Friday, March 30, 2018

Artistic Journeys...

The artistic journey really needs to be unique on the verge of getting lost. You do not get anywhere new by following someone else. In 2018 it seems like everything has been said and done already. It would seem that creative repetition and artistic journey overlaps are unavoidable. Even though similar brush strokes might have been completed before it is still the first time for me. There are only so many ways that one can dip the hairy end of a brush in the paints and transfer those pigments to a canvas.
As I progressed from photographic realism when I started my trip with Mario Airomi in the late 1960's to what I do today, the inspiration has remained unchanged - the natural world. I do not get the same zing from anything person-made. My style has indeed loosened up but the shapes, colours, values and texture I paint on the canvas can be found in nature if you look hard enough. Those same characteristics can also be found in those early canvases at the start of my journey.

Today Vincent Van Gogh would have become a five score plus senior citizen born 165 years ago in 1853. He started his artistic journey late at the age of 27 or 28. He painted an average of two paintings a week completing almost 900 canvases by the time he died at the age of 37 in 1890. He also left behind 1100 drawings on paper. He never knew how many lives he would touch in a good way.

I try very hard to paint like "me" but for sure there are canvases where our journeys look like they overlapped although I am not Vincent or Tom for that matter. My journey still needs to be unique to me. I may not know where I am going but I am not lost either.

The painting above, #0588 "Downburst" from July 2002 is mid journey for me. It hangs in Vancouver now. My supporter really likes it but also has it on the secondary art market. Some might see some Vincent influence in it.

Happy Birthday Vincent and thank you... from Phil the Forecaster

PS: I needed meteorology to support my artistic life style. There is weather every day... and I am really enjoying the ride!
 For this and more art...



No comments:

Post a Comment

#2849 "Wood Ducks Standing on the Log By the Bay"

#2849 "Wood Ducks Standing on the Log By the Bay" 14x18 inches oils on stretched canvas  Started Friday March 29th, 2024  The titl...