Finding Reality

"The painter makes real to others his innermost feelings about all that he cares for. A secret becomes known to everyone who views the picture through the intensity with which it is felt." - Lucien Freud

One of the main ideas I am dealing with in my art recently is how to portray reality as I see it. Every person has a unique way of seeing. This fascinates me! An artist can document reality to a hyper degree, every point covered with accuracy and clarity, or abstractly depict an emotion evident in the same reality. Can you consider both characteristics of realist art? I believe so.

When I was in New York City in 2006 I saw an inspiring exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum that featured Picasso's abstract works directly alongside more realist art (including his own). The exhibit was called "Spanish painting from El Greco to Picasso". This juxtaposition of various types of art has stayed with me influencing the way I see. I found it fascinating that a portrait of a beautiful woman could be so realistic by one painter, and so abstract by another, yet both would obtain likenesses in terms of the character within. Both are valid expressions.

Often when I'm painting a realistic portrait I find that the smallest details can make or break the likeness. What is about your face that makes it unique? That makes it yours? Is it the slight upturn of your nose, the close set eyes, the high brow or square set chin? If that defining marker is emphasized in a portrait then a likeness is guaranteed. We all have seen cartoon versions of celebrities on the Simpsons or a similar show. But how are their characters captured? This is the talent of the cartoonist - finding identifying traits and bringing them out in an unrealistic way yet still showing resemblance to the real thing. This is also the talent of the graphic designer - creating a logo that finds the identifying markers of a company, brand or person and distilling them into a simple graphic mark.

"I sense a scream passing through nature. I painted ... the clouds as actual blood. The colour shrieked." - Edvard Munch, on his painting The Scream.

Something else affects my portrayal of a person: emotions. What is it about a person that makes them "them" beside their physical characteristics? Are they morose, melancholic, cheerful, stoic, tenacious, quiet or calm? And how are those emotions portrayed in a portrait? And what about the artist's relationship with the subject? Complex emotions can be brought forth even in a benign still life because the artist transfers his thoughts onto the subject. I think every artist's inner life is evident in every type of artistic expression whether they're aware of it or not.



Talk of this sort wouldn't be complete without bringing up Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky. Essentially his art dealt with mixing up the senses, ways of seeing beyond the simple organ of sight. He viewed color as a way to represent how he saw sounds, in fact, representing various colors as notes on the musical scale. This exploration of synesthesia interests me. When I see a soft feather I am not so interested in portraying the physical characteristics of that feather but something about it that speaks the essence of feather to me. Perhaps it is a relationship to an eagle's wing, flight and freedom. Or maybe a connotation of heaven and angels, purity and strength. Or maybe I'm listening to a song about a soft touch at the time of my painting. How are these ideas wrought out in my artistic process - in my materials, color choices, and even in my surroundings? I hope to explore this more in my upcoming pieces.

"I paint forms as I think them, not as I see them." - Picasso

IMAGE CREDITS: Top - Ceiling of the Guggenheim in New York ©2006 Bethany Vanderputten. Bottom - Kandinsky art at the MOMA in New York ©2006 Bethany Vanderputten.

The Value of Creative - Part Two

Why do I paint? Is it to work in something I love, to sell a product, to make some cash, or to gain noteriety? Though these things sound amazing they're really not at my heart. I create to effect positive change and meet people's needs.

This comes down to a heart issue. What do people really need? Food, water, shelter - yes. But beyond that don't we all struggle with fear, heartache, loneliness, pain, and other emotional needs? And then there's the largely ignored spiritual need. That's where great creative can come in and transform hearts and minds. This is a bit of a rationale for my artistic career. It doesn't mean I'll stop giving to World Vision or reaching out practically to meet felt needs. I just hope that my art can meet someone in their hidden distress. These unrecognized needs are important and great art can meet them in a way that practical giving cannot.

I wonder if a lot of artists, especially illustrators, see their value being solely their talent for drawing and painting. This is central, yes, but it is not enough. How many clients can attest to enjoying a person's art but not the person? What about everything else that makes up a successful artistic career - good communication, integrity with finances, ability to work well with others, positive attitudes and more? Are these an integral part of my creativity? If they do not go hand in hand my talent will suffer... and ultimately, the hearts of those I seek to affect. Have you ever heard the phrase "she goes above and beyond"? What I hope to do in my creative career is not just create great art that effects positive change in society, but also meets needs in a felt way. This cannot be done halfheartedly but only with a spirit of lavish generosity!

I was sent a particularly moving forward in my e-mail recently about Hitler as a 'failed artist'. It showed much of his own art and spoke of his attempts to get into an art school in Vienna. Personally I think he could be viewed more, to use strong terminology, as a 'perverted artist'. His love for the arts was evident in his early years but when rejected and not developed in an art school or opera these talents were eventually misapplied. This misapplication resulted in horrendous measures of perverted creativity.

Peter Schjeldahl wrote an article called "Hitler as Artist" in 2002 that speaks of this more eloquently (The Williams show referred to featured Hitler's art at the Williams College Museum of Art, in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 2002):

"The Williams show rebuts the comfortable sentiment that Hitler was a "failed artist." In fact, once he found his métier, in Munich after the First World War, he was masterly, first as an orator and then as an all-around impresario of political theatre. He was also deluded. He had no vision of the future apart from ever grander opera." Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2002/08/19/020819craw_artworld#ixzz0gZAF6B5u

As an artist I can choose... will I use my talents to passionately affect this world for good and with beauty? Or, will I let these talents be perverted and used in a way that ignores the needs of the people around me, or chooses to meet them in a malevolent way? Creativity is powerful. I have stated before that great creative brings revolution. Now the choice is what kind.

Bethany's Acrylic Painting Tips

Here are some random acrylic painting pointers I've picked up along the way:

1. Acrylics dry fast. Know what you want to do before you lay down the paint or you'll be readjusting later.

2. There is a difference between opaque pigments and transparent ones. Know the strengths and weaknesses of both.

3. Surface preparation is important and takes time. Plan for this.

4. Don't worry about making mistakes, acrylics are easy to fix. You can always paint gesso over a section, or use rubbing alcohol to remove dried paint.

5. Varnishes are beautiful and protective but flatten the original paint's qualities. I like showing which strokes are shiny and which are matte. Spray fixative can provide some protection.

6. Signing a long name in a small brush is difficult. I sign each painting with FW Ink and a dip pen. It is still acrylic, is permanent and makes way for a beautiful signature.

7. Have lots of tools at your disposal. Don't be afraid to drop a large brush in favor of a kitchen sponge to cover large areas. And a palette knife is a good friend. (I prefer natural bristle brushes over synthetic for more textural expression).

8. Keep your brushes clean. Don't leave them in the water or they deteriorate quicker. Continually clean them as you work lest the paint dry on your brushes.

9. Remember to step away from your canvas/board and look at your painting in different types of light. You'll see things you didn't up close.

10. Learn the color wheel and make use of it. Different brands of acrylics have different properties. An ultramarine in one brand looks different than another. Remember this when painting.

IMAGE CREDIT: A close-up of Bethany painting her artwork "Taking Chances" ©2009 Bethany Vanderputten.