"It is a mistake for a sculptor or a painter to speak or write very often about his job. It releases tension needed for his work." ~Henry Moore
I strongly agree with this statement. Looking back at what I consider to be my "best work", I can tell you it has never been produced during a dull moment in my life. This quote sums up the reason only a few paintings would be selected to be a part of my "best works" collection. In my opinion, there needs to be a tension behind a painting. There should be some kind of emotion that can be felt by all who view it. Taking this quote into consideration, I now realize that I should take the downfalls in my life and express them through my artwork. That is what will create that tension that I am searching for. Yes, talking about inner troubles with others is a good thing. But I think as an artist it is alright to keep some of that tension inside and, when the time is right, release it onto canvas and create a masterpiece.
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"There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality." ~Pablo Picasso
There is a great amount of truth in this quote. Any kind of art has to start with something. Whether it is an idea, a feeling or anything else, it doesn't matter. There is a start to everything. It is what you do with the idea that matters. Just about anything in reality can be changed. It can be formed into something that may not even resemble the actual "something" it started out as. It takes something pretty special to inspire me to paint, but when it happens I can feel it. It's at that moment that my brain starts turning and I can envision the finished product even before I touch a brush to the canvas. This is proof that abstract art really does start with something, and for me that "something" has to be inspirational. "As far as I am concerned, a painting speaks for itself. What is the use of giving explanations, when all is said and done? A painter has only one language." ~Pablo Picasso
I'm sure most abstract artists are familiar with the question, "What is it supposed to be?" I hear that question quite often when I show off my paintings. In my opinion, unless the painting is actually representing a figure, fictional or realistic, the question can not be answered. Does a painting need to look like something or can it just be? There isn't always a need for explanation, which is the beauty of art. Viewers can make up their own interpretation of the work. Unless the artist wants the work to have a specific meaning, the possibilities are endless. However, when it comes to responding to the previously stated question, an artist could describe emotions. Either the emotions that had built up inside of them inspiring the art piece or the emotions they wish to draw from the viewer. After all, emotions are what drive most artists. "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we
grow up." ~Pablo Picasso Quite often I am asked what I plan to do with my life; what I will make of my future. When I explain that my main objective is to open a gallery, the response I usually receive is "Oh, do you make art too?" I then explain that I love to paint and hope to continue with it no matter where life brings me. The common response to this is "You are so lucky. I don't have an artistic bone in my body" or "I am not creative whatsoever!" Or as my mother would say, "I don't know where she gets it from. I can't even draw a stick person!" The quote above embodies my response to their exclamations. Everyone has been a beautiful artist at some point in their life, it just depends on whether or not they embraced it or let it fade away. Artistic ability takes practice like any other skill one may have. Hard work, dedication and a lot of heart are important components to following a career in the arts. “An artist never really finishes his work; he merely abandons it.” ~Paul Valéry
You could say I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to artwork. Looking back at my work over the past school year, I can’t say I felt completely finished with a project I was assigned in my 3-D art class. If there weren’t due dates or deadlines that I had to abide by I would still be working on them today. I was constantly in the workshop trying to spruce up a project and working on it until we had to present them for critique. But art is my passion and I will do just about anything to succeed. This concept applies to my paintings as well. I work on a painting until it is just about finished, but I always find something that can be added or fixed in hopes of giving it that signature look I want it to have. Even though I only change minor details, things viewers may not have even noticed if I didn’t change them, I do it in search for that feeling of total completion. I guess this quote helped me to understand that I may not be the only one who thinks this. Also, that I need to just let the little imperfections go sometimes. I am starting to accept that minor mistakes are what make my paintings unique. Instead of fixing them I should embrace the fact that not all artwork is perfect, and that’s exactly what makes it beautiful. ![]() "Dave Matthews" is an acrylic painting on white paper. It was created in 2009 and the dimensions are 16x20 inches. This painting was inspired by the overwhelming passion my sister has for dave matthews. Her love for the band has inspired many projects of mine (All of which have been given to her). Other than projects that I was assigned in high school, I haven't focused too much on realism. Abstract has always been my strong suit. However, when I was asked to paint dave matthews for my sister I was eager to try something new. I found myself enjoying working with the paints and mixing just the right tints and shades to make the painting exactly how I wanted it. When I make an abstract painting I rarely feel that I have completely finished and I'm always wanting to makes little changes here and there (which isn't always a bad thing), but this painting was different. For the first time in a long time I felt very confident in presenting the finished product. ![]() "Love Me" was created as an entry for a local exhibition. The only requirement for this exhibition was for it to be on paper or made of paper. From the moment I heard about this I had ideas of what I wanted to create. As I have stated in previous posts, when I get a vision for a project it is easy for me to turn it into a physical piece of work. My main objective for this piece was to create beauty out of paper. The red rose symbolizes the "love" that one may have for another. Love can be a beautiful thing. The string of pearls in this piece are strung tight together, showing their bond is strong. The placement of the pearls is very delicate and flows from one side to the other. Some might say the pearls seem to be hung on the neck of a woman. The rose may represent her heart, delicate and fragile but also bold and beautiful. And the strength in the string of pearls could be the bond between the man and woman, wrapped tight around the woman's heart to keep it from falling apart. ![]() "Love Me Not" was also created for this local exhibition. However, I did not intend to make it from the beginning. The idea came to me one night as I was looking at "Love Me" and I thought it would be interesting to make a pair. "Love Me", of course, is about the strength and beauty in love, and this piece is about the heartbreak that could come from love. There is a great deal of destruction in this piece. The black rose in this case is representing a broken heart, burnt and peeling apart. This rose is actually made of a thicker tag board, unlike the rose in "Love Me" which is made of thin colored paper. Even though this "heart" has a stronger foundation, it is still falling apart. The pearls are coming loose and no longer holding the rose together. If there isn't a strong bond hold the two together, they both will fall apart. This piece was on display at EFFJAY PROJEKTS (Now - Frank Juarez Gallery) in Sheboygan, WI from August 4 - 31, 2011. |
AuthorKathryn Mason Archives
January 2016
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