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Rules, and Bridges to Your Own
October 31, 2008
I think that a painting is more than the sum of its parts, but it’s the parts that have more to teach.
Some of the details in this painting are kind of groundbreaking for me, and new things I tried will be applied to future paintings, but with an honest and unbiased eye toward it, from a distance it looks like just another landscape. That seems to be the general opinion about most landscapes; being the most popular genre of painting, they are so common they need a second glance and closer study in order to be fully appreciated. Anyway, with this one I’m now pleased with the efforts, but when I started painting this one I had no intentions of posting it, mainly because it’s my interpretation of a postcard, commissioned by a neighbor.
The neighbors thoughtfully collect our mail and water the garden whenever we’re away, even when not asked, so when they requested a painting to be copied from a postcard of his home town in France I cringed (you know, about the copying thing), but then agreed. With no deadline demanded there was plenty of time to wrap my head around this project, and I took it. I still wanted to do a good job despite my strong convictions about copying, and waited for a time when I felt ready to do my best – because the first few strokes are as important as the last.
There are decent arguments for and against a “right time” for things, and if a job needs doing immediately I have no problem doing it immediately, but I was thankful to have a little more time without the pressure to visualize this one.
I came to terms with the thing by finally just starting it, and the rest of this blog entry explains how that taught me more than my last five paintings all together.
Once I let go of all the over-thinking about ethics and integrity, while resolving to make it my own I got lost in the most important part of anything you create: the work; that zone – we all want to get lost in The Zone! It turned into a really interesting, fun learning opportunity.
There are a lot of slogans, terms, traditions, quotes and art-myths passed along through generations of artists. We absorb them over the years and they gradually play a part in forming our opinions and our work habits to some extent. Impulsively we set up walls that can get in the way of seeing and discovery.
We need assignments like this that challenge us to break free from rules, if only temporarily…rules that may be fine for others but may prevent us from exploring the avenues that lead to our own personal best.
There’s a lot of competition in the Art Biz, a surplus of advice, group lessons, suggestions, and strong opinions about what art is and isn’t, what you should and shouldn’t do, and even a kind of unspoken underground rating system that some people have, pinpointing what style or motivational source is better than another.
The point here is: whatever the initial source is that gets you painting or creating something, then use it. If it feels right for you then it is right for you. There are things in each painting, successful or not, that bridge all our efforts into the next. The act of working is valuable above all, whatever it is or however it’s done. The value you hold for yourself translates into your work that, if successful, may also become valuable to someone else.
Categories: acrylic painting, France, inspiration, landscapes, semi-impressionist | 4 Comments »
4 Responses to “Rules, and Bridges to Your Own”
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November 1st, 2008 at 11:06
I Think it’s OK to Copy as long as you don’t sign The painting with a forged name. Long dead artists would probably like that you thought enough of their work to copy it. How else can they speak to you? …. Teach. You’ve done a good job with this work.
November 2nd, 2008 at 11:06
Hi Dad, I hear you and agree about learning from other Artists… it was you who taught me to look a little beyond at that kind of thing. This one was from a postcard, he had photos of his own but they are all winter shots so this was his preference. Thanks for letting me know what you think about it.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:06
You’ve touched on a subject that’s always plagued me (clients asking me to “copy” something)…I’ve found that, try as I might, the “copy” still comes off in your own style…simply painting something from the same vantage point as a photographer, for instance, isn’t “copying”…this one is beautiful, lots of movement — Emily Carr in France….
November 12th, 2008 at 11:06
Thank you for the compliment! It’s true Karen, like give children colored paper cut into a circle, two eyes, nose and a mouth, ask them to construct a face and every single one will be unique. The term ‘Struggling Artist’ does not just refer to monetary situations does it! Each painting has its own set of challenges. Taking Artistic license with someone else’s photo will always be a bit of a struggle, and it was like a bridge to freedom overcoming that struggle here.