Whistler's landscapes whisper simplicity. He hated what he considered the ostentatious brush-slinging of the virtuoso painter. He said, " In my pictures there is no cleverness, no brush marks, nothing to astonish and bewilder, but simply a gradual, more perfect growth of beauty. It is this beauty my canvases reveal, not the way it was obtained." He worked with what he called "his sauce," which was paint mixed with so much medium it ran. He would actually have to dry his paintings horizontally. Whistler used big house paint brushes. He was said to experiment with ways of drying his paintings. He was rumored to have left his paintings outdoors in all kinds of weathers. Once he said (of his drying methods)," It takes the gloss off them, that objectionable gloss which puts one in mind of a painfully new hat." I wish I could have met him and watched him at work. I admit I love juicy paint and brush strokes. In turn I love quiet surfaces like Whistler's.
On another note: I won't be satisfied till I can create in oil what I do in pastel. I have been described as relentless... tenacious... stubborn.....she won't give up. All are true.
13 comments:
To tell ya the truth, I always thought slap-dash was gutsy, and Whistler was anal. But what do I know? (Check my comment on your lovely lemonade.)
To me it looks, it feels like your pastels... you made me laugh when you said how people have described you. There are probably quite a few of us around here that know about those descriptions!
I also agree that I love both the slap-dash and the quiet applications...I go back and forth so much about which way is my way to paint. Do you feel more strongly about one or the other?
And, I'm so sorry to read about your health! I hope you are feeling okay? I'm thinking of you.
Tenacious - a word much on mind lately. You are certainly that, Loriann - and that is good!
Fascinating item on Whistler's technique. Someday I hope to see one of his paintings.
Hi B!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know how reverent you are about certain painters from the past. With good reason.
This piece is awesome!!!! Whistler would be inspired by it. Keep on truckin towards your goals.
Your painting buddy.
Jala,
You are right slap dash looks very gutsy and we all love painters like Sargent whose brush strokes are incredibly important to the whole. But Whistler, he too was absolutely amazing. His nocturnes blow me away. Sooooo subtle, yet just the right amount. Check out this one..wow! It will win you over:
http://www.abcgallery.com/W/whistler/whistler62.html
Hi Karen! So does that descriptive shoe fit you too?
As for slap dash or quiet.. hmmm I, at this point, love a quiet base with just a small amount of"emotional tracking." But over all I want peace. How about you?
Hi Casey!
Tell me a little more about you and tenacious.
Come visit our Washington someday. There are a number of these nocturnes in the Freer, which is being remodeled right now so you can't see them. whaaa!
Hi PB!
These painters from the past are some of my best teachers... and the best part is they are always available!
Thank you and take care of yourself. Let me know about your upcoming repair surgery.
b
Har har! Go ahead and blame Jala. See if I care, even though I expect I'll hear from her about it.
Hi Sam! i can't believe I did that.. you two sassy boulder neighbors are getting closer and closer.... so yes, that one was for you miss sam! Check out the link:-)
Painting is just flat out hard work and I'm with you and your commenters: both glazing and slap-dash painting are important to the medium.
How I wish we had more information on contemporary painters of all styles. I'm sure there are things we haven't yet seen happening as we speak.
I love this work, Loriann. You really do know oils and pastels, and glazing!
Hi Melinda.. you are right it's hard work, bu the best kind of hard work.
It's always interesting to know more about others' ways. There is more out there than ever before. We are so lucky.
Thanks about this work...I really do feel like a neophyte with glazing. Sooooo much to learn. The only way to learn is to do, right?
Thanks for all your kind words!
It's not only that you have something to paint, but something to say also:-) I find all your blogs entries so interesting. I actually printed some of them out for a later, quieter reading...:-)
Thanks so much Astrid. That's so kind of you to say. I am glad that someone is reading them!
Funny, I love both sorts of work too. I love Sargent's juicy, jagged, thick lights and I also love Rothko's thin, smooth surfaces. I seem to like them equally, which is a problem, because there really is no middle ground. I've given up trying to create one, I think. Instead these days I just try to be content to do either one or the other, rather than both in the same painting.
Beautiful carmine colors.
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