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.

In the Eye of the Beholder

All that Glitters oil 22 x 28

Painting is subjective.  There are basic concepts that make a piece a good painting. Concepts like composition, color, balance, and rhythm, and drawing.  But after that, the definition becomes blurred.  Perhaps you prefer very detailed renderings of fruit.  Or painterly interiors. Or works that recall the past. Maybe you like the color blue.

What makes a painting "worthy" or "good" has been weighing on my mind lately.  Sometimes I feel like there is a very narrow definition. And the tastes of the general public or the magazine editors are not always a good barometer. Sometimes I imagine Cezanne or Matisse standing before a room of contemporary paintings.  Which would they think were the best?

Plein Air vs. Studio Work

Afternoon on the Blue oil 9 x 12 SOLD

We had a late Spring this year, but I have been spending more time outdoors painting plein air pieces recently.  It is good to get out!  The immediacy of the outdoor experience can't be matched. When I do get out to paint, I get hooked on being outside.  There are challenges like the wind and the bugs, but the light is more true and the colors more vivid. It is an important tool for me.

I spend more time in the studio than I used to.  Winters are long and deep here and I have learned that I am more productive leaving the plein air work to the other seasons.  I do enjoy applying some of the knowledge gleaned from being outside to my studio pieces.  I also find I can slow down with the studio work and control my technique a bit more inside.  I think both approaches complement each other and each serves a very different purpose for me.

I painted this piece on the banks of the Blue River on the cusp of Spring.

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!

Heroes

Aldro Hibbard Winter Stream

Every artist has a few heroes that have come before them.  Painters that they look to for inspiration or information.  Heroes should motivate you to paint better. The list may grow as the artist grows and in writing this, I notice a few on my list that were influencial at first, but I no longer look to them as much. I still love their work, but I find it is important to continually study work that speaks to you in new ways.

I have a few to share today.  The list is longer than this, but best shared in small amounts.

The only living artist on my list was one of my first influences, Russell Chatham.  His work has an abstract quality to it that I love. I bought his One Hundred Paintings book right out of college.

• Aldro Hibbard.  A New England painter who structures his brushstrokes in a way that I find intriging.
• Emile Gruppe.  A contemporary of Hibbard.  You can see their work together in a wonderful small gallery in Jeffersonville, Vermont. They painted in the area.
• John Carlson for his beautiful ability with trees and light.
• William Wendt. A California Impressionist who again uses brushwork and color to structure his paintings.
• Ernest Blumenshein.  A Taos painter.  The abstract qualities and design elements in his paintings are interesting to me.
• Last but not least, John Singer Sargent.  I think he shows up on every painter's list of heroes.



John Singer Sargent Home Fields

 

Capturing Value

On the Bluff oil 12 x 16

Here is a new trick I'm trying.  Value and its structure is one of the more important components of a painting.  I love using color and sometime lose the light and dark pattern in my work. Or I get caught up in the details instead of the big shapes. Look at Sargent's paintings.  He is a master at the big shapes and value placement.

I am using my photo editing program to change my color photos of my work (not the reference photos) to black and white.  It is useful if you have trouble translating value to color. From there I can simplify values if they aren't working and make sure that they lead the eye. Sometimes this trick helps. At other times, the painting wasn't planned well from the start and it is beyond help!

Me and Leonardo

Leonardo da Vinci

I admit that I DESPISE finishing paintings.  I like the first session where the idea is fresh and exciting and I feel hope about the outcome. If I could make every painting alla prima, I would.  But, alas, I can't...

I spent the day going over the unfinished paintings in my studio.  I need to have a body of work completed in the next few months and it is imperative that I finish those that should be finished.  Generally this means that I am adding detail or changing shapes or fixing edges and sometimes I don't get it right and the whole painting goes down the tubes. AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE GOTTEN NOTHING DONE. 

In addition, the unfinished paintings tend to be the ones that I lost interest in half way through, and there is nothing that makes you feel like you should just give it all up for a waitressing job like bad starts. I can spend hours trying to make a bad start work to no avail.  BUT, I did make some progress today and I have a line of FINISHED and partly wet paintings lining my walls. HOORAY!

Leonardo da Vinci rarely finished his work.  I think oftentimes he had moved on to the next thing in his head and lost interest in what he was working on at the time.  But, that's a guess.  I wish I could say I was half as talented or ingenious, but I can't. HOWEVER, I did finish something today.

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

Caught in the Middle




Reflection-Windsong 36 x 36

 I find that my work falls somewhere in the middle of the contemporary or abstract and a more traditional approach.  I think the paintings that I enjoy creating the most look at the world in terms of shape and color and can present a structure that is based on reality, but stray a bit from what is "real" as well. There are times I feel pressure to create more traditional work that appeals to a broader audience.  I suppose it is a remnant of wanting to fit in. There are a lot of artists out there who have perfected the traditions of landscape or still life or portraiture. They draw from the conventional and give it their own twist. Should I pursue the same?  There are also artists who walk the line between the conventional and the abstract.  I think T. Allen Lawson does it well.  Len Chmiel also comes to mind. At the moment, I continue to dabble a bit in both worlds--I have a long way to go and it is the journey after all. I'm confident that one way or another a method that is completely mine will surface.  I just need to put in the hours.



 



Alpine Sunrise 12 x 9