In this age of social media we are bombarded with imagery. It may be good to see what everyone else is doing. Follow artists whose
work you admire and most want to emulate. There is value in setting the bar high, it
keeps us reaching and hopefully teachable. But a constant game of comparison
is not healthy, in fact it can be downright stifling to your own growth.
Sometimes I think we are not even aware of it with all of the liking,
hearting, thumbs up, thumps down, all the signaling of satisfaction and approval (or of rejection or failure) cannot be healthy in the long run. It is
very easy to get caught up in all that social media “trophy hunting.”
The answer to combating all the digital noise for me is to simply turn to the process, the act and craft of
painting.
Quiet the inner critic by focusing on what the
painting experience is teaching you. Fall in love with the process; the whole creative learning process, the
ideas and concepts which go into the creation of a painting. Recognize that
part of the process is failure, be willing to fail and be teachable. This is where the best lessons you learn come from. “Failure is success in
progress” to quote Albert Einstein.
Don’t block the process with endless comparison, you have no
idea what their journey is all about. As
artist we are supposed to create a personal voice within our artwork. It should be stamped with our unique DNA filtered through our experiences and
knowledge of the world expressed in and through our art. Our emphasis should
not be on producing a finished “work of art” but rather on the practice and
development of a fundamental skill set.
To accomplish that - work at your craft daily, it is progress
not perfection.
As the process is more important than the finished work.
There are several advantages to having a designated still
life stand. The obvious is the control over your work space and environment. Add to that a shadow box and you gain complete power over light and
composition. The still life provides a unlimited opportunity for the study of
form. How light moves across an object can be thoroughly analyzed and painted
in a controlled situation and under regulated lighting.
My stand is simply a heavy duty shelving unit I purchased
from a hardware store that measures 2’ x 4’ x 6’ tall, I wanted one deep enough
to hold a large set up and adjustable so that I could set the still life shelf
at a standing height to work from. This one adjusts by inches so I could pick
exactly where I wanted the shelf to be. I did add a plywood back to the still
life shelf and painted it with a neutral tone, this gave me a means to change
background by either taping up colored paper or pinning a cloth. I use a clamp light with a natural daylight
bulb inside the frame, and draped the entire shelf unit with black fabric
creating the shadow box.
I frame the opening on both sides like curtains so that I
can draw them closed leaving just enough space to view the composition. I use
the other shelves for storage of canvas, frames and palettes. It may not be the
most attractive furniture in the room but it functions well and does solve a
lot of problems.
One bonus with your designated still life space is storage space for your collection of artifacts, curios and studio oddities. Funny
how you can buy the weirdest stuff at yard sales and junk shops and just tell
people (-my wife-) you need it for a still life painting and they're fine with
it. That’s how I got my great human anatomy skull.
Once you have a work space like this you can start to
explore compositions and discover what objects work together. Play with shapes
and textures and look at how shadows fall and leading lines can create eye
movement. Take some time and work through several arrangements, make it as
simple or complex as you like, work out some profound narrative or make a contemplative
moment of observation.
Either way, compose something you really want to paint
and spend some time with -- remember it’s not going anywhere it’s a still life. So by the "eeny, meeny,
miney, mo" method, pick out some objects and play with the arrangement.
Don’t forget it is a process of discovery so have fun with it.
The iconic classical Greek philosopher Socrates wrote, “The
more you know, the more you realize you know nothing.” My understanding of the
language of art making is always expanding, every time I think I know
something and understand it completely I am shown how much more there is to
learn.
Painting is as much about patience as practice. It is a slow
process of discovery and as long as we are aware of that fact we will see the
type of improvement we desire. Those artistic breakthroughs come from persistently
pushing our ideas and abilities to their limit.
To do that you must build a visual language and vocabulary, develop fundamental skills through practice and learn to speak with them in a voice
that is unique to you. This is a tall order!
It is not about being a perfectionist but about realizing the new challenge that every piece of work creates. I’ve used the expression before about chasing the carrot, maybe “moving the ball forward” or “grabbing the brass ring” would be better idioms/sayings. You get the idea, it is the small increments of success, those little artistic epiphanies, that maybe only you can see in your work which keep you going, it is that process that leads to the next painting.
