Something to Say

Recently I read a 2013 interview by the Artist's Magazine with the narrative figurative/portrait artist Katie O'Hagan.  First let me say I admire her work tremendously for her technical skills and the thought provoking narratives that share her personal story.

                                                          Katie O'Hagan   "Life Raft" 

  What struck me at the core was a response to a question she was asked about teaching beginning artists and what would the most important lesson be?  In a nutshell she states that most people can learn "how" to paint but believed the "why" and the "what" is more important than the "how" because the sooner you figure that out, the sooner you can head in a more productive direction.  These sentiments were also stated by Mary Whyte when she said the three things to become an accomplished artist is:

     1.  Something to say
     2.  The ability to say it
     3.  The courage to do it

                                                          Mary Whyte    "Waiting"

We all spend years learning our craft and those techniques that will make us a good painter.  But at some point for those that are painting because they need to connect with others with their work, technique is not enough.

O'Hagan goes on to say that as her learning curve leveled out and she became better at painting, she found herself gradually losing interest in the whole idea of painting.  "That feeling was quite unnerving!  Here I had finally found my "purpose" and I was already growing bored with it.  Accurately rendering a likeness no longer felt quite so compelling," she said.

Wow!  I wonder how many painters have found themselves in that position? Some artists seem to paint the same thing over and over again producing small works daily or larger pieces on a regular basis.  Maybe not all painters need to tell a personal story narrative message in their work.  I was once told by a prominent judge in a major art organization that he didn't pick paintings for awards that were narrative.  I guess that's okay.  Judges look for different things depending on their own view of what art is but I digress.  In my own philosophy, a narrative painting is any painting filtered through your own experience and conveyed in a personal style uniquely your own.  Words like concept and intentions are tools that support and convey your style and message. 

Where do you go to find the "something to say?"  Meditation, journaling, or therapy?  I don't have the answer and O'Hagan didn't allude to how she was able to pull herself out of this slump other than she shifted to being more about the idea.   I would love to hear from any of you that can relate to this situation and how you overcame this slump in your painting or how you went about find your idea and something to say.

Beauty in Art

Oil Painters of America (OPA) is one of my favorite organizations to blog about because OPA promotes traditional representational oil painting.  Why do we need a group like this?  Simple; to defend ourselves as traditional artist from the cult of ugliness and to restore the value, purpose, and need for traditional art and artists!

With the onset of the 20th Century, art took a turn away from beauty and the spiritual, toward what some historians call the period of "What is Truth?"  Truth being raw, ugly, and its subjects objects of utilitarian purpose or minimalists images of a single shape or color.  If you were "creative" with something that hadn't been done before you were singled out as brilliant---example, a bottle of urine with an inverted crucifix in it! I could go on and name countless "masterpieces" but you know them when you see them.  If what the artist created assaulted the viewer it was considered great art and the creator of the assaulting piece a master artist.  Never mind words of explanation, or a printed message had to accompany a piece of art in order to appreciate it or even understand it.  For more information about this, read Thomas Wolfe's, "The Painted Word."

Currently, there is a movement on the West Coast of the U.S. attempting to bring back the romantic, classical style of art where academic training counts for something.   As I read about this small band of artists calling themselves Novorealists,  I came across a blog by Alexey Steele , one of these novorealists, where he posted a fantastic one hour video entitled Why Beauty Matters.,   It is worth the time to watch and it encapsulates all that I believe.

Year after year while I participated in the sidewalk art show circuit I encounter judges who would choose images that were anything but classical or beautiful.  They seemed to go out of their way to choose work that was anything but accomplished, and if the art was traditional and representational they would even just pass by and ignore the work all together.  I've been told that judges don't want to be labeled old fashioned in their preferences and believe that they must keep up an appearance of being contemporary and avaunt guard. As one judge told me privately, "If I choose something on the fringe, who is going to argue with me, and who am I to assume that I know better then other good judges who have acknowledged so called fringe artists. So judges frequently choose what is safe and not buck the trends."

So what is my point?  It is simply this: I don't know that Novorealism is or will become a real modern art movement perhaps similar to the Pre Raphaelites Brotherhood of the mid 19th century ( John Millais,  Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and William Hunt)---I really don't care!

