The Complex Simplicity Of Opinions

"I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say, 'He feels deeply, he feels tenderly.'"
Vincent van Gogh

The movie "Loving Vincent" is set to open in theatres shortly. This ground-breaking movie is entirely hand painted, and I am eager to see it. Not just for the way it was crafted, but for the story of Vincent. Much of what he wrote over his all too short of life really resonates with me, as I'm sure it does for many other artists.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

What A Sweet Duck - 8x10" - Oil 

It's been a really long winter here in Alberta. As I type this, it's the end of April and it is still snowing. All winter, between the weather and caring for an aging dog, I had hardly been out of the house aside from weekly trips into town for groceries, and the odd trip to a nearby city for appointments. I was decidedly housebound and eager to see green and get outside to paint. This funk had extended itself to my work at the easel.

2016 Is Coming!

Romeo - 8x10" - Oil on paper

One of the things I always do at year end is review my previous years work and try to identify my strengths and weaknesses. I go through my paintings and throw some away, throw some into the rework pile, etc. I try to analyze what worked, what didn't work, and what I want to improve on. Improvements always involve colour use, brushstrokes, and drawing - the basis of painting. I set various goals for myself for the coming year. Some of those goals involve skill, some business, some personal.

Since I started doing this, I've always met or exceeded my goals, except this year. For the first time ever I failed. The realization that I wasn't going to meet all my goals happened in October and it caused a bit of a slump which coincided with some increased demand for photography. It was easy for me to focus on photography for a couple of months and let the painting languish.

Last year in early January, I wrote about how I'd lost my momentum over the holidays. I had said I'd plan to have a half finished painting on the easel for this year. But with the existing slump, I forgot all about doing that. However,  just before Christmas I was hit with a bunch of submission deadlines and had a couple of paintings that needed to be finished to submit, so that got me back into the studio.

Like last year, I couldn't keep working because I needed the room I use for drying paintings for company. Unlike last year, I decided to simply switch from painting to drawing. I used the time to work on quicker charcoal sketches and reminded myself how much I love the simplicity and portability of that medium.

For the past several years I had been getting cards printed with a seasonal artwork I'd done on them. I didn't do that this year, so one of my plans was to get some Christmasy sketches to use for cards next year. I spent the holidays doing charcoal drawings of Santa (St. Nicholas) to use for 2016's cards, which has helped shape some of my goals for the coming year.

In 2016, I want to improve my figurative drawing and do more portraits. Despite plans to be a landscape painter, I find myself increasingly drawn to the figure and people. Who knew?! I want to improve my charcoal works specifically. There are other goals like:

• better brush handling
• improved colour usage (I made some discoveries just before the holidays and really want to explore that some more)
• explore broken and layered colour

There are many more goals which I won't list here such as exhibition and sales goals. As for that failed goal from 2015? I'll write about that in a separate post. 

"You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you've tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try - you don't take the risk."
- Rosalynn Carter

Harsh Comments Can Make You A Better Painter

Before and After Paintings

Technology In The Studio

Green Fields - Digital Painting

Who Said Being Stubborn Was Bad?

Backstage Wait - 11x14" - Oil on linen

Post Workshop Blues

Day 3 Long Pose - 11x14" - Oil on panel

I'm Doing It All Wrong

Benalto Farm - 11x14" - Oil on canvas panel

Art is subjective making it hard to find a definitive answer of what is great art. Sure we have answers from various experts on historical art and why it should be considered great; and even experts on modern art, but few of us will agree with those opinions. As a painter it is up to me to figure out my own standards. What do I like. What do I want my paintings to say and how do I want them to look?

Overcoming Fear

Free Spirit - 8x10" - Charcoal on paper

Accurate Colour Photographing Artwork

Daylight Dance - 11x14" - Oil on board

It's A Hard Knock Life

Old Country - 16x20" - Oil on linen

The Road To Better Drawing

A Little Mouse Illustration

In life, when you travel down a new road you never know where you may end up, or what twists and turns lay ahead. And so it goes when I started my drawing adventure at the beginning of the year.

Self Flogging

Sketchbook Skool Week 5 Homework

I'm In School

Ross Street Patio - Pen and watercolour - From Sketchbook