If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished." My wife and I came across the above quote the other day and it gave us a good laugh. You know one of those tension relieving laughs that you really need to break the mood? Well it was one of those. Anyway you had to be there...
Of course you are familiar with the original version that says: "If at first you do not succeed, try, try again" This is often quoted by well meaning folks when you have struck out and suffered a setback. It builds character and you are supposed to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and start all over again. True enough, but does it encourage you? Maybe it warns you about the perils of doing something risky and scares you off? After all once burned twice shy. Okay no more cliches! I prefer the anonymous quote. All too often I am reminded that good things do happen when you do the work. The positive work that makes you feel good and helps other too. This is not mere sentiment. Real work whether it is painting fine art or restoring a chair or anything that you want to do really well. It is all art in the broad sense. It is also self evident to the viewer what has been done with artistic soul and what has been knocked off without a care. All of these great moments of artistic endeavor only have true meaning when they are shared with others. To share your art is risky, but necessary for the artist and for the viewer. It is not pride or ego. It is the absence of pride or ego that makes us share art. That is important for the artist. The other part is what the viewer can take from the experience. Either move on if the art does not appeal or learn from it and share the energy and enjoyment. Above all - do your art! Set aside the time and do not trust anyone who tries to persuade you not to. Many feel threatened by your desire to create - to these it would be more agreeable to watch another movie or browse in the mall than seeing you spend a few hours on your art. Persist - we all need you to create and for the love of art - show someone, because that is when the art is complete. It is easier than you may imagine. They say you should never meet your heros. You may be disappointed to discover that the superstar turns out to be a regular person. No silverscreen, no photoshop retouching, no special effects or cheering crowds. I have never met a big movie star, but I have met a few sports stars. Aside from a few exceptions they do look like regular folk, talk the same and are often rather shy. The exceptions being a few giants (literally speaking) in rugby, but they too were just people.
Except they have all done something special. They all took a risk and changed the ordinary into something extraordinary. It is a gamble - sticking you neck out I mean. Chop! So why did they do it. Why risk humiliation? Why give strangers the opportunity to tear into you if you fail? I suspect that people who take a risk are different, because they work through the fear that is hardwired into each of us. Nobody likes to make a hash of it - especially in public. But it is in public that heros are recognised. Whether on the field, on screen, at work or even online. The fear was overcome and the risk taken. That is the hurdle. From there it is out of your hands and you take the next risk. On and on. Whether you are ignored or praised is not in your control, but going onward is. Artist's must decide on one thing above all else. Do they go on with their art or do they stop. Nothing else. Only by going on can the ordinary become extraordinary. Stopping is failure - going onward is heroic. Stopping because of what others say or do is failure - our heros decided that stopping under those circumstances would be unbearable -and it is! Let us all resolve to do our art today and just maybe we can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. I love this tongue-in-cheek video by Scott Burdick lifting the lid on Barcelona's ban on plein air painting. As if the world does not have bigger problems! Yes I am addicted to art and will be skipping Barcelona. Paint miles of canvas! Yes my previous article proclaimed this and I stick by it. Just one snag though - it can get a bit stale if you use one approach for weeks on end. Without variety in your art process there will not be much progress. Even worse - it might begin to feel like a chore! The great part about being an artist is the freedom to decide. It is all yours and we sometimes lose sight of this because everything else in life has to be so tight and pc. Cut loose and do something different.
Some ideas (please add some of yours too) 1) Toning the canvas the same colours getting you down? Go for multi-colours in loose blocks all over the canvas. What shows through when you start the painting may give a new twist; 2) Drawing the outlines of your subject in pencil seems ho-hum? Try charcoal and work at arms length. Get free and loose to show energy and bold big shapes; 3) Oil paint again? Try watercolour. Add some pastels over parts that have dried for a multi-media approach. 4) Change your palette: Try painting in monochome too. This does not have to be black and white, but any colour of your choice. Just vary the values and see what happens. The lessons learnt are priceless. 5) Use different tools: Swop the brush for a palette knife for example. Use your fingers to soften edges where required. Use a rag or dry brush technique over dried surfaces to catch the light. 6) Step outside. Use a viewfinder and crop any outdoor scene and paint that in twenty minutes. Time yourself. Use a large brush eg: size 12 only. 7) Gallery crawl: Visit galleries, museums and even artist friends and take a break from your studio for a day or two. Let the experience soak in. Let the juices bubble a bit. Ideas will come. Act on them. 8) New sights. Bored with your neighbourhood? You do not need to go on an expensive holiday. Try going for a drive out at a time of day that is not part of your usual routine. For example in summer take an early morning drive or walk (if you a a late riser by habit) and see how the light changes familiar sights. Another approach is to paint a nocturne - what with there being so much artificial lighting in towns and cities it is possible to paint exciting scenes this way. 9) Do a self-portrait with any medium of choice. Simple or detailed - that is up to you. It may reveal more than you think! 10) Music - change it - turn it up. Music can light up the creativity in you. What works for you? How do you picture an artist going about his or her business? Many images come to mind about an artist's day influenced by misconceptions and some romance too. A lot depends on how you see yourself and what it is you want to achieve through art. A full-time pro will have a schedule and approach totally different from the weekend painter. Perhaps your interest is more academic than practical. If you can answer the big questions: What do you want ? and Who are you? - then you can figure out the direction to follow.
