forth into view; 2. to come into existence; 3. to become known or evident."  Ironically, the entry is right below a picture of  a cow embryo illustrating another entry all together, but rather relevant as well! To me, the word conjures something that is fragile, but also has strength.

I am an emerging artist. In fact, I have been emerging for quite some time now.  I began my art career in the children's book business and through the hand of fate, am now quite happily making paintings for galleries. I have been painting (or illustrating in oils) for over 20 years.  Making my living as a fine artist was an abrupt U-turn and I had to start my learning process all over again. I did it most of it by the seat of my pants (there were times where it definitely showed).  I am just now beginning to understand the process of painting better, but I still have a long, long way to go. An art career is definitely something that is earned. Perhaps I will always be emerging.

I made the images above in an artist's journaling class a few years ago.  My theme for the journal was emerging....