Leonardo da Vinci

Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art.

--Leonardo da Vinci


Friday, February 24, 2012

A Mild Winter Scene

Greenway
18x24
My passion for painting runs hand in hand with my quest for finding subjects. I have spent some time exploring the Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway and i have obtained a great affection for its beauty. While the amazing winter colors, interesting shapes, and lovely textures are mesmerizing to me, i find that coming up with a strong artistic composition can be a challenge at the BBCG; and in being a challenge, i am forced to exercise my vision, push my limits and forge ahead to the uncharted territories of my creative thoughts.
I think it's important that we keep learning, and growing, and pushing our boundaries as individuals - and as we keep thrashing at the thicket of our thinking, we start to see the world unfold before us in the vast sea of possibility.
Possibility you may ask..... not so much the possibility that i can turn out paintings like Korovan or Shishkin, but more the possibility that i can uncover the filtering layers of haze that blind me and reveal the raw, unedited truth of how i paint, how i see the world. Avoid the nagging tendencies to follow a worn path and blaze a new trail, my own trail. And if i do that, how can it be wrong?...
I know this may seem a bit of a charged statement, but i only say it to inspire others to keep honing their passions. If we don't know what that is yet, keep searching - and if we dig deep enough, i promise, we'll find it.

4 comments:

  1. Of course, this painting puts me in the mind of "the solitary" and your words match the painting. Like that lone tree..... we are "out there" alone (but that is how it has to be, no one can paint our paintings but ourselves!)
    Love how you always capture our Pacific NW weather! You are the King of rain!

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    1. Yes, painting is very solitary and introspective and i think in part, it's why we pursue this craft. Even in numbers, we are alone. Quieting the thoughts and distractions to dig deep inside to put our soul on canvas for others to enjoy. Thanks so much for the insightful comment Celeste!

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  2. Yes, this painting has a melancholy air about it, but melancholy, or quietude as I prefer, can be beautiful, as you've shown. I've been searching for who is me in painting for nearly three years. All I've learned is that I am a multitude. Having many facets, I find it difficult to categorize myself--but then, I don't think I really want to. It's why I stayed away from the business of art all these years and earned my keep doing something else.

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    1. Melancholy is a good desription Linda. I think even in the search for one's own style there is a deep truth in that work which tells a story. And i like having many facets too. I agree, i don't want to be put in a corner or pidgeon holed as being one dimensional. Experimentation and seaching are all about the journey and i hope i never catch that elusive rabbit and remain a student of the game. My dad used to tell me, "If you're green, you're ripe. And if you're ripe, you're rotten."

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