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| pastel done from the oil I am struggling with at the moment |
Wolf Kahn!
The other day I ran across a lecture from Wolf Kahn. It had a provocative title: 6 good reasons not to paint a landscape.
It made me think even before I ever clicked on the link. Why do you or I choose to paint landscape (if indeed you are one of the many painters who do so exclusively)? Think now before reading on.
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| memory pastel |
My answer, before I clicked was twofold I like the way it feels when I am outside painting when I feel totally absorbed in the landscape. It's amazing. Plus the landscape provides me with a jumping board to where ever I want to go with it. I don't feel that same independence with still life or figures. It's like having carte blanche all the time.The whole process of painting is amazing. One moment it is nothing and then like magic there it is.
In the lecture WK made the point that in art NOW you are obliged to surprise people. Landscapes don't do that. To me they appeal to the heart...no surprises....just serenity.
So as a good way to begin the new year I have included it here. It's about 40 minutes long so wait till you have time to sit back.
Here's the link- http://forum-network.org/lecture/six-good-reasons-not-paint-landscape
Oh happy day! As a celebratory note, Katherine Tyrrell honored Daddio and I with the Most Gorgeous Mouthwatering Studio of the year award. I share the honor with Carol Marine, an amazing artist who just lost her beautiful, newly built studio to fire. Read her story and look at all the the awards from Making a Mark. Click here for my award.http://makingamark.blogspot.com/2011/12/home-front-making-mark-awards-2011. Or here for the entire blog and list of awards.
Thanks so much Katherine! Daddio, Paul and I are amazed and delighted!
12 comments:
Happy New Year to you Loriann from bonny Scotland. I love your painting the light is strong in this one. It is an emotive work, those oranges are beautiful. Maybe you need to let the painting alone to make it's own simple statement.
Oh boy! What a wonderful (as in, full of wonder) way to start the new year! A previously unknown WK lecture is to be savored. So I'm going to do what needs to be done before I make a cuppa and sit down to enjoy it. Thanks so much for such a fine gift.
And congratulations for the MGM Studio award. When I saw it yesterday, I was so delighted for you. I know building a studio takes a lot of heart and soul. It's a reward in of itself, so to be awarded for that reward is icing on your cake. Way to go!
Happy new year Caroline! It was just a little try to help me figure out where to go with the big one...sort of a release.Glad you like it. I will post the big one soon.
Hi Sam,
I hope you like the WK lecture. I always find his lectures thought-provoking and humorous.He's such a little cutie. be sure to let me know what you think, k?
You certainly know how much goes into building a studio...speaking of that when will we see your pics?
Daddio was absolutely thrilled! (as of course was I) But as my Dad nurses his injured shoulder (from too much work when he was here) it can warm those muscles to see others noticed...not only his very grateful daughter!
Happy new year!
I will make it a point to listen to the lecture--thanks for sharing it. Congratulations on your recognition. I am smitten by this orange landscape
I haven't listened to the WK talk but my gut reaction was--what? I get surprised by landscape paintings. I get surprised by the color and the light and the ways that artists express landscapes instead of depicting them. But maybe I'm using the word surprise differently. Thanks for introducing me to WK and congrats on the award. Happy New Year to all.
Thanks Celeste! Let me know what you think after you see it, k?
Hi Liz, Happy new year! I think he means surprise as in the Miami art expo one artist's idea of art was to sculpt tiny Brancusi heads that hermit crabs crawled into when they needed a shell. so these little heads scurried around. That kind of surprise...don't get me going. Just the animal rights piece gets me mad.
I understand what you mean by your level of surprise and delight when you see landscapes for that is my same feeling.
Let me know if you get time to watch WK. He is precious as well as brilliant.
happy new year!
Loriann
Oh dear. I'm not a big fan of surprise for the sake of surprise.
Congrats on the award, Loriann! Thanks for the WK lecture. I think I paint landscapes for the feeling of space and peace; two things I crave which aren't always easy to come by.
Right on Liz!
Thanks Donna and you are so right space and peace are good reason to choose the landscape. Happy New Year!
I'm about halfway through the WK talk. Thank you for sharing it. He's wonderful. What do you think of his definition of art? I forget exactly what verb he used--creating a feeling in someone, I think he said. I think sometimes I try to create a thought, and I wonder what he'd think of that. But maybe that's a difference between painting and poetry? I also loved what he said about embracing mess. I've been thinking about art as a way to organize it. Now I can't help but think about the value of mess. I think my poetry has gotten slightly messier lately and I think so far that the messier poems make less sense!
Hi Liz, i think painting and poetry are very similar, both try to create something that wasn't there before- a thought, a feeling, an idea or wonderment. As for mess, I love it and live it. it's like fog or mist you have to feel rather than look.
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