Ophelia, by John Millais






 

I do appreciate and defend what the Novorealists are attempting to do, and I applaud them for their efforts!  Point number two: Judges, pull your collective arrogant heads out of the sands dunes.  You may think that you are intellectually elite with your fringe choices, but instead I think you display your collective ignorance at best, or your bigotry at worst!   

Beginning Again

    














One thing that has become very apparent to me this last year is an internal struggle with what do I really want to paint.  Having had a full time job for over thirty years with a paycheck coming in every month, I painted what I liked.  It was fun and I learned something with every piece I created.  Things have changed!  My daily life is about painting and I have come to know that what I paint has to be more than just a pretty picture that sells.  It has to be about my passion.  I'm not about making social or political statements.  I'll leave that for the more . . . you put in the word that comes to mind.  The struggle has now formed into the big question.  What do I care about the most or simply stated;  what do I want to share with others that is important to me?  The artist I have featured here is the one person  that has helped me to understand the direction I must go in.
    Last year, as some of you know, I went to the event called Weekend with the Masters in Colorado.  There I met a painter that I have followed these last few years with great interest.  Of all the people I met there and I have to say, most of the painters I know today, she was truly unique.  Talking with her for that afternoon while I was in her group, something came through that I didn't understand until later.  She cared about people.  Her demeanor was unpretentious, quiet, and caring.  That caring seems to come through in each of her paintings.  There was and is an honesty that resonated with me from the moment I met her.  She was just recently feature on CBS Sunday Morning.  I have attached the video for you to see and hear her. It's about 7 minutes long.  I think you will feel what I have been trying to describe.   She is indeed a truly gifted artist and individual.  Sunday Morning with Mary Whyte.

New Year and Resolutions

We all make them whether we want to admit it or not.  We take inventory of 2009 and look to 2010 with fresh eyes and plans to make those changes in our habits that we deem necessary.  Yes I made a few New Year's Resolutions, but at my age, I am more pragmatic and realistic.  This past year brought some health problems that forced me to retire from a long time teaching career.  Painting became my day in and day out occupation.  No excuses now for not getting into the studio every day.  But what has become evident to me, if not my husband, I work better under tight time pressures.  Thirty-five years of schedules and deadlines are difficult to shake off and take my time to think and reflect on what I want to paint.   So after all the family has gone back home and the holidays are over,and a bad cold/flu had subsided, I sit and look at the blank canvas wondering which direction to go in.  For me, the best remedy for this dry spell is to paint small and quickly.  Here are a few "quickies" that I did hoping that something more challenging will come along.

The yellow creamer with grapes was a 8" X 10" that took a little longer than a day but proved to be a challenge because of the bisque surface with no reflective properties.

Weekend with the Masters cont.

Today’s email delivered a letter from Robert Genn’s Twice-Weekly Letter entitled—"The Art of Teaching Art."  After reading an anonymous response about teaching and creating art, I had to put my thoughts into words to help me process what I thought about what was said. 

The old saying, “Those who can, do; those who cannot, teach.”  I agree and disagree.  How’s that for taking a stand about what I think!  Years ago, I remember an interview with a noted writer who was asked—“Now that you are older and wiser (he was in his 80’s), what have you learned about life and your art?”   He said something to the effect that he felt in his last years, he was spiritually obligated to pass on what he had learned to those younger and talented individuals. And hopefully, they would do the same in their latter years.  A circle if you will.   He had made his “mark” on the world and the next step in his final years, was to leave behind to others what he had learned and to support their efforts.

So my response is not one that is so black and white.  It’s really a timing issue.  Anyone in his or her early career is not seasoned and truly grounded in their knowledge and skills.  Add to that, the ability to put into words and actions that knowledge and ability for others to understand conceptually.  If you do teach, it’s my opinion that, you the teacher, will be learning more than your students. 

In this theme of teaching, and the Weekend with the Masters, I saw the most fantastic, powerful, heartfelt, and very absorbing film (on DVD available at Amazon) dealing with this subject of teaching:  “LOCAL COLOR:  One Master, One Student, One Summer to Dream.” a George Gallo film.

Armin Mueller-Stahl is amazing as the older Russan master and his influence on the young man (a life experience taken from Gallo’s life) wanting to paint under his tutelage.  Another major theme is one that I feel very strongly about.  It's a must see.  Check out the movie clip.



My experience with WWM definitely proved that those presenting could DO and also, TEACH.