Let us say that you do want to paint more and that you have an idea of selling your art. You have a dream of turning pro through a process of transition from regular day job to full time artist. Aside from technical issues I would like to focus on three valuable qualities that you may choose to follow. 1) Respect: Have respect for all other artists and also for yourself. Respect other artists irrespective of their ability. There will always be someone better than you and you will be better than others as far as technique is concerned. Respect keeps an artist humble and keeps professional jealousy at bay. These weaknesses of the ego are fatal to artists. It is one thing to have confidence, but it is another to be arrogant. It is useful to remember that every artist has her own path to follow and own burdens to carry. Try not to add negative energy through ego. Even better - express gratitude that there are many other artists to share this kinship with. 2) Work Joyfully: A creative life is a joyful one and there is much to be grateful for simply living in this manner. I am not sure if there is any better way to feel the rhythm of nature and the universe than to be engrossed in a creative task. There is a certain synchronisity involved when the soul is engaged. Time flies and happy coincidences seem to happen with regularity. The opposite condition is when you are out of synch with natural rhythms. You feel blocked and frustrated. You try to kill time and self-doubt creeps in as your mind fills you with distractions. If you find yourself shopping or watching too much TV to get over this feeling then you need to do something quickly. The solution is to start working. The other benefit to work is that productivity increases. With this comes improved quality of work and growing skills. These qualities are due to regular and dedicated work. If you paint then get through miles of canvas. If you sculpt then tons of material needs to be chiseled away. Get the idea? Quantity counts and quality follows naturally. With regular, joyful work comes effortless creativity. 3) Steal like an artist: A famous quote goes along the lines of " Everything that is worth saying has already been said, but since nobody was paying attention, it bears repeating." We artists need to learn from those who have worked before us and those who strive alongside us. This is not copying or plagiarism. This about about taking what is good, assimilating it and producing something unique with your own interpretation. It was Picasso who referred to Cezanne as the father of abstract art and Picasso took the process further as was his chosen duty as an artist. It is well known that renaissance masters learnt their skill by copying those masters who went before them. The student then produced his own unique works once his skills were up to standard. This process of learning and acquisition links up to respect and work. Stealing like an artist is not a shortcut. You will need to respect the information you acquire and work hard to produce your own unique work. Acknowledge your influences and be grateful for their work. In turn be generous with your own work as you carry on a tradition of learning. For an off-beat take on this topic visit www.austinkleon.com. The three qualities go more to the character of an artist than technical skills, but all are linked and share in importance. Funny thing about life is that change is scary to most people. Funny because change is a constant fact of life. We should be comfortable with change since that is the way the big picture works. Farmers know this. The seasons and occasional extreme weather patterns are just that - patterns. Farmers who cannot live with these patterns will sell up. I do not know much about farming so let me use art and business as an example.
