8x8 pastel and watercolor on Uart paper
I have been reading George Inness Writings and Reflections on Art And Philosophy. WOW!
I feel as if I have been swimming in his words.Here is a most potent quote. He says it best.
In an interview George Inness was asked, "What is it that the painter tries to do?"
His reply: "Simply to reproduce in others minds the impression which a scene made upon him. A work of art does not appeal to the intellect. It does not appeal to the moral sense. Its aim is not to instruct, not to edify, but to awaken an emotion. the emotion make be one of love, of pity, of veneration, of hate, of pleasure, or of pain; but it must be a single emotion, if the work has unity, as every work should have, and the true beauty of the work consists in the beauty of the sentiment or emotion which it inspires. Its real greatness consists in the quality and the force of this emotion. Details in the picture must be elaborated only enough fully to reproduce the impressions that the artist wishes to reproduce. When more than that is done, the impression is weakened or lost, and we see simply an array of external things which may be cleverly painted, and may look very real, but which do not make a artistic painting. The effort and the difficulty of an artist (sic) is to combine the two, namely. to always make his thoughts clear........
These thoughts are helping me as I struggle through a new big painting. Even though the idea stated last September, I began with this small version in May and then moved to a 36x36 marble dust board. Little by little the scene is revealing itself. I will post it this week.
6 comments:
Was this a very hazy day?
Your encounter with the squirrel made me smile.
I'm trying to absorb the quote. Is this to mean that the artist should hold the original vision and feeling (emotion) in his mind and portray it as the main purpose?
Thanks for sharing that wonderful quote! I'm going to write it out and hopefully absorb every word.
Jala, it was thick fog. Quiet solitude.
Janelle,
To me the quote means art is about feeling and evoking emotion. Therefore things, like detail, are insignificant if they are not there for the higher purpose. Detail to merely describe serves no purpose. Inness really gets into what he feels is the spiritual calling of art. Does this help?
Donna, If you resonate to that quote you might like the Inness book I am reading. Check it out.
Beautiful atmosphere here, Loriann, and I like the texture and color very much. I've finally started on this same Inness book now, too, and am enjoying it. This is a great quote you've posted here.
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