The idea of coherence relates to an instant tuning together of all of the parts of a painting. Nature as we know is not automatically coherent. It is chaotic at the visual level. It is therefore one of the key objectives of the watercolor artist to use the concept of coherence to create a 'whole' unified painting. Therefore to create a 'forever painting' the idea of choerence must necessarily play a dominant role. Many paintings seem coherent on one level but fail to meet that standard on all levels. It is not enough to merely use technique to force coherence at the painting stage. It must be built in at the design, story and painting levels. These to me represent the three most important areas for a watercolor painter to use. It is much like the design build concepts used in the construction industry. First we design and then we build or render. To have too little thought on the front end(design/ story leaves too much to chance. While chance plays an important and much recognized role in watercolor painting it should not be the principle design strategy in an intentional painting. In a non intentional spontaneous painting one could lauch forth with 'chance' as the key strategy but in the end the artist must bring coherence into play if the painting is to succeed.
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
Aug 26, 2008
You can't start with nature and end up with a forever painting. You will not find that 'something more' in nature as it is only a symbol for beauty that you seek. As a symbol it can point toward the higher but does not contain it. That is why so many watercolor paintings fail to reach the 'forever painting' level. They are nice renderings but contain less and not more than nature. They become of a symbol of the symbol. They are lower and not higher because the artist started with the wrong point of view. To reach the higher level requires a differnt point of view. This is a point of view that comes from within the artist and is imposed upon the subject matter. Therefore don't look for or expect to find your 'something more' in nature, or for that matter any part of the material world. Look within and there you will find the hidden treasure that you have been seeking.
Carrying the message 'strongly' in a painting is one of the key goals of a watercolor painter. One should never struggle too long over a weak depiction. The key is to begin over if the inital attempt appears to be too weak because in painting the stage must be set early for success.
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
Aug 11, 2008
Rodin once said that the artist had to recognize and point out things of significance. Some think that the artist selects them, points them out and reveals the inner truth of the 'significant' to the world. Some think that the artists job is to show the significance of all things to the world. I agree with the latter and think it is a far greater challenge but more rewarding in the end.
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
Aug 08, 2008
As C.S. Lewis once put it, "Nature is only the sketch." It is what we see as an image of the beauty that lies behind it. It points to the far off territory beyond from whence it all arises. It is the beauty of this far off territory that the watercolorist seeks to point toward. To suggest in some poetic fashion that true beauty lies beyond the surface of nature is possible in watercolor and the painting structures utilized by the watercolorist.
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
Jun 16, 2008
The captioned could be a mantra for anyone wishing to create forever paintings. For what else can be gained from just creating ones that are 'Nice'? A question to ponder for any artist aspiring to create something new and meaningful. Will your painting stir or will it simply be used to adorn a wall?
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
May 20, 2008
C.S. Lewis once said that in order to make progress in any matter sometimes the most productive way is to begin over. I have found that once I am on a pathway and have a fundemental set of protocols (in use and that work) I have a hard time breaking out and doing anything truly creative.
Instead I continue to pursue the same methods with little change in the outcomes. I paint alot of nice pictures but nothing truly great. I find myself stuck!
A couple of dozen years ago I took some lessons and the painter I was studying with had me begin with the color wheel. I didn,t understand at the time but this was to give me a fresh start. It was to give me another chance to begin again from the start and to open new opportunties to growth and creativity.
It seems to be a painterly approach to contemplation of the art. I think now that the more times you start over the more chance you have to create something truly new that has the potential to be a Forever Painting. (I now do a new color wheel once a week!)
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
May 18, 2008
A painting that shows us, or makes us feel, more of what the world is like is one that can be considered forever. It is the difference between surface representation and essence.
The world is much more complex and interesting than it may appear. If we are only aware of what is represented by the obvious we will never be able to appreciate the complexity and interconnectiveness/ interdependent nature of all of existance.
A 'Forever Painting' seeks to take us below the surface and to show the richness of the relationahips and complexities of our world. This is true of abstract as well as representational painting.
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
Apr 20, 2008
Tiepolo, the great painter of ceilings, had ideas that point the way for others of us in our pursuit of great paintings. Here are some of them.
Creating a world beyond common experience
Vaghezza - a subtle beauty
Great Spectacles unfolding in light
vast aerial spaces
Grandiosity, compositional richness
A labrynth of images
To Paint a World
Create great spaces!
Show the mind far more things than it hoped to see
These are just some of the ideas that I use to get started when
composing a new painting. I think they help to go beyond the normal
boundaries of my everyday thought processes and the patterns of
rendering that are comfortable to my ego.
Posted by: Jim in Philosophy, Painting on
Apr 16, 2008
C.S.Lewis tells us that if we are on the wrong track that the quickest and most successful way forward to is to go back to the beginning and start over. I think that this holds true for most artists who are seeking what has been called the 'Innocence of the Eye'. The idea is to see again as if for the first time without prejudice or conditioned thoughts and processes. It is these processes that we painters have to avoid if we are to see and depict something that is more truthful and less ordinary. It is also one of the most difficult objectives before us.
I know that my greatest temptation is to resort to known or previously successful pathways to construction of the paintings and depiction of the subjects or ideas. While this often leads to 'nice' or 'good' paintings they always seem to fall short of the original vision that I had before execution. They seem to get watered down the further I go into the painting as I seek not to render from the heart of the vision but from the pattern of the intellect.
I have found that the best way for me to avoid this is not to spend too much time (if any) in the laying out of the painting on the watercolor paper. I now try to go directly(as directly as possbile!) from the vision to painting process. I have found that a drawing with any detail tends to 'contain' and 'restrain' the vision. I therefore try to launch directly into the painting process on the blank paper with only the vision in my mind before me. This is a similar process to one that I have developed for the use of my consulting clients in the development of new creative approaches to solving probelms and developing new opportunties. The interesting thing to me is the way that I feel when I am in this process as opposed to the more traditional one. In the new process I feel free, open and energized. It is exiting and reminds me more of when I was finger painting in grade school. Maybe this is the best way to become innocent again!
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