Maimeri Brera Acrylic Paint Review

Maimeri Flowers, Acrylic on Hardboard, 8”x10”, Sold. 

(painted with Maimeri Brera Acrylics)

Maimeri Brera Acrylic Paint Review

by Bethany Vanderputten BDes MFA

I have worked with the acrylic paint medium for many years solely with the Golden brand and more recently switching to the new Winsor & Newton Artists’ Acrylics for their more buttery consistency and lack of tonal shift. It was exciting to be able to try out another brand as various ones have different strengths. 

The Maimeri Brera brand of acrylic paints looked quite vibrant out of the tube but more watery on my palette than Golden. The Cadmium Red Medium’s label made it look more like a Red Oxide but on the palette the tone appeared more like a Naphthol Red. The yellow appeared strong and vibrant closer almost like an Azo. When I picked up the paint on my paintbrushes the paint felt thicker than Golden but not buttery.

Laying down the paint I was impressed by its coverage but as it dried it lost vibrancy and sheen appearing chalkier like a tempera painting. As I painted with it I became more discouraged. I tend to use layers of glazes to obtain luminescence in my paintings and even though the Ultramarine Blue was semi-transparent it still dried to a flat surface and didn’t create this quality. Perhaps the other pigments in this brand would offer more translucence to obtain this effect. Also I found the blue didn’t have a high tinting strength as I had to use quite a lot of it in order to obtain my darkest darks.

Lastly I noticed a visible tonal shift from wet to dry. The paint both dried darker and more opaquely than when I first laid it down. This would discourage me from using it in the future as I seek other brands that are combating this effect. As I blended in an attempt to get some smoother surfaces I found this worked out okay when working wet into wet, but as I came back in once it was dry I noticed that I had to repaint sections. Because of the tonal shift it was difficult to create a smooth surface without these jumps in tone.

Detail from Maimeri Flowers 

(showing attempts at glazing for luminescence)

For this test I used both synthetic and natural chungking bristle brushes for a varied feel. I also made use of a palette knife mixing the pigments with the Coarse Pumice Gel by Golden to obtain texture. For my whites I used Liquitex’s Titanium White. My surface was Ampersand Hardbord sanded and prepped with three layers of Golden gesso.

©2010 Bethany Vanderputten, Originally published with Acrylic Paint Review (www.acrylicpaintreview.com)

Pantone Images Artist Acrylics

©2011 Bethany Vanderputten, Acrylic on Hardboard, 8"x10", Sold.

Pantone Images Artist Acrylics 

by Bethany Vanderputten BDes MFA

First Impressions

I was really attracted to the trendy Images Artist Acrylics Inspired by Pantone. I thought their 2 oz. containers would look great in my art studio but also my designer side wondered if they matched the Pantone color system (in addition to wondering about their quality as a professional artist paint). So I purchased the Primary Color Set to give them a try. 

Upon opening the containers the promised heavy body of the paint was evident right away. Each container had an inner seal which was a little difficult to remove as the paint had congealed to the under side of the seal. When removing the paint from the containers I first tried a wet paintbrush, and it didn’t work very well compared to a palette knife, also revealing the thickness of the paint. All of the colors showed very good and consistent coverage on a gesso-primed board. Chili Pepper, Jelly Bean, Deep Ultramarine, and Empire Yellow appeared fairly translucent while the Bright White and Caviar both were quite opaque.

Painting 

After trying out the paint on a sample board I decided to do a study to further discover the qualities of this brand. I first painted a thin layer watering down the paint to produce a nice green/yellow glaze. This worked well and the color was bright and consistent. As I went on the to the initial drawing and color blocking I discovered that glazing the paint thinly was enjoyable. When painting more thickly it took time to mix the dense paints until I added some water to help it along. It was harder to blend the thick paints softly, while they were great for painting expressively and boldly.

As time went by that the paint began to dry on my palette. As I mixed on top of the semi-dry paint, pieces of the dried bits would mingle in. Other brands I have tried stay dry on the palette and I am able to mix on top without fear of this happening. Another observation was that the paint had a faint odor (no more than other brands) but it reminded me of the smell of house paint.

