So much of painting for me is the interaction with the environment and subject.
Seems like logical and normal behaviour.
If the environment is serene and peaceful, a sunny day in a meadow, then usually the finished painting is serene and peaceful.
If the sky is dark and stormy so does the painting becomes dark and stormy.
I have heard an idea by a few different artists that I am going to loosely quote here. The thought really changed my idea on how I painted.
“A painting is like a relationship, there are plenty of first dates, maybe even second dates, but a person really needs to spend time with a painting to really get to know it, and in turn themselves.”
Pretty heavy stuff for a En Plein Air painter who loves a quick first date type painting.
Now I really took this to heart and realized that some relationships I had been involved with that lasted years were less impactful than a chance conversation with a stranger at a gas station.
It helped me to let go of expectations and be present. Making for a more immersive painting experience which ultimately led to better paintings.
Whatever “better” means at the time
All this being said I have found myself over the last two months spending more time at David and Susan’s Horse farm in between Guelph and Elora.
A wonderful and evocative environment where the barn and home sit upon a slight hill over a subtle and expansive valley.
Included on this farm are some hard working staff. Gordon the head barn cat, Daisy the farm dog (in training) and the stars of the show: Candy, Blue, and Mini
Rather than talk about how the relationships formed with these three (as I feel I am always speaking on the relationships a painter experiences with their environment) I thought I would use the paintings, studies and drawings done over those two days to illustrate how I get to know a subject. How I work with themes, use the elements particular to the moment and revisit those elements on subsequent visits.
There are lots of ways to work and to understand. The key for me has always been to define and then refine.
Define: the subjects, the objects. Who/what am I viewing, what I wish to show, what I wish the viewer to feel, and the always important how am I going to achieve this
Refine: Take these notes and refine them down to their most concentrated elements. I may not end up using the most concentrated elements but in doing so I gain a foundational understanding of what it is I am looking at.
This method of exploring, being curious, and understanding all allow for an amazing secondary element.
I am internalizing all of the information to be used at a later date if needed.
A.K.A. I can draw or paint horses without needing photos or auxiliary information.
The connections in between the paintings and drawings are easy to see in hindsight. In the moment they are quite a bit more spontaneous.
