I often hear of working in a series, and agree that much can be learned by repeated looking at a subject. I want to live this quote of Keats, (can't vouch for accuracy though) " Seeing is forgetting the name of what you're looking at."
These cloud studies are on 6x6 gessoboard and were all painted from my deck facing east. I felt very free, as I only wished to give my interpretation of what I saw in that glorious September sky. Painting without an agenda, interesting.
Cloud study with the intent to see things more abstractly. Clouds are tough, they are constantly changing. Did I think otherwise? I took a deep breath and let go of my own expectations.I worked quickly and when the blue appeared caught it. That made me smile.
In keeping with Stuart Shils urging his students to draw everything, draw slowly, draw quickly, just draw, I sat on the south end of Second Beach, focusing on shapes and value. Keep it simple.Shils said, "Find the structure of the darks, the structure of the lights.What is important? It can't be everything."
I have been enjoying working with the photographs I took in Provincetown with my iphone. Seeing once, then reseeing again. While I was there, I saw the Robert Motherwell exhibit titled Beside The Sea at The Provincetown Art Museum which runs through September 30th. Many of the works are held in private collections, so it was a rare treat to see them.The exhibit marks Motherwells' 70th anniversary of his first visit to Provincetown.
This is my 300th post: I am so pleased with my commitment to this blog, as it truly has been an online journal for me to see where I've been, where I am now, and also,where I'm headed. I too, appreciate
all those who have stopped by, and thanks you for all comments. It means so much to me to be part of this wonderful and inspiring community of fellow artists. This was painted plein air in Provincetown, 8x10.
Stuart Shils is a big advocate of drawing, telling us that for over a year he didn't paint at all, just took pictures and drew. So the morning after his lecture I set out to do just that, wandering about the streets of Provincetown, not letting the grey overcast skies say anything about the day not being "pretty." As we look at things through the eyes of abstraction, everything can become grist for the mill, Shils points out. Drawing helps us to see the lights and the darks, by assigning a value to a color. Squinting always is the answer!
Stuart Shils gave a wonderful, insightful lecture which I had the good fortune to hear this past Thursday night at the Truro Center for the Arts. One of the things he spoke about was how before we make paintings, we need to develop a passion for looking at things. He uses his iPhone extensively to take pictures of what he calls "accessible images," that are found everywhere.When I wandered out later to the area we had been in for the reception, I noticed the chairs had been all grouped together, then I noticed the pattern and shapes and colours of that grouping. He spoke not about using these images to paint from, but more about " spending conscious time to enhance appreciation of what's in front of you."
I can't believe almost a month has gone by since my last post. This plein air view of the rocks at the end of Bailey's Beach in Newport is 5x7. Why haven't I been posting? I got involved with making a book, experimenting with different ideas, it didn't get accepted into the juried show I had tried for. I should know better to be affected, I thought I had a tougher skin, but it was of images of my grandchildren and I think I was too close to the whole project to have even entered it into a show. So I'm in a space with no particular direction.What will I paint next? What am I trying to say anyway? Maybe I'm just thinking too much? I'm going out to Truro tonight to hear Stuart Shils lecture and see his new work. I know I will be inspired.
