Reflections On A Pond: A Visual Journal by Kevin Macpherson : 2005 (260 pgs)

I am a lucky man! My wife purchased a copy of Kevin Macpherson's stunning book, Reflections on a Pond as surprise bithday gift for me. Since the book had to be ordered from the US there was much anxiety on her part waiting for it's safe arrival in South Africa. Fortunately all went well and I am now the proud owner of a copy of this unique book signed by the author and endorsed with the quote above.

I have been a big fan of Kevin Macpherson for many years. He is justifiably world renowned for his rich brushwork and meticulous color mixing that has made his paintings highly sought after. Macpherson is also a leading exponent of the plein air movement. It is this part of Macpherson's process and works that has so intrigued me when I first came across his online gallery. Shapes and color put down with brisk confidence in large dollops of paint all coming together to show the essence of a fleeting moment. Intuitive painting that produces delightful impressions.

In the project Reflections on a Pond the artist set out to depict the pond on his New Mexico property on each day over a year. Set with a backdrop of stunning mountains and forest the pond makes a perfect subject for this ambitious project. Of course the subject for any impressionist is the atmosphere and light. Having a reflective surface in the pond is a bonus that adds interest to the subject.

Macpherson used panels of 6x8" and a basic palette of alizarin, cadmiun red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine and white. Although each day of a year is depicted, for practical reasons the project took five years to complete. Over 500 panels were painted out of which 368 panels were selected for the book. Imagine what all these panels would look like spread over your floor! Then having to assess each one, record and photograph it for this coffee table sized book. I can imagine that some artists may start a project like this and abandon it along the way. Kevin Macpherson saw it through, which speaks voloumes for his dedication to his art.

The book is divided into four seasons starting in winter. Several paintitngs per season have been printed in actual size. The photographs are sumptuous. The brushstroke's texture is clearly visible and the colors are gem-like.

The remainder of paintings are printed in smaller versions and dated in sequence. At the end of the book Macpherson's personal diary entries have been reproduced. We are treated to an insight into his joys, frustrations and philosophy of painting. Interesting anecdotes, for example, the artist's displeasure with his neighbour for cutting down trees, the struggle to paint when energy is low together with the joys of a beautiful moment recorded in paint. All is faithfully recorded in this book.

A subtitle on page 15 reads: "Magnificent Obsessions: From Monet's Garden to Macpherson's Pond". This series of work echos Monet's obsession with light and atmosphere in his many paintings of the pond at Giverny. Is Kevin Macpherson our contemporary Monet? I would certainly argue that he is a successor to Monet in the true sense of the artist's spirit.

I am also very grateful to have this book in my collection. It is unique and needless to say, well worth adding to your library.

See the Official Website: Reflections On A Pond
See more of Kevin Macpherson's work here. 

It is a quiet day in the studio. No outdoor work today so I am working on a few ideas for beach scenes based on recent plein air work. Here is a snippet of action from my studio-cam! Hopefully I have a decent painting to show you soon. If not then back to the easel!

The other day I was caught up in the morning traffic. Since I do not usually have to be out in the "commuting cycle" I am always stressed about driving in the maddening rush. I reached over and put the CD player on and listened to Rodriguez's album, Cold Fact. 

While looking at the strings of glittering cars heading over the highways, off-ramps and on-ramps like part of an inhuman organism I realised that the song playing was Rich Folk's Hoax. Were we all chasing something that did not exist? Thousands of people charging off to work or to look for work seeking more. When is enough just enough?

"The poor create the rich hoax" sang Rodriguez. How true. 

The moon is hanging in the purple sky 
The baby's sleeping while its mother sighs
Talking 'bout the rich folks
Rich folks have the same jokes 
And they park in basic places

The priest is preaching from a shallow grave 
He counts his money, then he paints you saved
Talking to the young folks 
Young folks share the same jokes
But they meet in older places

So don't tell me about your success
Nor your recipes for my happiness
Smoke in bed
I never could digest
Those illusions you claim to have going

The sun is shining, as it's always done 
Coffin dust is the fate of everyone
Talking 'bout the rich folks
The poor create the rich hoax 
And only late breast-fed fools believe it

So don't tell me about your success
Nor your recipes for my happiness
Smoke in bed
I never could digest
Those illusions you claim to have going

*Rich Folks Hoax lyrics by Sixto Rodriguez (from the album Cold Fact)
Listen to the original song here.

Now I realise that the title of this post may suggest some philosophising is in the offing. That would be true. Perhaps it sounds pretentious (it does) however I could not think of something more catchy so indulge me. I have been reading Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes A brilliant novel based on the author's experiences in the Vietnam war. I know that this subject may not appeal to everyone, but it is an exceptional book. In any case the author, through his main character, considers the nature of humanity. This made me think about art.

