"Cranberry Glass and Blue Cup", oil, 10 x 8 inches
As a practicing, professional artist, I often think about what actions encourage productivity versus what actions tamp down and limit creativity. There is no end to self-help improvement advice offered to artists, replete with templates for writing an artist statement, connecting with collectors, blogging, designing a web page, entering shows, publishing Giclee prints and even step by step sales instructions on how to respond at a show when someone says "I love your work". It's easy to get lost in the details.
When I first began this journey, I frequently visited the National Gallery of Art, not far from the Capitol, in Washington, D.C. There I saw a small Chardin still life of a few rabbits, a simple composition so quietly powerful that I still feel the sensation in my gut remembering that first encounter. The painting drew me in, captivating my sight. Nothing else existed in that moment. I again had a similar sensation while copying the Juan de Pareja, by Velasquez, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Truly, I felt that the painting was alive; I could have sworn that I saw Juan take a breath. Three years ago, while in a doctor's waiting room, again I was able to completely dive into a painting, this time a reproduction of a Winslow Homer watercolor. For a brief moment, I was able to transcend all the worries and problems attendant with caring for an ill, elderly loved one, and completely see a world through Homer's eyes.
No doubt, creating fine art remains a great mystery. Somehow, art happens. Is there something in the artist's intention that dictates the final product? Does entering a show help one to create great art? Does winning an award help one to create great art? Looking into the writings of some great ones like Degas or Vuillard might offer insight. New post, next year....
3 comments:
creating fine art is a mystery that takes its roots from the divine I suppose. I certainly believe that artists are among those exceptionally creative people born with that distinctive artist's soul. Visiting shows and seeing other artist's work serves as an inspiration bringing out their innate creative spirit. Although awards help in boosting an artist's confidence, I do believe that one's natural artistry can't be confined to the given criteria set by several groups of people alone, after all art is too broad to be isolated to a singular premise.
i like this painting....
i saw a homer once at our gallery here... it was really nice to see a painting for once that looked better in life than a photo. usually i see a painting in a book and it is always better than the real thing...
I've visited many galleries also looking for inspirations in my first year exploring paintings and it was all worth it!
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