In the course of my studies, it has become harder to find great art books to study. In many cases the information is the same rehashed versions that I have read before.
When I was reading "The Art of Landscape Painting", I was struck by the number of paintings that were photographed in black and white. I spent a fair amount of time considering what colors were beneath the values I was presented. This has led to the inclusion of value shots in my blog posts. The more a value shot looks like a black and white photograph-not a black and white photograph of a painting-the better.
One part of the book I liked was the section where Paul talks about defining yourself through a series of questions or examinations. Below are some of those examinations and my personal responses to them.
The development of your particular mode of expression is also related to your development as a person.
What is my current state of development? At this time, I am a plein air painter first. I am painting plein air about 95% of the time. My growth has really accelerated since I have been plein air painting. I am pushing the envelope through the size of my surface that I am painting on. My drawing has improved. My decision making has improved. I am constantly firing off decisions at a fast pace with confidence. My mark making has continued to develop and become more idiosyncratic. My experimentation with color relationships has continued to evolve and remains fresh. I am older. I am not worried about what others think. I know what I want and I am not afraid to go after it. I am not afraid to try new things. Older does not mean conservative. I am willing to push the limits of my painting. I am constantly pushing myself to develop as a artist. I still paint in a loose manner. I am capable of painting tightly when I need to but there is no effort needed to paint loosely.
To develop as an artist you must constantly ask yourself- What do I want out of a painting. What do I want to get out of a painting? I am looking for a full expression of my thoughts, feelings, and skill out of every painting (plein air or studio). I am not willing to say that it is ok for a painting to fail. I am not able to make every painting my best, but that is my goal. I will fight with a painting as long as I can. I am fighting to correct fundamental issues with my paintings less and less.
Is the material really personal? Find a way to express yourself in a truly personal way. How is my art a personal expression? Every thing I do in my art is a personal expression. I use pastels because of their intense color, their ability to enhance my expressiveness, and the ability to make dynamic color applications quickly. I prepare my surfaces to support my mood and situation. My under painting reflects my feelings and my choice of subject. The things I paint are the things I love. These hills, trees, beaches, and canyons are enthralling to me.
What is your unique vision? Painting is seeing, feeling, thinking, decision making, problem solving, and the physical and mental ability to put them down in a coherent manner. Each one of these skills is unique to the individual. When I compare my work to the work of others on paint outs, the differences become obvious. I think the biggest
Do I see the world in a different way and give people a fresh and individual way to experience beauty when viewing my art? My vision is different. I have been influenced by the impressionists in the way I depict color. Because I see things differently than others, I put them down on my surface differently than others. I look around at the paintings others are painting and wonder why they don't see the saturated colors the way I do. Is it a difference in the way they see the subject or a hesitance to put it down?
Do I let them see the soul and the drama of the subject?
The painting I do five years from now can only be done five years from now. What are the differences in my painting today versus five years ago? At the core of painting is decision making. There is a constant evaluation of the subject, your effort, and the results. I believe I am able to make many more decisions in a much shorter time with greater accuracy to my intention. My color choices are more dynamic.
You are the sum total of your experiences from your life.
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