Behind Schedule
SO – here we are, just 5 days away from the opening of Swindon Open Studios 2024! Like most other artists I feel as if I am behind in my preparations. I have so many ideas of paintings, ceramics and artworks I had wanted to be available for sale on day 1. However, life does not go in easy trajectories up a hill. I am behind schedule, but have to accept that you cannot rush decent works of art.
I began painting a black cat on a vertical canvas. In my head it would be absolutely gorgeous. However, it has not turned out as I want so, it will not make the cut for this exhibition.
The Joy of Painting
On the other hand, I started a painting of a foal. Since I have a very clear love of horses, the sketch went very well and within 2 hours of painting in acrylics, I know this work is really “flowing”! I have wanted to continue painting in the afternoons and evenings but the weather we are experiencing this September has made that impossible. The British weather is SO dull, and no matter how good artificial light is, it cannot beat painting when the sun is shining through the windows. So, I have to patiently wait until the lighting conditions improve.
How Important is Lighting? VITAL!
Why does this matter? One time I was at a gallery in Bristol and there was an impressive life-size painting of a racehorse. It was absolutely exquisite in the rendering of every detail: the glossy coat, the veins, the strands of hair in the mane and tail. There was no doubting the consummate skill of the artist. However, when you stood back to view the entire painting, the left vertical third of it had been painted during a “sunny day” and the other two thirds of the painting had clearly been completed under different, much duller lighting conditions. It was such a shame. This painting had clearly taken a very long time to complete to these exacting standards – but once I had seen this fault, I could not “unsee” it. Even if 90% of the population would never have been able to see it, I did.
Quality Control
The majority of people might not pick this up, but I have spent a lifetime in industry with global print quality control and approvals for photography, design and artwork for big companies such as Disney, 20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, HASBRO International, Bluebird Toys and Vivid Imaginations. Every little spot, line, mistake and dust “hickie” on a printing proof had to be highlighted so it didn’t replicate in the main production run of tens of thousands of product packs. I developed an attention to detail which can also be a weakness because when I look at something I have created, I often cannot appreciate its true beauty because all I can see are the flaws I need to improve on for next time! While this helps me “stretch” in terms of developing my artistic skills, it can be very disheartening sometimes.
My father Chic Jack (RIP) used to say that “Everybody looks but very few people really see!” He studied at the Glasgow School of Art & Design and was a cartoonist on Fleet Street in its heyday in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He even created his very own cartoon strip for the Daily Mirror which ran for two years. He was an excellent draughtsman and he taught me pretty much everything I know about ART. I owe him so much!
Stretching oneself
So, there you have it. While it was good for me to challenge myself to paint a popular subject – a cat - it is clear that my passion for horses means I understand their anatomy so much better. While I do intend to stick to horses – I know that I need to practice and stretch myself to paint better versions of cats to truly do them justice. I might not be good at painting cats just yet, but how do you improve? Only through practice. Which is what I tell my art students.
Comentarios