Updates from Terri on Her Art Journey
|
|
As you may know if you’ve been following me on my art journey or reading my blog, I struggle as an emerging artist in identifying my unique voice and artistic style. In addition to praying for guidance and inspiration, I’ve been soliciting advice from my friends on Facebook, and this week the subject was roses.
On Saturday morning, I posted these six pictures of roses that I’d painted last week with a simple question: which variety do you prefer—red, white, peach, pink or orange? Perhaps it’s not surprising that the vast majority of respondents chose the red rose; after all, red is a classic. And I was extremely encouraged when one of my friends, whose opinion I value, wrote that she loved my flowers, that my flower paintings were “very unique,” and that this was my “niche.” Another friend noted that she liked the “style” I’m developing. “Style?” “Unique?” “Niche?” These are just the words of encouragement I was looking for! Perhaps the most useful comment, however, came from a friend who countered the consensus view of the favored red rose. “Truly,” she wrote, “I love each of the others more than the red. The red announces itself. The others invite the viewers toward them.” This comment really got me to thinking. Anyone can paint a pretty red rose . . . seriously. What makes the other of my five roses stand out, I believe, is a technique I’ve recently learned called “cloisonnism.” Have you ever heard of it? I hadn’t, until I read about it in a lesson taught by Debbie Miller in her fabulous online course, Habit-Forming Flowers. So I did a little more research. Cloisonnism is a post-Impressionist painting movement that started in France in the 1880’s. Cloison literally means “partition,” and it is a term derived from the art of Byzantine enamelwork. It refers to thin metal strips or wires attached to a flat metal surface to form self-contained compartments which serve as containers of pure color. What results is a style similar to that found in the art of stained-glass windows and Japanese prints. When applied to modern painting, cloisonnism is characterized by bold lines, forms and color. Lately I’ve been studying the work of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), who is one of the early adopters of cloisonnism. Among his later paintings that employed this method are “Sower on the Outskirts of Arles” (1888), “Landscape with House and Ploughman” (1889), and “Peasant Woman Cutting Straw after Millet” (1889). One of my favorite paintings by van Gogh is “Irises” (1889). The painting is crammed with the ripe, moist excesses of nature, with the deep blue of the finely drawn iris buds contrasting sharply with the boldly outlined green of the leaves, which divide the flowers into horizontal rows. Although he never achieved fame (or much of an income) during his lifetime, and despite his short, stormy career, ending in episodes of madness, today his paintings are instantly recognizable even to folks who never stepped foot in an art museum. Vincent has inspired me. As I continue on my art journey and learn more about his work, I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it (perhaps in a future blog). In the meantime, I’m happy to be painting flowers . . . in outline.
0 Comments
Like most emerging artists, I struggle with identifying my unique perspective as a painter. From subject matter to medium, the choices are plentiful and numerous, while the time for learning and developing an expertise is limited.
Recently I’ve been painting flowers, using transparent watercolors, and seascapes painted with opaque acrylics. Both are fun, challenging and satisfying to paint in their very different ways. But which is more aesthetically pleasing? To get some guidance, I surveyed my friends on Facebook. Giving them a choice of two paintings—one of a seascape and the other of a flower—I asked a simple question, “Which do you prefer?” Of those responding, one-third said they preferred flowers, one-third said they liked seascapes, and one-third said they couldn’t choose; they liked them both. Obviously, my survey is not very helpful in helping me to narrow my subject matter! But it did prove the late 20th century proverbial saying, “Different strokes for different folks.” If you’re not familiar with this expression, interestingly it began life in the USA in the 1960s. The first person known to have used it is the boxer Muhammed Ali. Quoted in a newspaper in 1966, Ali was describing his repertoire of punches. The fifteenth-century monk and poet, John Lydgate, put it another way: “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” So, in other words, you can’t please everyone (and that’s OK!). Actually, trying to please everyone can be detrimental for you, and, in fact, the key to failure is trying to please everyone. Instead, follow your heart, make the most of every day and be proud of who you are. Believe in yourself, do what you think is right for you, and build your repertoire. Ricky Nelson says it best in his song “Garden Party:” “It’s all right now; I learned my lesson well. You see, you can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself.” You’ve probably heard the expression: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” It may have been an ancient proverb, but it first appeared in writing in 1820 in a book by Charles Caleb Colton, an English cleric, writer and collector, well known for his eccentricities. The book, which is filled with Colton’s notable quotes, is called “Lacon, or Many Things in Few Words, addressed to those who think.” He was a clever cleric and I’m sure you’ve heard a number of his memorable words of wisdom. One of my favorites is: “When you have nothing to say, say nothing.” Words I should live by.