I found it easier to paint in short stages than all at once and I ended up resorting to painting really thickly to finish the study. I did observe a noticeable color shift from wet to dry, the paints getting darker as they dried. The paintings dried within 10 minutes, if still a little tacky to the touch, and had an all-over glossy sheen.

Conclusions

Overall I thought that the Images Artist Acrylics Inspired by Pantone are a great paint for the beginner, or for the artist who enjoys thick impasto techniques but I would recommend using mediums and retardants for a greater range of techniques. I also thought that these had a very plastic feel to them and I would personally only use them more for solid color poster paints and crafts than for fine art techniques.

With some online research I realized that the paints are based on the Pantone FASHION + HOME Color Guide. This makes me think that they are meant to match your interior designer’s home décor color choice rather than a graphic designer’s color choice. If you’re interested you can find out more about the Pantone color systems at www.pantone.com.

Colors – Primary Set

• Bright White – Inspired by Pantone 11-0601
• Empire Yellow – Inspired by Pantone 14-0756
• Chili Pepper Red – Inspired by Pantone 19-1557
• Jelly Bean Green – Inspired by Pantone 17-6030
• Deep Ultramarine Blue – Inspired by Pantone 19-3950
• Caviar Black – Inspired by Pantone 19-4006

Supplies

• two panels of pre-gessoed ampersand hardboard (6”x6” and 8”x10”)
• water and no mediums, retarders, etc.
• three flat art brushes #10, #6 and #2
• 9x12 disposable palette
• palette knife

©2011 Bethany Vanderputten, Originally published with Acrylic Paint Review (www.acrylicpaintreview.com) 

Interpreting Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son

Interpreting Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son

by Bethany Vanderputten BDes MFA

“And while he was still a long way off, 
his father saw him coming. 

Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” 
Luke 15:20b NLT.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn painted his “Return of the Prodigal Son” shortly before his death. As a 17^th century Dutch painter among contemporaries like Vermeer and Van Goyen, he worked within the Baroque period, defined as: “a style in art and architecture developed in Europe from the early 17th to mid-18th century, emphasizing dramatic, often strained effect and typified by bold, curving forms, elaborate ornamentation, and overall balance of disparate parts” (“baroque”). Rembrandt was not unaware of the Italian Renaissance that had occurred to the south. According to one 19^th century writer: “The Dutch painters were ‘stay-at-home people’, – hence their originality. They were not, however, ignorant of Italian Art. Rembrandt had a large collection of Italian pictures and engravings… (Nash 55).” There are many themes that Rembrandt adapted from the Renaissance, including Chiaroscuro, Istoria, Mimesis, and Color vs. Design. His art was influenced both by Aristotelian empiricism and Neoplatonist thought. Rembrandt’s contemporaries in Holland were more interested in an empiricist observation with regards to art, in portraiture, landscapes, and the still life – in the Flemish tradition of a highly observed subject – than with the reigning Baroque passion for intense color and drama. Although Rembrandt wasn’t interested as such in realism, he …“frequently used that Netherlandish literalness which saw the events of the Bible in contemporary terms (37).” He was also a master of psychological insight within his art. Here I will attempt to interpret his painting of the “Return of the Prodigal Son” from both an aesthetic and a philosophical point of view.

Rembrandt followed his ambition to be a history painter, and this contrasts against the other art of his time and location. In this he continues the Istorian aesthetic defined by Leon Battista Alberti in the Renaissance. Though with less figures as per Alberti’s requested norm, Rembrandt’s paintings essentially “made a true moment in history seem real”. Before this period, in history painting, the “Mannerists took liberty with the texts while... Rembrandt’s ability to grasp the deep spirit and significance of a subject, his highly independent, personal reading of a text, was one of the major reasons for his unique stature as a history painter. (Fuchs 71).” 

