I found myself revisiting a book authored by artist, Ian Roberts, Creative Authenticity. It addresses the difficulty that comes with the process of unfolding our voice as an artist. Creative Authenticity found its roots in a series of talks that Roberts gave in a small Canadian town library that was packed with artists, musicians, writers and others seeking to creatively express themselves. Sixteen chapters reveal sixteen intertwined ”principles” that for Roberts are essential for authentic expression.
I flipped the pages to principle eleven, “Working Method:”
It’s painful to contemplate the number of paintings that don’t work, not just mine but also those in galleries and museums. Such failures may be adequately painted but they don’t sing. The paintings have left the studio but they aren’t happy…and for each of us there’s only one solution to this problem. We just have to make paintings and more paintings, and then for some reason all of a sudden we start to click…
The experience of the painting painting itself happens. We’re in the zone. After a month of starts and stops in the studio I long to get back in the groove. I feel rusty somehow and that lurking feeling can be treacherous. So this morning, I am headed to the studio with John Carlson in mind. He wrote, “confidence comes from experience.” I am in search of the zone!
I mentioned last week that painting time was at a premium these days. This morning I was able to eke out forty-five minutes and decided to go for it. So here is quick snow study. Didn’t quite finish it up but it was just refreshing to spend the time painting. Easel time works wonders for dissolving the stresses of the day.
Those of you who follow this blog know that I am a huge proponent of creating a painting with interesting shapes and strong value masses. I was thumbing through one of my art books this past weekend and was captivated once again by the works of JMW Turner (1775–1851). His edges are very soft which immediately negates having interesting shapes, or even any shapes at all. And many times his value distribution is within a very narrow range.
Snow Storm- Steamboat off a Harbour's Mouth, JMW Turner 1842
So why do his paintings work? Simply put, Turner eloquently talked with his brush. For sure he used a different language than mine, but it is one I can still embrace, understand and stand in awe.
Rain, Steam and Speed, JMW Turner 1844
My thoughts are he is trying to say more with less. Light, color and atmosphere is the subject. The vagueness of form engages the viewer to fill in the gaps and complete “the rest of the story.” The viewer is given a powerful invitation to bring his own interpretation of what he sees in the painting. The experience becomes very personal.
January has been a month of distractions. Sick elderly parents, real estate transactions, disclosure forms, meeting, inspections. Studio time has become scarce and precious. But this reminds me of just another reason why I love my medium of choice, soft pastels. In between the distractions I can catch snippets of 20 to 30 minutes of time to head into the studio and paint. Nothing to set up, nothing to clean up, just dedicated painting time.
work in progress
So when the opportunity presents itself I have working on my “rocky start” painting. The problem I seem to be facing now is solidifying what is the star of the show. Is it the rocks or the cascading water? Can’t be both! My original study favored the rocks, but now as the painting is developing I tend to see the water as the main attraction.
So next time in the studio, the rocks are subject to a major rework. Colors closer in values, less chroma.
Last Friday I found myself in one of the studio classrooms of a local junior college. I am enrolled in Figure Oil Painting. So what is a pastel artist whose genre is the landscape doing here?
I can’t think of a better way to hone my observational skills than by studying the form of the human body. Really discerning values that ultimately define form is a skill that can always use a tune up. Catching the essence of gesture leads the way to rhythms and a sense of fluidity. All vital talents of any artist no matter what the subject or the medium.
So for the next 18 weeks or so, I will will send 6 hours each Friday (this alone is a test of stamina) seeing, drawing, seeing, painting, seeing and learning. Working in oils for extended periods of time will also be a stretch for me. Maybe even a “challenge.” There’s THAT word again.
Torrential rain, hail, thunder and lightening are all good reasons to hunker down in the studio. If you are experiencing California weather or have heard about it, I obviously had some time yesterday to rethink my “Rocky Start” study.
I did a number of value studies and selected the one pictured here. Already I am feeling better. This was a key component missing from my first go round with this subject. As you may recall my original painting had no shapes. It was just a huge mass of midtones, sprinkled and scattered with lights and darks. Now at least I see masses of two lights and two darks. I’m happy!
Pictured is the watercolor underpainting done on mounted Wallis paper. The first thing I checked was how the underpainting related to the value study. So far so good. I also like the composition better. I have addressed the divisions of space. and what makes me the happiest is there are no implied lines that look like ladder rungs climbing up the painting. Recession of space has been recaptured! For all I care, let it pour!