For the past year or so I have been told and have read this too, that the economy is at its worst ever. No matter how low those interest rates drop people are just not buying. Art sales are at the lowest ever and have you seen the petrol price? (Did I mention that I have stopped reading newspapers). Looking back over this period I have realised something. What we think of as disturbing change is merely a pattern repeating itself. It is very difficult for there to be real change. If it was easy we would be changing things, but we remain mostly passive. Pushed around by these patterns, confused and fearful. This is a choice we make for ourselves and conveniently blame it on others or circumstances beyond our control. Have you seen those big shoals of fish that move like big clouds billowing in and out. Changing shape all the time to avoid trouble. This pattern of behavior is a defence mechanism to confuse predators. When there are thousands of fish together what does it matter if a thousand or two get gobbled up. The majority may still survive. Thing is - dolphins know this and they will whittle that shoal of fish down to a handful and those fish still cannot change their pattern of thinking. Fortunately we can change our pattern of thinking. I have noticed that in quiet months my thinking falls into a self-fulfilling pattern. It is the economy and things are just down. Look at everyone else going through the same problem. Truth is the universe does not care what mode of thinking I use. It just gives me more of what I think about. If I lose focus completely and scramble in panic mode I may kid myself by saying that I am putting a plan of action together. All I get in return is more confusion and doomsayers confirming my doubts. I caught myself in this pattern recently and recognised it for what it was. Taking a step back and cutting off the stream of negative energy I simply took my place in front of the easel and started creating again. Literally within a day I had fresh positive ideas and collectors visiting my studio. The lesson learnt was that the patterns I choose to fall in with are just that - a choice. Will I make the mistake again? Sure - I am human after all. What I can say is that as an artist the creativity needed to paint is also needed in every aspect of my life. If we can accept change and adapt by taking the opportunities that change creates then we are living actively. Positive or negative patterns are just that - we choose the pattern by our thoughts and actions or inaction. So embrace positive change and act on the opportunities that the universe presents to you. Chances are you have already thought of several positive actions or ideas while reading this blog. See how effortlessly it works? What music do you listen to when painting? Or writing, sculpting or any art for that matter. Is there any more pleasure than getting lost in the moment painting while listening to great music? There is no point thinking too long about this because it is one of life's profound pleasures. "Nuff said!" as the late Bernie Mac said in Oceans 13. I have just finished a painting while listening to Precious & Rare by Nina Simone. I am not sure why I chose this album, but it was a moving experience. Other music I often listen to in the studio? It can be anything from Mozart and Handel to Miles Davis and Bruce Springsteen. All can influence a painting and that is a fact to give one pause for thought. Paint something while listening to Pink Floyd and try the same painting while listening to Wynton Marsalis will result in something altogether different. If you consider that a true connection to the creative moment is shared by all artists no matter what their art may be. Both singer and painter are connected for a moment in that state of creative bliss. Of course it is a moving experience - inspirational and liberating. One's mind releases itself from the mundane and taps into the rhythms of creativity. It a legal trip so try it next time you get out the paint brushes. Lose yourself in the creative moment and release yourself from the pressures of everyday life. It is so simple when you think about it. No extravagance is required. The universe has given us all we need to here and now. Music - painting and the joy is all ours! Calling yourself an artist can be risky. You need to have your wits about you because somebody is going to challenge you and it might come from an unexpected source. One would think that in this time of democracy we can create with carefree abandon. The tools are there easily within reach. Want to paint? You can buy your paints with a few clicks. Why you can even do so from this website! Want to write? Start a blog for free!
So what is the problem? Sadly with the release of creativity comes the opposite reaction to block creativity. Does the world need artists? In these times is art not a waste of time and resources? The economy and world peace and so on? If you can evade these sirens of doubt and create your artwork you then face the gauntlet of opinions designed to drag you down. Is it art? Galleries decide on your future not you! Are you selling? What are your formal qualifications? Is this really going to put food on the table? What will your __________ think if you go professional? If you heed the voices of doubt and give up your art you are telling yourself in no uncertain terms that you cannot go any further without permission. Permission from a host of third parties who are threatened by your decision. Yes your courage, although quivering inside, compels you to stand up and declare your art to the world. This will provoke a reaction. Some supportive while others indifferent or downright scornful. Every time. Do you listen and if so to whom? In truth you can only listen to one voice and that is your own. Provided that the voice is the one coming from your soul. The purpose - your path. Not the voice that says you can make money from this or the one that says you will get praise and adulation. These are simply ego trips and will leave you needier than before. Feeding the ego is a gradual process of disempowerment until the rug is forcibly removed from under your feet and you wonder what the hell happened. So what? So nothing. Look at yourself and make the choice you need to make. Not what others think or say or do. You and I know deep down that creating is our source of energy. Let us not hand this gift over to others for permission to continue. The next time you hear someone labeling other's work in a negative manner know that poison can only kill if you drink it. A final word is that to accept your gift of energy and power is to acknowledge your duty to work. This is an intensely personal process. Learn and do the work. Live your art every moment and grow day by day. Claude Monet said : " No one is an artist unless he carries his picture in his head before painting it, and is sure of his method and composition"
I found this quote by Monet to be significant. Particularly since I have been concerned with light and colour from a scientific point of view and applying this to art. Why significant? Monet is of course a famous impressionist - THE Impressionist - so light and colour should be paramount. Yes they are very important, but I like that Monet's quote also tells us that we must have the design (composition) and method (technique) in mind before we start painting. It is astonishing to me how important the early stages of the painting process are. The mind picture and the visualisation of how, what and why before paint meets canvas has a profound effect on how a painting progresses. Monet knew that painting light and air would not be enough to carry the painting if his composition was weak. We can see this even in an atmospheric painting of sea and misty light. How to carry the eye through and around such a scene where the devices of roads, fence posts and treelines are not present to help us compose the painting. Monet composed his paintings in the absence of obvious compositional devices. We can keep this in mind when next we plan a painting. Take risks, but calculated ones. Once the basics are established then play with light and enjoy the freedom of painting. |
AuthorMalcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa Archives
May 2024
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