If I were ever 100% satisfied with a piece, if I did not see
something I could improve on or something I could not say better, well I
think I would be done. Because I would have stopped progressing as an artist. The language of art and the eye of a painter - is always a
work in progress.
Back in the day working as a pictorial artist, I must have
painted a few dozen billboards with liquor ads and this little paint brought
back the memories. Always enjoyed doing those illustrations because I got to really loosen up and fling some paint around.
It is a very abstract subject to paint, the effect of refracted
light through the melting ice, liquor and glass are gratifying objects to
depict. You get to play with the medium, manipulating the best qualities of oil
paint in thick and thin passages, the looser and more abstract your brushwork the
better.
Abstraction is everywhere when you look, and in this imagery of
reflections and transparencies it can be seen easily, it's what
makes it so satisfying to paint. Using loose open brushwork that describes the
structure and creates an illusion of three-dimensional form, a real tangible
thing - is Abstract Realism. I personally prefer the term Painterly Realism because it does not sound like such a contradiction, however I consider the terms interchangeable.
It's a very hard thing to accomplish, being
descriptive while holding those abstract qualities underneath the picture. If
only I could always paint that loosely with definition. Painterly Realism is something we should work towards; but is not a technique, it is developed over
time through observation and knowledge using nature as your guide. The study of
form, space, depth and atmosphere. Often artist's rush to that "loosely
painted” brushwork where they trade expression for knowledge.
However, many great painters seem to have found that balance,
Rembrandt, Titian, Sargent and Vermeer all exhibit the unique and subtle equilibrium
in which the abstract beauty of paint combines with a recognizable image.
I am always trying to figure out where I should keep
details and where I should let things just soften. What paint quality do I need
to describe this or that passage, with color, edges, textures and shapes. I certainly will try any paint application I can think of to arrive at that result; glazes, scumbles, impasto, scratching and scraping. Whatever needs to be done to make it look
like that surface.
So the marks we make need to reflect the object and be
authentic to that specific thing we are describing. Creating lots of brush
strokes and being impressionistic tends to look formulaic and mechanical which takes away from the natural realism I prefer. Look at contemporary artists like
Jeremy Lipkin, Conor Walton or David Kassan, they maintain the abstract and yet are very descriptive. So the brushwork or looseness/tightness
of the approach follows the object you are portraying. The goal is to master
the medium and be truthful to the subject.
Form is what I am most concerned about. When people ask me
what I paint, the real answer is form. That is, translating three-dimensional form to a two-dimensional surface and creating the illusion of reality with space,
depth and atmosphere. When you can
arrive at this with some bravura brushwork and attention to detail that synthesis
is what I consider Painterly Realism.
So for me it is all abstract. If a painting is successful at
some level, the abstract beauty of paint viewed up close merges into a
recognizable image from a distance.
Anyway these are my thoughts on this painting today, and as I pursue
my craft with an open mind I reserve the right to change that opinion tomorrow. Then again it could just be the Wild Turkey talking. LOL
Going back to some basics for the first painting of the new year, a simple set up with an unassuming set of objects using a small shadow box and pochade box. I like objects that have a unique surface quality and form. The passages of abstract patterns, like the little area between the pear and glass bottle are fascinating and very rich in my eye.
Multiple ellipses and transparent objects, I am the type that bites off more than they can chew. I don’t mean to. I think to
myself, “Oh yea, that would be interesting to paint.” Dive in and about halfway
into it, end up saying (out loud this time)... “Why do you pick the most
difficult things?”
I have done several compositions with bottles and enjoy the challenge of manipulating paint to create the illusion of glass. Natural looking reflections and bounced light can be a difficult subject to pull off, but with a combination of glazes and scumbles you will achieve a pretty convincing realistic look. The hard part with that is overstating the effect. You have to remind yourself to paint what you see, not what you think you see and that always makes me a bit apprehensive.