The story that Rembrandt painted late in his life, the “Return of the Prodigal Son”, was from the Bible, in the book of Luke, chapter fifteen. It is a parable Jesus Christ told of a son who received his inheritance early and squandered it with wild living. Broken and in poverty he finally decides to return to his father’s house. The painting picks up at one of the most emotionally charged moments in the story (Fuchs 76): “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” Luke 15:20b NLT.  Later, while the whole house was celebrating his return, the father finds the elder brother outside resenting the way his brother was accepted back at face value. Rembrandt could also be including these later narrative elements in the painting. He portrayed members of the household, two women and two men in addition to the father and the son. They are dressed in 17^th century clothing, and the man standing to the right of the couple, face in the light, could be understood as the elder brother, withdrawn and pensive. Even the architecture reflects the story, with a relief on the column of a figure playing a wind instrument, which could be alluding to the oncoming celebrations. This story was first portrayed in stained glass in French cathedrals during the 13^th century, but during Rembrandt’s time it was a common theme (Hall 253), though he made it unique with his insight into the moment of father and son’s embrace.

Rembrandt made potent use of Chiaroscuro in this painting; in this he followed the Baroque way of emphasizing the dramatic. Although this painting certainly depicts a dramatic moment, it exudes a strange sort of calm atypical of Baroque art. Many of his figures almost glow in the light he created, coming out of a shadowy darkness. This helps create a warm, welcoming atmosphere reflecting the subject matter. His light and dark went beyond mere natural observation of the human form, and helped emphasize the psychological intensity of the moment.

This duality of light and dark also emphasized a continuation of the Psychomachia started in the Italian Renaissance. This painting is not just a description of a moment in history – it is a profound portrayal of the struggle within us – between light and dark, good and evil. Rembrandt powerfully describes the contrast: the corrupt ways we know led the young man to poverty, against the portrayed accepting embrace. This is a compelling meeting of two disparate souls. The State Hermitage Museum (where the painting is currently located) says about this painting: “These images represent the summit of Rembrandt's psychological mastery.”

Rembrandt mainly builds on the Venetian use of color (Colore), over the design principles inherent in Florentine Renaissance art. Much of this painting’s potency is in the vibrant hues Rembrandt uses to draw the viewers attention – the warm red of the father’s cloak (and that of the so-called elder brother) set against the yellow beige of the son’s ragged tunic. This intensity of color was also typical of the Baroque style.

Rembrandt’s “Return of the Prodigal Son” could be described as an example of Aristotelian mimesis – a poetic representation of a real event. In this he truly “imitates” reality. He represents many details like the clothing of the characters, and the father’s hands, with much clarity. But this is not a simply natural representation of character; Rembrandt succeeds in portraying the emotion behind the embrace of father and son, and even the onlookers. This could bring about an emotional catharsis in the viewer.

Although this painting reflects an influence of Aristotelian ideas, I regard Rembrandt as under more influence from Neoplatonism. In this painting he didn’t necessarily represent the Neoplatonic typical fondness for ideal beauty – the father being a gnarled old man, and the young man clearly emaciated and poverty-stricken. But, the insight he brings into the moment of the embrace breaks through the naturalist boundaries of Aristotelian empirical observation. “In contrast to the Scholastics, with their increasing empiricism and concretism, the Neoplatonic Humanists saw archetypal meaning in concrete facts, used myths as vehicles for communicating metaphysical and psychological insights, and were ever observant for the hidden significance of things (Tarnas 215).” As aforementioned, Rembrandt was unique in his grasp of the psychology of his subject matter. Another ideal from Neoplatonism this painting represents is the soul’s return to the One. Ficino argued that love was “only another name for that self-reverting current from God to the world and from the world to God. (Vess)”. The son’s return to his father could represent this current (Nouwen 58). Rembrandt’s painting is evidently under the influence of Neoplatonism.

As aforementioned, this painting describes a moment, unique among other artist’s many representations of the subject. But, because Rembrandt was aware of the Italian Renaissance to the south, this painting could reference, in Michelangelo’s “Deluge” on the Sistine Ceiling, the psychology behind the pose where the father upholds his drowned son.

