Advertising & Exposure:
|
The
Grammar of Color
The Grammar of Color
Vol: 1 No. 20
Written by Michael Skalka
National Gallery of Art
Just Plane Creativity
Greetings to all from 38,479 feet, flying somewhere over New
Mexico. Isn’t it remarkable that one can keep busy at such
incredible heights! It is 50 degrees below zero outside. I have
the choice of 39 television stations, reading a book, seeing a DVD
or using the computer to write. My fellow passengers have a
similar array of pastimes to dissolve away the hours it takes to
get from one place to another. What better way to use my time than
to construct another Grammar of Color?
I spent the weekend teaching novice and experienced painters about
the fundamentals of art materials. It was a great pleasure and
provided insight into the needs of artists who are actively
creating works of art.
The structure of my lectures was on using art materials to make
works of art that are sound and can withstand the test of time.
The discussion was focused on the mechanics of how paints and
mediums function. It was a “nuts and bolts” workshop on the
properties of paint, the construction of supports, compatibility
of materials and palette selection.
After finishing the series of talks, I realized what was missing.
The lectures were devoid of creative output. For example, most of
us, if pressed to the task, could work individually or in a group
to create a practical, essential entity such as a house. We would
focus on the important features like protection from the rain,
animals, insects, a source of entry and exit, light by the use of
windows and perhaps even conveniences like an interior source of
water. Using traditional building techniques and lumber yard
materials or raw materials straight from nature to make huts
reminiscent of what one might find on an episode of “Survivor,” a
usable shelter could be made with some planning and hard work.
Would it win an architectural award? In most cases it would hardly
come close to meeting the building code let alone become a
candidate for a feature article in Architectural Digest. A
novice’s efforts at building a house would ignore style in favor
of simplicity. Architectural embellishment would succumb to
assuring that the walls would not collapse during a moderate wind.
With these notions, I realized that I spent the weekend explaining
fundamentals and ignoring style and substance.
Beginning artists can get so caught up in the mechanics of making
art that they loose the sense of it being an expression of the
soul. Artist can get so focused on mixing a color to make an exact
match that the composition goes astray, the drawing is fragmented
and the handling of paint is stiff and robotic. Remember that the
opportunity to make bad art is easy. Creating a great painting
takes a lot more effort. Some artists spend so much time fretting
over what brush to use, what color to mix and what size to make
the tree they are rendering, that they miss the essence of why
they chose to stop and paint the location they discovered in the
first place. At some comfortable point, an artist must stop
cogitating about the materials and techniques they are using and
start looking at how to evoke mood and emotion.
If a secret exists as to how to achieve this level of comfort with
painting, the only answer I can provide is: “Practice.” Being part
of a long-forgotten generation that learned cursive writing via
the Palmer method of executing characters, had I stayed with the
exercise books that made us write circles, lines, spirals and
repeated characters until I felt confident enough to render a
perfect set of letters and numbers, I seriously would have skipped
writing in cursive from grade school through high school. My
letters were a mess. Being left handed, the side of my palm was
perpetually covered with graphite or Shaffer blue ink. My pen had
a mind of its own. It regurgitated the contents of its thin
plastic cartridge regularly. The nib bent in peculiar ways so that
I swore that all ink pens were crafted for right-handed people
only. This assumption was confirmed by the scissor industry on the
day that I accidentally tried a pair of left-handed scissors. I
always thought that cutting with scissors required one’s hand to
be in extreme pain.
I was forced to write even though I felt I was not ready to debut
my “style” of penmanship. Only after forgetting about the
formation of the letters could I let words flow. It is the same
with painting. At some point one has to have practiced enough to
gain a level of comfort so that energy can be directed to the part
of the brain that orchestrates creativity and expression.
Otherwise, an artist is doomed to create practice paintings devoid
of the force that breaks free of the fundamentals. Novice artists
make “safe” paintings. The composition is not elaborate, details
are kept to a minimum, and subject matter is selected that is easy
to render. Some artists are content with remaining at that level
while others challenge themselves to move forward.
Sometimes an intermediary step is to stay “safe” and use
comfortable ways of laying out a painting but to step back and
think through finding ways to add more creative expression.
Instead of being a slave to rendering a landscape or still life
with meticulous detail, look at other ways to approach the same
subject matter. This is where a secure formula for creating a
painting ends and personal expression begins.
It is not to say that an artist can, after years of painting, come
to the conclusion that they know all that can be known about
making art. After painting for some time it dawns on most artists,
they will forever be “students.” Making art is a lifelong process
that has no graduation; no point where one can say that they know
everything that they need to know. Michangelo spoke so eloquently
and wisely late in his life when he said, “ I am still learning.”
Hoping that all your painting goes as smoothly as this flight. I
am confident that the pilot has practiced landing the plane more
than a few times.
------------------------------
If others you know want to receive The Grammar of Color and our
lecture announcements, please e-mail me a message requesting
to be on the recipient list at:
michael_skalka@excite.com
They will be added to the database/addressbook.
|
Association of Women
Portrait Artists
Bonnie Woodruff, Founder
Po Box 1732
Owings Mill, MD 21117
info@womensportraitassociation.com |