I learned a long time ago that the good things you learn in
this craft take time, practice and dedication. It also takes a bit of
fearlessness, fear being the biggest barrier to success in any endeavor. That fear
causes you to over think and is the death of art. You have to enjoy
yourself in the moment - even if you are out of your comfort zone. Remember the
adage, “You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs.”
If you want to push through to the next level, remember that
no one ever creates anything great by staying in their comfort zone. You need to
go beyond what you think you can do in order to see your full potential.
To my dear friends, colleagues, collectors, bloggers and loved ones who made 2016 such a wonderful year, you will never know how much your support is appreciated.
This Blog has been an amazing thing and has served multiple purposes. It has created a creative community of which I am a part and given me a voice to speak about the art I create. It has allowed me to think deeply about my work, art in general and its importance in the world. It has given me a window into the making of my art and by others, and a wealth of information to share and digest. I admit it has been mostly about me, for I benefit the most. But it would not exist without you.
Thank you. Thank you all for your continuing support.
"Life imitates art far more than art imitates life." - Oscar Wilde.
Intuition.
I get an idea and tend to just run with it, focus on the process and let the concepts evolve as I go. When working in a series, one piece will feed into another and things will lead in interesting directions, if you let them. This awareness of the painting experience is directing your decision making and aesthetic choices. The process is always asking questions as you answer them, what hue, value, chroma, shape, edges, scale and on and on, and hopefully with experience you are doing all of this intuitively. I find a lot meaning, energy and satisfaction within this chain of events.
Media – Popular
Culture and Dumbing Down
It seems that where ever you go today there is someone staring at some little device lost in a vortex of texting or in some loud authoritative one-sided conversation. I wonder how much of their life is spent with their head down and eyes glued to a screen. People have become so dependent on these devices, if not addicted, starring and constantly checking their smartphone. Having a conversation with someone while they are texting is not multitasking, it’s just bad manners. When my earliest cell phone rang it was usually a client or art director in a panic about some deadline, commission or change needed. Silence was a good thing…
I am very supportive of the technology, but I wonder what it says about society and its direction. With all this conversing we actually seem to be becoming more anti-social, less tolerant and self-absorbed…the synonym for Narcissism is Vanity. (We just had the most narcissistic/egotistical public display in history the 2016 Presidential election.)
We always study the culture of past civilizations by the artifacts they leave behind, we analyze their art, literature and music in hopes of getting a glimpse into the conscious of that society. I wonder what a future archaeologist will think of a society in which a dead shark formaldehyde preserved or a real-life bed strewn with empty liquor bottles, soiled underwear, and stained sheets is considered high culture? Does it take the absurd and obnoxious to get us to look up from our cell phones? With great interest and at times contempt I’ve watched the “official” art establishments join the conceptual art carnival where ruder and cruder is worth more. I mean what does an 18-karat golden toilet installed in a Guggenheim Museum bathroom, by Maurizio Cattelan’s titled “America”— yes an actual functioning gold toilet – says? Conceit, arrogance and snobbery, more synonyms for Vanity.
Ugly – is easy.
I try to be open minded and tolerant, but I don’t get the joke, postmodernist art seems to me to be elitist and exclusive, a system in which mediocrity is rewarded and validated by a self-contained circle of critics and promoters. And it’s no secret that the real value is its importance in monetary exchange and more its utility as an unregulated commodity.
When we approach art from the oppose end, that of beauty. We are judging it by a different set of metrics. We look at art through our human experience, a personal, truthful and honest view of the world. Great art transcends time and subject matter, not because of the artist’s technical prowess, but because it embraces universal ideas. It has an intrinsic power, some sensation of perfection that bypasses the intellect, in the same way that we receive sensual pleasure from the scent of a rose. John Ruskin referred to this as Simple Beauty, but also spoke about Ideal Beauty which he calls Relation. The artistic idea of relation goes a step beyond Truth, Beauty, Power and Imitation, into a realm that requires intellect. This is art that produces expression, sentiment and character. I see that as the gateway to understanding/creating artistic beauty- it is to see with the mind (intellect) and heart (emotion) These are the core universal ideas.