Although many artists of his time were interpreting this narrative of the prodigal son, Rembrandt was unique in his choice of the exact moment of the embrace. He mirrors the Baroque trend toward the dramatic with his use of intense colorful hues, but was unique among his peers in his fundamental focus on history painting, and his psychological mastery of revealing a complex array of emotions within a single painted moment. He reflected many aesthetics from the Renaissance, including Istoria, Psychomachia, and Colore. He was markedly influenced not just by Aristotelian ideals, but also by those of Neoplatonism. Near the end of his life, when this work was painted, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was poverty stricken, and many of his loved ones had already passed on (Nouwen 33). This must have informed his unique, and personal, interpretation of the “Return of the Prodigal Son”.

Written by Bethany Vanderputten, 2007

___

For a works cited list please contact the author.

“Joan d’Arc” and Bakhtinian Architectonics

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Joan D'Arc ©2008 Bethany Vanderputten

“Joan d’Arc” and Bakhtinian Architectonics

by Bethany Vanderputten BDes MFA

“Joan d’Arc” is a work of art that embraces the philosopher Michel Bakhtin’s notions of the ongoing process of identity and language – his architectonics. Unlike the classical Greek philosopher Plato’s tripartite soul in which it is easy to identify the soul, spirit, and body, the Bakhtinian tripartite identity is hard to pin down. But I will attempt to extrapolate in this artwork, the center, not-center, and the relationship between them. Also evident are the heteroglossia, intertextuality, and simultaneity Bakhtin speaks of in his writings on architectonics. The artwork’s narrative is based on the story of Joan of Arc who followed a divine call to win France back from the English in the Hundred Years War in the 1400s, and represents three images of Joan within one space. I will be employing the following quote from Bakhtin’s “Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics” to help explain the connections between his philosophy and this illustration: “I am conscious of myself and become myself only while revealing myself for another, through another, and with the help of another. The most important acts constituting self-consciousness are determined by a relationship toward another consciousness (toward a “thou”)… the very being of man (both external and internal) is the deepest communion. To be means to communicate… to be means to be for another, and through the other, for oneself. A person has no internal sovereign territory, he is wholly and always on the boundary: looking inside himself, he looks into the eyes of another or with the eyes of another… I cannot manage without another, I cannot become myself without another; I must find myself in another by finding another in myself (in mutual reflection and mutual acceptance)…”.

The first part of the Bakhtinian tripartite identity represented in “Joan d’Arc” is the center. It is the centrifugal force that is hard to isolate, and yet, here it is shown as the figure in the foreground holding up the sword. This is Joan as she finally makes the decision to follow God’s call. The nature of this call is outward directed; it is not for fame that she accepts it, but for others, for her country. All parts of this artwork expand from this central figure. The floor recedes from sight and other copies of her figure are receding through the great hall. Bakhtin states that “The most important acts constituting self-consciousness are determined by a relationship toward another consciousness (toward a “thou”)…” In this artwork we find the psychological aspect of this. She is not only finding her identity in her relationship with the “thou” of God, but with the “thou” of her countrymen, and even the other parts of herself. 

The second part of Bakhtin’s identity construct evident in this work is the not-center. If the foreground figure represents Joan’s center, the figure farthest back, grasping the column, could be described as her not-center. It isn’t her, and yet it is. This figure is centripetal as she looks toward the foreground figure. She is representative of a different stage of Joan’s journey, as she is in a moment of decision between accepting God’s call or not. Bakhtin’s words describe this part of Joan’s character: “A person has no internal sovereign territory, he is wholly and always on the boundary: looking inside himself, he looks into the eyes of another or with the eyes of another…” One gets the impression that she could move at any moment, becoming the different Joan’s also represented, and them becoming her. The movement of the artwork also reflects this idea as she is the smallest figure and the others grow larger in scale. The hall itself could also represent Joan’s not-center as well as the indistinct animal in the far-right doorway, and the French landscape beyond – as they all are part of the not-center of her identity construct.

