Recently I reviewed my very favorite artworks over the years, making notes on what aspects they have in common: style, subject matter, color palette, composition, atmosphere, texture, mood and light. You can learn a lot about your own style of work and how you look at paintings, by taking this type of perspective. I made a simple chart, and began to look for similarities.
My introduction to great works of art started early in life going to local museums with my Mom. Early in high school I won my first art competition and was given a book on N.C. Wyeth, the illustrator. I fell in love with his work, as well as Howard Pyle, J.C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish and Toulouse Lautrec, all painters who were illustrators. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be an illustrator and painter for the rest of my life. It was clearly one of the defining factors in my choice to go on to art school.
In 1980, while I was in college, I had taken a trip into New York to the National Academy of Design for an exhibition called "From All Walks of Life". I fell in love with the painting, Two Idlers - Robert Frederick Blum - The Athenaeum which was also featured on the poster for the show. Thirty two years later I still have the poster in my studio. Another favorite by Franz Marc, is Two Horses, Red and Blue done in a very different style of painting, cubism. One common feature of the works that engage me is the narrative they possess, along with mood, light and most profoundly, color. Although my tastes have varied over the years, now including some very abstract art pieces, these are the similar characteristics that stand out, and have clearly become an integral aspect of my own painting style.
My introduction to great works of art started early in life going to local museums with my Mom. Early in high school I won my first art competition and was given a book on N.C. Wyeth, the illustrator. I fell in love with his work, as well as Howard Pyle, J.C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish and Toulouse Lautrec, all painters who were illustrators. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be an illustrator and painter for the rest of my life. It was clearly one of the defining factors in my choice to go on to art school.
In 1980, while I was in college, I had taken a trip into New York to the National Academy of Design for an exhibition called "From All Walks of Life". I fell in love with the painting, Two Idlers - Robert Frederick Blum - The Athenaeum which was also featured on the poster for the show. Thirty two years later I still have the poster in my studio. Another favorite by Franz Marc, is Two Horses, Red and Blue done in a very different style of painting, cubism. One common feature of the works that engage me is the narrative they possess, along with mood, light and most profoundly, color. Although my tastes have varied over the years, now including some very abstract art pieces, these are the similar characteristics that stand out, and have clearly become an integral aspect of my own painting style.
No comments:
Post a Comment