The new year seems to have gotten off to a rough start in my studio and in life in general. With a number of family distractions on the health front, putting our home and my studio on the market, actual studio time has been at a premium. To top it off one of the first paintings off the easel was a total disaster. But I decided to post it anyway.
What intrigued me about the scene was the flow of water cascading over the rocks. The problem is that my focal point is not that evident. Is it area one or two as indicated on the focal point thumbnail below)? When I went back to refer to my notan (value study) I was shocked not to find it. I hadn’t done one; something totally unlike me. The notan would have given me a clue of where I thought the emphasis should be, the area with the most contrast, the most interesting shapes. It also would have revealed the value distribution. In doing a graysale posterized adjustment in Photoshop you can see that at least 90% of the study is midtones, the lights are scattered and there is just a touch of darks. No strong shapes here, for sure!
value distribution
division of space
focal area?
diagonals
When I step backed from the easel the first thing I saw that made me shiver was the division of space I had created. Three equal horizontal bands were staring me in the face! Bad design. I felt like I flunked Composition 1A. To add insult to that injury, while I have repetition of line with the diagonals coming in from the right, there is little counterbalance.
And then I came to aerial perspective. That’s simple, there isn’t any.
But you may remember “challenge” was the word I chose to guide me through the year. This little disaster is going to be the fodder for a larger and hopefully more successful attempt. The gauntlet has been thrown.
Young Kieron Williamson at the age of seven has some wise advice for all artists and anyone who aspires to take their dreams and goals to the next level. I especially admire his early rising to be in front of his easel.
I imagine I am like other artists when it comes to entering juried shows. There is the anticipation of acceptance balanced with the disappointment of rejection. Why do we put ourselves through this? I guess, for me it is the validation of my work by other artists I admire. About a year or so ago I had the opportunity to watch the jurying process unfold on two different occasions. Definitely surprising events.
Juror’s come to the table with different agendas. In many cases the jurors take their lead from the show committee who has outlined for them what they want to show to look like. I remember one juror rejected anything that looked remotely in the style of his own work. He saw those artists as look-a-like wannabes. Another juror placed major emphasis on the title of each painting, saying this was the artist’s chance to “market” their work, state their case, define their concept.
During one jurying session, it became apparant that as the day went on the jurors tired and became either more accepting, or more critical. This was dependent on how many pieces were to be selected to fill the show and what the current accepted count was. There were jurors who were very thoughtful in their selection, verbalizing what they appreciated in the work in front of them but why they felt they had to reject it.
This year I have on my list to enter six shows. I guess just for the angst of it all. I just received acceptance of two paintings, Tomorrow’s Promise and Delta Mist in the Fairfield Visual Arts Association 47th Annual Regional Exhibit. Delta Mist is an award winner, but unfortunately I do not have a digital image to post (another long story). But I can tell you it is pictured in my blog header, the second from the right. Water Dance was juried into the North Valley 26th National Show, awards to still be announced!
This is the time of year when resolutions abound, maybe even a few haven’t already fallen by the wayside! This year instead of promises to myself I decided to take a cue from Christine Kane and adopt a word to carry me through the year in all aspects of my life.
Just one. The problem lie in picking just one word. Simplify, explore, nurture, journey, listen, ask; they all have endless possibilities. For better or worse I decided on “challenge.”
So in the studio this week I decided to challenge myself to doing a painting, start to finish, in an hour or less. At the end of 60 minutes it is what it is. Needless to say, the time flew.
underpainting
I began with a found piece of prepared board from my stash. No telling how long ago I prepared it and I am not even sure what I had used to make the surface. But heck, this is suppose to be a challenge, remember? It is 8 x 8″ illustration board and perhaps I coated it with just Golden’s Acrylic Ground for Pastel. As I began working with it it had a different feel than my usual pumice mixture I sometimes use.
I chose a scene I had painted previously on a recent plein air excursion, hoping that would help with the time constraints. I did a watercolor underpainting after a quick test with water on the surface to see if the surface would even hold up to this approach, Clock’s ticking, yikes. I dried it with a hair dryer, no time to let nature takes its course.
Following the Sun ©2006 Marianne Post, soft pastel on panel