The third part of this identity language is evident in the mid-ground figure holding the sword toward the floor. This also is Joan and she represents the relationship between the not-center and the center. As she is the middle figure in the perspective of space shown one wonders if she is about to move towards her center – accepting the divine call – or towards her not-center, the other Joan and the space without. “…the very being of man (both external and internal) is the deepest communion. To be means to communicate… to be means to be for another, and through the other, for oneself.” This quote from Bakhtin illustrates what is intrinsic in this relationship between – communication. She is almost the mediator between the other images of Joan, indicative of the inner dialogue involved in a decision of this magnitude. Here the viewer also becomes a part of the relationship between. As the viewer identifies and makes connections between different facets of Joan’s personality, the viewer also becomes an architect of this identity.

Further on this theme, this artwork is demonstrative of Bakhtin’s concept of heteroglossia. As this piece represents Joan in many different stages of her life’s journey it speaks to her interior dialogue. Was Joan always a hero for the French and leader of an army of men? Was she always so certain of this call? Who was she in the process of her life? From our modern perspective we often portray a simplistic view of her life. At one point in history there was a dissonant view of Joan as a heretic, but later came the consonant view: she was exonerated and became a Catholic saint. This idea is essential to interpreting the artwork. Her identity wasn’t just within herself, but was also exterior – expanding beyond the boundaries of her own life and into the history books. This polyphony in “Joan d’Arc” and in the character’s wider story is also part of Bakhtinian architectonics. 

This work is a unique representation of Joan’s ongoing self. She is not anything defined or pinned down and she changes in each moment. This is significant of the simultaneity within “Joan d’Arc”. Three images of her character are played out at the same time here in this piece, as also reflected in history. Her heroism, her gender, her decision, and her faith, are all revealed in this one artwork. Distinct moments of her identity process are on display separately but these moments are all simultaneously Joan.

This piece also represents Bakhtin’s idea of intertextuality. Her identity is known to history as being made up of this interiorization of another. Her call from God came from without, and within. Her identity was both bestowed by her God, but also by the French, our history books, and us! This intertextuality is especially seen when one attempts to read each character as unique and unrelated. There are too many similarities with the three characters to keep them separate. This also causes the viewers to ponder their own similarities with each other. Because this illustration reveals three parts of Joan’s identity it is an interesting example of the unique combination of Bakhtin’s identity construct. At every level of reality she is herself, and yet she is another, and for another.

Are we not, alongside the artist, architects of Joan’s life as we interpret the artwork “Joan d’Arc” with the philosophy of Bakhtinian architectonics? Her identity is formed through the spaces within herself, where her identity connects with her God, her environment, and the French. Also – not to be left out – her identity is formed where our reading of this artwork crosses her center, not-center, and the relationship between. The ideas of heteroglossia, simultaneity, and intertextuality within Bakhtinian architectonics also are evident in this work. Shortly after her death, the Roman Catholic Church made the historical Joan of Arc into a saint, finally recognizing her stalwart piety. Here we grasp her significance, as Bakhtin once wrote, “Every meaning will someday have its homecoming festival.” 

Written by Bethany Vanderputten, January 2008

Act/React

"I never worry about action, but only about inaction." - Winston Churchill

In my last post I described five spheres of communication: hide, allude, refer, state, act. Taking action is one of the clearest communication styles. How can you really be understood (or understand) unless there is action? Further to those thoughts is the concept of repeated action as related to finding your voice and making it heard.

I didn't really understand the power of communicating by action until I moved to the United States from Canada three years ago. Why were people so gung-ho to be advocates for causes, stand up for their presidential choice, and even fly their flag in their front yard? I wasn't sure I approved of the actions of the new culture I'd come to live in. They were stating things I didn't like and because they stated them so adamantly I felt compelled to comply to their opinions. I was used to people stating things so directly only about important issues while the American friends I met would be emphatic about even the smallest things! This struggle in part is why I write about this here. My own journey to finding my voice is not just found in alluding to it (like many Canadians are prone to do), but actually stating what I want and taking action toward it.


