‘If you haven’t heard of Clarice Beckett or know her story, it will just take a short while to catch up on it all, but it will likely stay with you for the rest of your life…’
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‘…These artists were pioneers and the impressionist work that is produced today is thanks to these trailblazers. They were the ones that had to put up with the barbs from the art world, until their works were finally accepted as legitimate.’
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‘Have you ever noticed that the photos we took at a special place often don’t convey what we saw? There is something about being there in real life that seems to be missed out in photography.’
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“Contrary to what some believe, paintings do have a voice. It may not be audible, but they speak just the same. Some of these visual voices are mere whispers; some shout at passers-by and others beguile the onlooker with a drama that demands attention.
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“Once an artist goes public with their work by putting them up for sale, it often presents a problem that we all face. How much is it worth?
The question really is, how much will people pay?
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“Some artists swear by it, a lot of us are horrified by it and bystanders don’t understand it at all.
I’m talking about those failed or substandard works that may be in our growing pile of completed or almost finished paintings that more or less ran out of steam…
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“From the minute we delve into art, we understand that each piece we produce has its own little character. They are like our offspring, and we have a special attachment to them - we love them. If and when we start to sell our work, it dawns on us that they are not just ours - they belong to the world and to one person in particular, and that doesn't include us…
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" Not that long ago during the opening of one of my exhibitions, I had an interesting conversation with collectors that I had not met before. They bought a piece some years ago along with other artworks, and recently they had redecorated their house to match the art they own…
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“Thumbnails and sketches’ - it could be a line from ‘My favourite things’ from the Sound of Music, but really, they are certainly some of my favourite things when it comes to painting…
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“Many artists have a way of presenting more in a scene than what is apparent at first glance.
It’s not that certain things aren’t there to see, but an artist can make them visible and they do so by focus and exaggeration. Some things are so subtle in real life that we don’t see them until things are made plain in art.
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“Many artists have a way of presenting more in a scene than what is apparent at first glance.
It’s not that certain things aren’t there to see, but an artist can make them visible and they do so by focus and exaggeration. Some things are so subtle in real life that we don’t see them until things are made plain in art.
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“Having a bit of red paint as a little accent is not a new thing and many artists do it, but it doesn’t work every time.
It works well in a painting that has a dominant green theme and it also works well in grey or muted coloured paintings, but it rarely works at all in the midst of blazing colour throughout.
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“The artists I admire the most are those who are able to depict recognisable things and scenes without having to ‘explain’ everything with the brush. I often marvel at paintings that are so complete without reverting to boring swathes of detail…
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“In the hustle and bustle of the painting process we can forget things we have learned, unless of course it is a part of our very being and then we are likely to follow our painterly instincts.
Developing these instincts takes a bit of time and a number of failures. Concentrating on following written instruction while trying to paint can ruin the creative flow. A bit like trying to find the right colour from a colour chart then trying to replicate it, will disturb any momentum, particularly in mediums like watercolour.. . .
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“I’ve seen it happen a few times in recent days and it is prevalent in amateur art circles.
It can start in painting workshops and classes where tutors will tell you what your painting needs, and in some cases put their own brush strokes on the canvas to show you. This is all fair enough when we are learning, but the time comes when we must stand up and own what we paint…
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“When it comes to art, we live in an age when the back-story of a painting can be more important than the work itself. This is particularly true of the big art prizes in which many of the works that get the nod not just on the painting, but more importantly, on the issues it may represent. Verbosity, particularly the incomprehensible kind, seems to be built-in to many works these days. Most art lovers though seek more simplicity. . .
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“The older we get the less we get to trust things like Facebook. Love it or hate it though, Facebook and particularly Instagram has become an important process of many artists.
The times are changing, and the destiny of artists is no longer solely in the hands of third parties.
A painting can have the finishing signature placed upon it, and in a few minutes a photo can be taken and people all over the globe can see it. Artists have never had that opportunity before, and we don’t have to wait for other people to promote what we do…
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“When it comes to painting, many faults may become apparent only when we have finished a piece, walked away from it and then come back later for a fresh look. Fresh eyes and mind are more likely to pick up things than when we are in the thick of things…
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“After binge - watching several episodes of ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’, I was taken with how many ways there are to do a portrait and still adhere to the rule that it must at least resemble the sitter.
The format of the show has three painters per sitter and three sitters, which means there are nine artists at work at the same time.
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“Most artists gravitate to one subject, at least at one time in their life. When we think of artists we know, we can usually think of a subject that currently dominates their work.
Painting series of works is not a new thing. Monet painted about 250 Water Lily paintings – some of us don’t paint that many works in a lifetime. His pond at his home in Giverny, and the Water Lilies provided a perfect subject and they are now famous.”
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