I enjoy writing/blogging about art but it truly is more for me than you. Writing is my way to work out some of my thoughts and concepts, engage in a bit of exchange and learn something new. I hope you take my opinions with a grain of salt, for they may change. I believe it is very important for artists to give insights into their ideas, share those opinions, explore and conduct critical thinking about the world around us.
Who better to speak about art then those who make it. That seems to me to be the proper etiquette.
Vanitas II - Etiquette, oil on panel, 11 x 14 inches, Jim Serrett
In the Vanitas genre people look at the skull imagery as macabre and morbid symbolism peppered with some moral instruction. That is one of the obvious interpretation, but I see it more as a cautioning reminder that life is precious, so they better not waste it on frivolous and meaningless things. Often included in the Vanitas or memento mori images is the phrase Memento vivere - Remember to live.
Live in the present moment. And recognize how we spend our time is important, what are we really cultivating? Is it improving our lives? Does binge watching hours of junk TV (which I am painfully guilty of) enrich your intellect or cultivate a skill? We need to have a balance, things we do that are frivolous or fun and those which are worthwhile.
Here is an update and progress shots of my second
Vanitas painting. I've made a couple of passes over the underpainting and I'm starting
to model the form. Looking for a very sculptural feel, I want the illusion of space to govern this piece and to have all the objects sit and recede
with a sense of dimension, which moves the viewer into the picture by means of light,
form and depth. This is very important to the narrative of this Vanitas.
My still life set up is a shelving unit draped
and boxed in with black fabric to block out any light. I light it from within and balance the same
light on my canvas and palette. I often use my pochade box as a standing
palette, and will normally use a hand held palette in unison to work out color
mixtures.
On the palette I premix mix a string of colors for each
object representing it's hue, value and chroma. If I see there is any color
shift as it moves from light to dark along the string I will tap warm or cool
into it from my color palette as needed. This way I am never tied to those
premixes and as I see reflected light or a temperature shift I can quickly
punch it up or tone it down without breaking the flow of the painting process. Because
if am really way off on my judgement, I can make those finite adjustments as I return for my second or third pass. Each time I visit a passage, the subtle
differences in color and value become easier to find.
This way I can just stay in the zone.
The Vanitas or memento mori imagery is a fascinating
genre to explore and is full of interesting symbolism. My concept of the
Vanitas or certainly the core idea behind them is to use it not just as a platform
to speak about the struggle of life and death, but of art and life.
Preliminary pencil drawing for my next Vanitas oil painting,
originally it was intended to be a simple contour drawing to transfer to
canvas, but I was just having too much fun with a pencil.
The majority of my still life works begin with a simple but
descriptive contour drawing, which works out the
composition and suggests the shadow side or turning point on the form. This is typically
more than enough information to move on to the next stage of paint. Especially
for any monochrome underpainting.
I pushed this one quite a bit further. In a preliminary drawing
you can do a great deal of problem solving. By simply dissecting the imagery,
exploring the shapes, form and value relationships. You really familiarize yourself with the subjects and those nuances
that first attracted you to it.This process seems the most natural for me and
the most challenging. I feel that I am looking through a lens and slowly
turning it, focusing in on the subject through my mind’s eye, interrupting it
as I go. Becoming more aware and knowledgeable about this thing before me as I progress through the process of creating the image.
As I describe the effects of the light, it becomes more and more
dimensional and real to me. And enjoyed fleshing out the value relationships in
this drawing.
I transferred the drawing to board. With the subject in front
of me and the value study as reference, I painted a quick wipe out umber
underpainting, to truly reinforce the value relationships before my first
color pass.
If we attempt to translate the natural world into paint with some type of optical fidelity (faithfulness to how that object looks in real life), what you paint is light. I know this is the vague common answer you hear when you ask an artist - what do you paint? But it is the simple truth, the truth of physical properties when describing form, what is illuminated and what is in shadow? No matter what the subject is; skulls, flowers, apples and oranges, I paint the effects of light first and the narrative second.
Our perception of everything in this world is described by light or the lack of.
It is the universal narrator, the chronicler, storyteller and poet.