Water re-acting upon the shore at Point Reyes, California. ©2010 Bethany Vanderputten

React

"To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction." - Isaac Newton

How do I know you understand my endeavors unless you respond to me in some way? And how can I truly elicit a response when I am being a passive communicator? There are some people that enjoy circling a subject... but what does that do but bring frustration on your listener? (Unless, like I examined in my last post, they enjoy exploring a mystery).

This brings me to the next step: React. Re-act. Make the same action. Say the same thing. Again and again. There is power in persistence. If your audience doesn't understand you, or hasn't heard you the first time, say it again! Perhaps, depending on your chosen voice, this repetition on your part is a re-allusion, or re-referral. Whatever works! Just make it repeatable. As I am personally comfortable in allusion, I'll allude to a subject in one way, and then another, and then another. But every time I am "re-alluding" in the same subject. This builds trust with your viewer or your audience.

Re-hide. Re-allude. Re-refer. Re-state. Re-act. These are valuable steps to creating a strong voice. How can you find your voice and only say something once?! Use it. Practice it. In time your communication style will become clearer to both you and your listeners. But don't be afraid to use other levels if your preferred style doesn't get the message across to your intended audience. Some prefer more passive communication styles, and others more overt.

I believe the clearest form of communication is to act. And to clarify, re-act. (Just don't be surprised if your audience reacts in a more passive voice).

Finding your Voice

I have an idea. But I'm not quite sure how to express it. So, instead of hiding it away I'll allude to it in various expressive ways. I don't know that you will understand unless you take the time to figure out my language. But if I refer directly to the idea it becomes... less. And if I state it explicitly? Then it's not the same idea at all! It is within allusion that my idea thrives and finds room for itself.

I've realized that the expressing of my own ideas come in a linear way. First the idea is hidden inside of me, germinating and taking shape. Then, I allude to it in various ways, through conversation and in my art. Then, if I'm not understood I'll refer to it directly. Only if I have to will I state it explicitly... but again, I find the more explicit I have to state my original idea, the less it is itself. The final expression of my idea comes through action.

Hide


Detail from my recent hand-painted artwork "Jay".

Well, I'm not sure that this is communication at all, but maybe the first step to communicating an idea is hiding it within yourself. Have you ever met someone that speaks volumes even when they're not speaking or acting? Those are the people I love to get to know as I believe there are many amazing ideas hidden under the surface. What about the people that speak without thinking, believing that their words have weight in and of themselves. In some ways I can admire this communication but find that if it doesn't come out of a rich inner life it is momentary and will be forgotten. I strive to paint rich ideas that will affect lasting change.

Allude


"Adoration of the Shepherds", Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1485.

Allusion is how we play toward an idea. The idea could be specific but is more generally complicated and allusion is the only way to communicate that complexity in a visual way. An example I'll refer to is Domenico Ghirlandaio, a Renaissance artist whose work was explicit in some ways but also alluded to some deep inner ideas.

This altar piece "The Adoration of the Shepherds" shows a straightforward statement of a family and animals all gathered around a baby. It also refers to the story of the adoration of the baby Jesus Christ by his family, some shepherds and the coming Magi. But it also alludes to deeper humanistic ideas from the Renaissance that I won't get into here. It makes me wonder what hidden ideas Ghirlandaio included that cannot be understood without knowing the artist personally. Perhaps Joseph's features or body position reminded him of a memory of his own father. Certainly the inclusion of a depiction of himself as one of the shepherds warrants the idea of allusion and the speaking of his own story and ideas into this complex artwork.

Refer

Armando Testa was a 20th century Italian designer whose work often juxtaposed unexpected elements in order to make an impact. This poster he created in 1955 for Pirelli tires shows how one can 'refer' in visual communication. The tire refers to the elephant - the tire has tread, the elephant treads. Also, the elephant refers to the tire - the elephant has thick textured skin, the tire is thick and textured.

This method of communication is clear when you're speaking to a viewer who both knows what a tire is, and what an elephant is. If that knowledge isn't present the message would be lost and perhaps would become more of an allusion, if it comes out of hiding at all.

