"Yet Untitled", 16x20 oil on linen panel.
I had an interesting conversation with a student recently,
which seems to be a re-occurring one, about painting and how difficult it is to
do…..and also, how difficult it is to improve!
I have been doing this for so many years, and it is still
difficult on some days….and I wonder how that can be if one paints nearly every
day…..why on some days it works better than other days. The answer to this, in my opinion, is ultimately
having enough practice of the craft under one’s belt to at least on the worst
day, to be able do a good painting…..maybe not your best effort, but a good
painting. It’s similar to playing a
round of golf (to use a sports metaphor)……if you play once every six months,
your chances of shooting a low score are diminished….but, if you practice often
and play regularly, your opportunity of shooting a low score is definitely
increased….ask most avid golfers!
Mindless practice is not very useful….in my opinion. What I mean by that is, if you’re painting
and paying attention to what is working and what is not, you know what you need
to keep, and what to avoid in your process.
If it hurts when you do that, don’t do that again….if it feels good, or
looks good when you do that, then do that again. For instance, it is fun to see what kind of
marks a particular brush or painting tool will make. That kind of practice is useful….I see many
students who never change the way they hold a brush, and make the same type of
marks for every inch of the surface of their painting, no matter what the
subject. This leads to a possibly less interesting
surface as well as redundant looking marks that may not have the appropriate
tactile quality of the image being painted….also, the most important thing in
your practice should be the principals of painting….practice good shapes,
value, edges, and proper temperature of color!
When I first started painting, I used to do little head
study warm-ups off the top of my head….just for the practice of manipulating
the brush, and seeing what worked and what didn’t. I used to toss them in the trash can when finished….until one day an old friend,
who rented the studio next to me, asked if he could have that little head that
was laying face up in my trash can….”of course, I said!” He comes back with it framed nicely a couple
of weeks later….and, from then on I started keeping them….I have bags of them
in my storage. They have little value
monetarily because of their size….but, they are valuable to me because of what
I learned in the process of painting them…..also, they make nice little give
away gifts. The point I’m trying to make
is that all that practice has helped me work out some of the issues with
brush/paint application…..not that my use of paint and brush is so
wonderful….but, imagine how inadequate it might be without the practice.
This kind of practice touches on experimentation….which is a relative
term for artists. Some artist really
push the envelope when it comes to being fearless experimenters…..others take
baby steps and it is a more subtle process….I fit into the latter most of the
time.
This topic covers another comment made by a student in
reference to admiring a particular painting by one of their favorite artist……”how
can I be this good right now?” My answer
to this twenty year old student was, “There is no such animal….unless you are
some kind of prodigy…. you must put in your time and practice!” This of course, is not the most popular
answer that one can give an impatient young artist!
I notice that in the beginning, the improvement plateaus
were greater. Then, as one acquires a
modicum of skills….the little improvement increments get smaller and smaller,
until they are so subtle and personal, that they might not be discernible to
others.
These comments are sort of a general answer that I gave this
student, and are my opinions on this subject….but, do not necessarily reflect
any universal opinion about this. Until next time, thanks for listening to my
ramblings!
Hodges Soileau OPA
Splashes of Color,
16x20 oil on linen panel
The challenge in this painting for me was to convey the good
feeling I have when I am around these old docks that are neglected, weathered
and tattered…..but still being used! It
is not a chore, but certainly a challenge to take the chaotic scene and make it
inviting, or palatable….so, one might want to spend some time there. I have always been attracted to these types
of less than perfect subjects. I edited
some things and added a few gulls that are common to this type of
situation. I will let it sit for a while
and take another look with a fresh eye….later.
“Quiet Day at the Docks”, 16x20, oil on linen Panel
"The Happy Hen", 12x16 oil on linen panel