War is of course terrible and foolish. In extreme conflict humans are capable of evil deeds, which is one reason why wars are so awful. Being human we are blessed with the ability to care - and cursed too. For us to perceive evil we must be able to care and love first of all. What if we were indifferent like other animals? Would there be wars? Apart from a scuffle over food or some other basic need life would go on just fine. Hunting too would be an indifferent activity. Maralantes argues that it is our ability to care that brings us joy and misery. 

Caring for others makes us human, but more importantly there is love. The Greeks understood that love came in different forms. The most important being Philia - love for your fellow human. Love thy neighbour. The least important to the Greeks was eros - love of the romantic kind that we modern westerners seem so besotted over. What is the abscence of love? Not hate, but indifference. Life can get along just fine in an indifferent world as animals and plants prove. Humans are a recent development in the grand scheme of the world, but love has turned us into something altogether different.

How does this relate to art? Well if love is not essential for life on earth then what about art? Why bother with art at all? Many school systems drop art altogether especially in high school since it is viewed as unimportant. At best a luxury. But this does not make sense at all. 

We create art because we are human. We also love because we are human. To reject art or to be indifferent to art is to reject our humanity. Creating art is an act of love too. Love for the process of creating and love for fellow humanity by sharing that art with others is essential. It could be a painting or a designer chair, whatever. By creating art we are respecting our highest emotional state - love. 

When art is marginalised I suggest we are doing ourselves and especially the youth a great disservice. It is one of the reasons why  media only equates love with sex. It is also a recipe for conflict.

Ultimately we are missing the point about what we should be fostering among ourselves. Instead of cheapening love let us look what humans are capable of. Creating art is something we can share with others and thereby demonstrate our love for our fellow humans. This has to be the message our children carry forward or we will see the same old cycles of destruction and prejudice. 

Art and appreciation for art is critical. It is part of what makes us human.

The beginning of the year is an interesting time. Interesting because we are all faced with a challenge. For our children this may be starting a new grade or college. For adults it seems that many are facing a financial challenge after the Christmas indulgence. Perhaps it is facing the same  old job. These challenges teach us to persist. Without persistence we cannot get stronger.

For artists I hear a lot of anguish over the economy. For some the blame is internalised as they question their talent. Enough with the negative thoughts folks. Here are a five common negatives dismissed:

1) It is tough to survive on making art alone: Yes it can be, but this changes with time.  We all know many others who have regular jobs with decent salaries yet are in constant fear of financial meltdown. There is no guarantee that any job or profession will keep the wolf from the door. All that counts is our attitude. Do we push on through or give in to fear? It is a choice. There is no shame in moonlighting to get by. Do what must be done, but never give up on your art!

2) Art is hard work. It would be easier to do something else:  If you really believe this then that is your reality. The truth is that any work we do for a living can get boring or difficult at times. Then it is up to us to shake it up a bit. Recently I had some work done on our property. Watching the labourers digging a trench in the summer heat, made me appreciate once again how lucky I was. Would you want to trade places with those workers? 

3) My Talent has run out! This is a common mental game we play with ourselves. When this self-pity crops up we can be sure that we are wasting our time at that moment. We need to get to work! We can only do one thing properly at any point in time. Take action and the doubts disappear. I recently watched the movie Rush about the Niki Lauda - James Hunt rivalry. Great movie. I marveled at the tenacity of Niki Lauda. He never doubted his talent, but he was also logical too. When a course of action was needed he pursued it fully. When caution was required he adapted where necessary. It was not about talent - it was all about common sense and total self-belief. Use both all the time.

4) My Paintings are not what people want: Says who? I am always amazed at the variety of art out there. Truly humans are capable of such amazing and transformational art. At the same time it is frustrating that artists disempower themselves by relying on the droves of fickle critics for validation. Sales too are not about whether one's art is good or bad. Sales is about selling. Either you are doing a good job at selling or not. If not then study marketing and sales techniques. 

5) If only I …(fill in the blank space):  Ever caught yourself saying these words? Maybe it was:" If only I landed a gallery deal then my finances would be secure." Gallery owners would disagree on that right now! Maybe you secretly believe that "If only I could paint like _________ then I would sell many more paintings." Not so fast. Well known artists may sell paintings, but they have worked many years to get to that point. The art market is vast and can accommodate different price points and artists at various skill levels. What counts is persistence and passion to paint regulary and study your art. Also to study the business of art. I believe that the artist who follows this path will produce art worthy of a collector's attention. 

I hope that these self-defeating beliefs are not going to stalk artists out there. Unfortunately some will always crop up when we let our guard down. Such is life. Try to laugh and carry on doing good work. All will be okay.