State

This is one of the more explicit of communication levels. In a society with many cultures and languages and differing worldviews this is the method of communication that is most understood. It is a straightforward and clear description of something. But it also must be a given that the stated idea can be understood across all boundaries. I'm not sure that this can ever be clear to absolutely everyone. What is a norm in one culture can be completely foreign to another. In general, way-finding communication systems and basic symbols, like the non-smoking one to the left, are a visual norm for communicating simple ideas. I believe that representational painting and photography can fall within this vein as well, but it's rare that personal filters and ideas are not expressed even in these.

Act



"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts." - John Locke

The strongest way I know of communicating an inner idea is to act upon it. I can think about it, allude to it, make reference to it and even state it directly but if I don't act in that same vein am I really being true to that inner idea?

An example of a visual artist who might exude this idea is Jackson Pollock. His expressive painting style was more about the process of acting on his ideas than it was the final outcome. A 1952 article by Harold Rosenberg states this about Pollock: "...what was to go on the canvas was not a picture but an event." Rosenberg called Pollock's work "action painting".

How do you communicate?

I prefer to communicate visually in the area of allusion, even if it doesn't communicate and the viewer gets lost. In a sense I am inviting them into a mystery, rather than handing them the answer. Many of my ideas dwell somewhere between opposing extremes. I feel like choosing one extreme betrays the other. I tend to shy away from the action step as I'd prefer my audience to participate by exploring my allusions. But perhaps the painting is the act.

I've mentioned five levels of communication that could aid in finding your voice: hide, allude, refer, state, act. All of these communication methods are valid, some just take more response on the part of the receiver than others. Which do you prefer? And are there others I haven't explored?

To Contemplate is to Toil

“One is not idle because one is absorbed. There is both visible and invisible labor. To contemplate is to toil, to think is to do. The crossed arms work, the clasped hands act. The eyes upturned to Heaven are an act of creation.” - Victor Hugo

What lies behind my art? I like to think about it so here are some fresh thoughts... forgive me if they're not as straightforward as you'd like.

I am conceptual, yes. For me this is not just the portraying of one idea. I love a concept that can be expressed definitively but not by negating all the thought processes put into finding that one idea. As I seek to find the focal point of a realistic painting, essentially looking for the one concept that underlies what I'm creating, I come through a complex and not quite linear painting process. What I'm enjoying about painting is that all of these thoughts are put together on the canvas with the final idea coming out with the most clarity. Well... sometimes.

I seek to show forth my mistakes and side roads in the final piece and not hide them from sight in thumbnails and sketches (although these are also a part of my process). I think this is why I've stopped transferring my final drawing directly onto the final painting surface. This is too controlled and unlike real life... instead I paint freely from the original sketches and photographs (and life, if possible). Although I look for refinement in my image and keeping elements in the same place throughout, there are many unexpected things that happen when painting like this. The freedom excites me!

Also, I really enjoy comparing and contrasting completely different ideas within one piece. Many times this makes a simple orange have a lot more meaning than just its appearance. What happens when you put it under a bright light, or a blue light, or candlelight? Different light situations affect how I'm viewing this orange. But not just with my physical faculty of sight. Different lighting situations bring out different thoughts and emotions as I paint. A brightly lit flower can cause joy and lightheartedness to be evident in my paintings. A somber candle in moody darkness can bring out depressive and sorrowful thoughts. Yes, I can control this to some extent by the ways I know I react to certain situations but the exciting part of painting from life is bringing about the unexpected. Life is unexpected. The longer you look at something you think is concrete the more it changes and can surprise you.

This may not jive in an environment that looks for strong concept and simple statement for impact on it's audience. But what about an environment that looks for the complex, thriving in mystery? Enjoying the seeking out of answers more than actually finding them, and much less than being shown them explicitly.

I'm not yet sure where this type of art fits commercially. It is more contemplative than direct. But that's an extension of who I am.

IMAGE CREDIT: Orange Photographs ©2010 Bethany Vanderputten.