Nonetheless, I have a confession to make. As an emerging artist, I’m a copycat. But I’m hopeful that this is just a temporary condition. In the five-day painting challenge I just completed (as you’ll see in the above photograph), I simply copied the work of my art instructor, Rod Moore, as he shared his painting techniques with his hundreds of students. It was terrific fun to paint along with Rod as we struggled to keep up, and I so admire his generosity to teach us the skills he’s devoted years to learn himself. He doesn’t seem the least bit bothered that we are all copying his work and imitating his style. That is so unselfish of him! But it bothered me. Until today, when I listened to a message from another terrific artist named Nicholas Wilton, host of ART2LIFE WORKSHOPS. In his blog post, “How To Handle Copycats,” he admits that years ago, as he was learning his craft, he, too, copied other artists. And today he does not begrudge his students who copy his style . . . at least temporarily. And that’s the key, isn’t it? Copying, imitating, emulating . . . these are all temporary learning steps. On my art journey, there are many artists I will undoubtedly copy. Some may be accomplished, well established painters, perhaps even masters. Others will be art entrepreneurs who have carved out a niche on YouTube. If I happen to mimic or imitate your style of painting, please take it as a compliment. When I finally figure out what MY unique voice is, I hope someone will admire it enough to copy me! This week I will be busy participating in a 5-day painting challenge called “Unleashing the Artist Within.” It is being run by Australian landscape artist Rod Moore who runs the Learn To Paint Academy. We will have the week to complete four paintings, using either acrylics or oil paints. Yesterday we had our first lesson. In this picture, I’m holding our first assignment. The paintings on the wall behind me are other projects previously inspired by Rod. I’ve been studying under Rod for less than six months and I’ve already seen a big improvement in my ability to paint with acrylics. Not only does he teach the fundamentals of good painting, including composition and design, values, color mixing, drawing, brushes and brushwork, he also uses what he calls the “Moore Method of Painting” which simplifies the process using just three colors, three brushes and three steps. Really, he makes it that simple. Rod instills in his students the best practices of an artist. For example, he encourages us to regularly seek inspiration, to set up a dedicated studio space and a sacred time to create, to devote time to study and acquire knowledge, to practice, practice, practice, to develop a spiritual practice of tapping into a greater source of creativity and to be a service to others. It’s been a pleasure traveling my artist’s journey with Rod. If you’d like to check him out, here’s a link to his Learn To Paint Academy. As with journalism or religion, the purpose of art is to “afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.” Artists do so by shining light on our society and world. It’s a light that illuminates beauty and joy, and, at the same time, reveals truths. It’s the job of the artist to see, create, and shine the light on truth, hope and beauty. The bottom line is: artists keep the light shining by practicing their art. Art is sometimes used as a political statement that casts light on oppressive governments or societal structures. Social movements often use art as a means of exposing a perceived struggle. Murals and graffiti on trains, for example, have been used creatively and artistically to bring to the public eye a social struggle or injustice. And art can reflect the cultural truths of a group of people, such as the creation stories represented in the paintings by Michelangelo. Although not all artistic endeavors may be “true,” like certain advertisements or TV commercials, art can lead to the truth by presenting the common in an uncommon way. When art reveals the truth, there is a beautiful idealization. On the other hand, when it hides the truth, there is an ugly distortion. In 2009, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Metropolitan Museum of Art American Wing, Michelle Obama said, “The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.” Ultimately, making art is about seeing and perception. For me, as a painter, it’s about figuring out how to get a three-dimensional world into two dimensions, and simply painting what I see. Somewhere in the process, I pray it reveals truth. |
AuthorTerri Thompson is a journalist-turned-visual artist, who is on an "art journey" and exploring how to tell her stories through her watercolor and acrylic paintings and photographs. Categories |