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The Journey

“Those who carry on their work as a demonstration of preconceived thesis may have the joys of egotistic success but not the fulfillment of an experience for its own sake.”

 John Dewey, Art as Experience, p.144

I found this quote tucked in the binding of an old journal last week.  I returned to it again today after a frustrating morning in battle with a painting.  In an attempt to grow – and not just produce hundreds of little paintings that I know will work- I tried a larger piece again today.  I used a bigger knife, larger shapes; all of the things I thought would fix the problem.  I had progress, but not complete success.  But today I remind myself that this is necessary for the journey.

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The Experience of Landscape – Jay Appleton

I am currently reading Jay Appleton’s The Experience of Landscape.  This 1975 text delves into the Prospect-Refuge Theory of Appleton’s.  This theory suggests that there are biological, instinctual reasons for our appreciation of landscape.  Appleton writes that we create symbols of prospect and refuge and these symbols filter our aesthetic interest in landscape.

“The strategic value of a landscape, therefore, whether natural or man-made, is related to the arrangement of objects which combine to provide collectively these two kinds of opportunity, [prospect and refuge] and when this strategic value ceases to be essential to survival it continues to be apprehended aesthetically.” (Appleton, 74)

Appleton goes on to analyze landscape in a very formulaic way.  While I find the idea very compelling, it is still a little to simplistic for me.  I always imagined our emotional and aesthetic reactions to be more complex.  I am, of course, not done with the book yet and look forward to the rest of Appleton’s discussion.

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Prepared to Paint

The are the panels I use to create the smaller Chromascape paintings.  I start out painting the panel with acrylic.   I originally used just red and orange to get the warm under painting.  Now I have begun using greens and blues as well.  I often select the compliment of the landscape palette as the under painting hue.   This intensifies the color I put on top of it.  For example, if my Chromascape is based on purples, the panel I start with will likely be yellow.

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Appreciation of Landscape

A great deal has been written about why humans are so moved by the site of landscape.  In my recent immersion into landscape painting I have looked more seriously at the potential reasons for this.  I have begun reading such authors as Jay Appleton, who wrote The Experience of Landscape.  Appleton is known for the “prospect- refuge theory” which describes an evolutionary response to landscape.  Prospect defines our desire to perceive large expanses.  Refuge refers to our need for security and comfort. I am just beginning to read the text more completely, but I have to say that my initial response to this theory is that it is too simplistic.

This is a recent sketchbook drawing, in preparation for a painting. I am combining an appreciation of landscape with a decisive approach to color and form.  There is a relationship to art that I think can inform our appreciation of landscape beyond pure evolutionary concerns, but without descending  into mysticism.

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Wasted Paint is Bad

I remember well a MIAD instructor I once had telling me and the rest of the painting class never to waste paint.  “Keep a stack of panels handy” she would say, because left over paint on the palette could always be something.  Well here is my something.  So, using generic interpretations of my landscape theme I have composed these mini studies on a gessoed piece of watercolor paper that I taped off.  I am doing them in between panel paintings.  Great things are happening actually.  It is always an invigorating feeling when you let go and play, and it is good.

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Pastel Drawing (sitting down)

I did this drawing today in the studio.  I was taking a little break from painting I guess, while reflecting on a recent conversation about my work.  The way I do pastel is different.  I snuggle into my cozy chair and wrap myself around my drawing board.  This is very different then standing at arms length from an easel.  While different, I value both experiences and the results they produce.

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A Painting Continues

 

I blogged about this piece a few weeks ago.  To see days 1 and 2 click here.

These are days 3 and 4.  The progress has been good, with today focusing on detail and subtle changes.  The problem I think I face now is one of overworking.  I feel it is starting to be be killed and I have to consider stopping.  Something nags me about it and perhaps it is the simple truth that the little ones work better.  I have mixed feeling about this piece and do not know yet if I will keep going or not.

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New Painting

I began this piece a few days ago. These are two “in progress” shots. This image is based on photograph, as well as a few drawings I have done. I also have a smaller painting of the same image, which will provide an idea for where this is going. Chromascape 45 was completed a few months ago. It will be interesting to see how a similar composition will translate to a larger scale (the piece I am doing now is 20″ x 30″). I am aware in distinct differences in paint handling at this size. Also, of course, I am using a larger painting knife. The size however gives me the freedom to have a wider range of mark making. I could make more use of this freedom perhaps.

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Waiting for varnish to dry…

I do not love framing, and now I know I do not love varnishing either. I have spent the last few days waiting for varnish to dry and have started planning my next painting. This is a drawing I did in my studio today during the down time. It is not to the scale yet of the next canvas, but none the less it is the beginning of a thought process. I will probably draw this composition out one or two more times before beginning to paint. The canvas I am preparing for this painting is 20″ x 30″.

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More Progress

Remember that painting I blogged about a week or so ago? If not, view it here.

The piece continues to evolve, and I continue to document the changes I am making. The palette has now shifted a bit. I think it is almost done now, I don’t expect to do any radical changes at this point. It is interesting to look back at where it has been. These two versions were done in the last three days, the bottom image is the most recent state of the work. I think things are falling into place.

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Vancouver Art

I spent the last few days in Vancouver, B.C., where I manged to do a little gallery hopping. Vancouver has a very active art scene. I went to Gallery Row, in South Granville. This is a small, trendy area full of boutiques and galleries. Here I visited a number of noteworthy galleries, including the Petley Jones Gallery, Jacana Gallery, Kurbatoff Gallery, and the Elissa Cristall Gallery. A little off the main stretch was the the Diane Farris Gallery. Here I saw an exhibition called Waterways by artist Judith Currelly. Currelly’s muted paintings of animals and landscapes are slightly stylized and evoke a sense of history and native influence. (See image)

In downtown Vancouver I came across the Rendezvous Gallery. The gallery person I spoke to informed me that all the work in the gallery was North Western Coastal artists. The space was big, but still packed floor to ceiling with work, mostly bright and colorful landscape paintings. The gallery felt warm and vibrant and I think this may have been my favorite stop. Overall it was an exciting trip. Vancouver is a fascinating city full of diversity and culture.

Image: Judith Currelly, Inside Passage, Diane Farris Gallery, 2010

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Progress

This is the painting I have started based on the drawing I did last week. I am referencing the colors of a photograph. I am doing the painting in stages. These images are from two different studio days. I anticipate one more studio session will complete the piece. I have kept the paint thin as to avoid too much surface build up. The palette hasn’t quite come together yet, so I am looking forward to getting back into it.