Karen Appleton, karenappleton.blogspot.com, is a contemporary artist of extraordinary skill who specializes in painting gifts and symbolic gift packages. She advised me (don't you love the internet?) to paint what I have a passion for not to focus on what is salable. On the tails of her advice, Robert Genn's bi-weekly newsletter (www.painterskeys.com) had this to say: "Are we, like the local baker, simply making a line of tarts for popular consumption, or are we engaged in something more lofty and significant? Many would say the difference is passion, and while there are undoubtedly passionate bakers, our painterly productivity needs to be based on a noble drive and not on calculated reasoning and bare commerce." So I have been thinking log and hard about this. I am asking myself what I really like to paint. What is my passion? Truth be told I love painting all kinds of things in part because I love the challenge of painting very diverse subject matter. So I am going to do some small gift packages because I want to explore that. In doing a couple I realized that I love to paint things that require me to see them really abstractly. For me to get the ribbons right I see them as tiny slivers of light and shadow. When painting people from odd angles I love the process of foreshortening and I remember the thrill I got from it many years ago when I did my first life drawings. The more foreshortened the better I like it. Karin Jurick (karinjurick.blogspot.com/ )frequently paints people walking beneath a bridge or under a balcony. I like landscapes that are of an odd but oddly familiar angle like looking straight up. My friend and former fellow painter Carrie Diehl (www.carriediehl.com/) does interesting series like this. I think that is why I like to paint people's feet. They tell a story and we just don't give much attention to them. I love painting still lifes if they are from above or below like Carol Marine does (carolmarine.blogspot.com/) or if the items are oddly arranged. So I feel like I am starting a new chapter in my art. It is the journey of sdiscovery of my passion. I thank the other artists and their insights which have helped me think about this. #109
I like it that you shared your thought process with everyone. I think it's so important sometimes to stop and "think" about what we like to do and where we want to go.
ReplyDeleteLike your package as well. K. Appleton's gifts are inspiring, aren't they, especially her bows.
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI wrote about the same Robert Genn article on my blog last night. There was so much in it to think about. Love the painting of the present, and the dog in the last post.
Take care,
Barbara
Hi christine,
ReplyDeleteI have started a series of mannequin paintings. Everyone (my kids and a few friends) that has seen them think they are creepy, but I just love doing them. they make me laugh. I don't know that I'll ever post them- they are really personal.
Dawn