Literally fresh off the easel – I hope you enjoy
Scent of Spring lilac painting in oils
I completed Scent of Spring yesterday actually. I can tell you that I did a lot of self reflecting while working on it. There were some painting sessions where I literally spent hours working and you know, you could not tell I even touched it. It developed slowly. I knew it would and thought I was prepared for that. I stayed with it and am sure happy that I did. In one of those moments of when I was questioning myself, this quote found me:
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
― Henry Ward Beecher
I think it spoke to me so profoundly as I often wonder what it is I am doing. I question almost everything. This painting took a lot of energy and determination to complete. Fact: artists second guess themselves. I know I evaluate and re-evaluate my work often and question a lot of what I am doing. Another Fact: I painted this large painting with a ridiculously small brush! However, it gave me a lot of joy to see it develop. I actually giggled and smiled when working on it.
How I describe me
I like to think that on some level I am painterly – I like to imagine that i am sculpting with paint. Creating images that are strong and dimensional. That I want to see my subject almost lift off the surface! I like to call it painterly realism. Modern realism. I pay attention to value and colour shifts. You know… detail!
It’s ok
Thinking this quote may have been exactly the message I needed to receive. That it is ok to be true to who I am as a person and as a painter. At the end of the day I am a precise and detail-oriented person. This applies to much of my life and is certainly evident in my artwork. And that is ok
You see the detail in the first photo, this photo will give you an idea of the size.
Pure. Painting. Magic.
I see the incredible work of so many artists that I admire, and you know… most of them are far looser painters than I am. Often bordering on impressionism. It takes a lot of skill to paint to paint loose well – especially when viewed from across the room it presents like realism! I so admire the work of artists who can work this kind of masterful magic.
A better perspective
Personally, I have tried so many times to “loosen up”. Not giving into “slavish detail” a term that I heard an established artist use to describe another artists work. It literally stopped me in my tracks and made me really look at my own work with a new lens. Finally I think I understand. Detail alone does not make a painting good. The combination of value, composition and colour is what makes a piece strong. Back to the quote.
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
I believe I resemble this and that is OK!
Leaving you with a video I assembled from some of the painting sessions showing the development of this painting. It’s a first attempt:
Looks beautiful! So real looking I can almost smell them.
Thank you so much – you know when I was painting this one – I was actually dreaming about it at night and in my dreams, I could smell them. That is why I called it Scent of Spring!!
Love this, and love your quote: detail alone does not make a painting good. So true of any art. I know so many photographers who do all the technical details right but only a real artist makes the magic. This painting is definitely MAGIC!
Thank you so much Jenn. I was a bit philosophical with this post. I did a lot of reflecting on it as I beat myself up so much painting such a large painting with such a small brush. The trend today is more impressionistic or photorealism – I am neither and was feeling funny