Waiting an Eternity

I saw the Hopper exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris the other day. It was impressive and inspiring. Among the many things I learnd was that he took a long time to decide on his subject, angle and perspective. He wasn't quick, so he really needed to be inspired by the vision he had. He also clearly saw the pictures in a larger context than what it immediately depicts; extending its lines and its meaning beyond the years and the two-dimensional space  ... he was a master of water colours and colours and light in general.

So returning I had a strong urge to paint something inspiring. For a long time I have wanted to try my hand at some fantasy type of drawings. There is such a wealth of extremely talented illustrators in this genre. Here is my first try at this in water colours. I also like the concept of elevating beauty even more by adding the beast. Through life's ugliness we can also become much more aware of its pockets of beauty, the fine and beautiful people and moments that we encounter maybe but a few times on our journey through life."I" remember.

Sketching

Watercolour and pencil sketching whatever comes to mind, with more or less concentration ... the mind wandering .. the hand and heart moving ....
Practice and seeing ... the colours, the mood, the rhythm, the light, the shadows - the feeling!
Here a selection from this week's dabbling.

In a dream

There is one storm outside and one inside. The heart and mind separated. I search for the light in the dark abyss. I slowly work my way towards it. Like in a dream I paint ... memories of fragrances, feelings, laughter, and precious moments lingering in a forest ... followed by the banishment to an eternal winter.

Inspired by the skillful Michael Karst (active in Limburg an der Lahn, where I visited his gallery the other day) I tried my hand at his emotionally expressive and abstract style. I did it in 110x60 cm and pastel, but clearly this type of work should be done in acrylics or similar.

Embracing

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec re-visited, so I did this quick 60x40 pastel study. The way he captured the sensual intimacy of two beautiful loving people embracing one another is fascinating. His loose approach to the soft bedcloth they are wrapped in, the colour of their skin, their excitement and warmth visible in the tone of their ears and hands. He slightly dominates her, holding his arm across her, yet she is the one pulling him towards her and exposing her beautiful neck line to the viewer.

Better to have loved passionately and lost than never to have felt love at all .. but one can miss such an embrace for a lifetime.

Moving emotions

Listening to Ray Charles. Men have lost fortunes, started quarrels, fights, even wars .... for the attractions and influence of that ONE woman. Powerful forces at work,  ... Here a quick inspired soft pastel study of a woman's seductive force ...

At the same time it's been a good chance to think of the importance of rhythm when painting; the speed of the movement of that hand, the length of the stroke, the pressure applied and the general tempo ... Gainsbourg, Ravel's Bolero, Prince, Jackson, Houston, or  Marvin Gaye ... or nature ... what is the subject, mood, impression and rhythm of the day ...?

The creative process

This may be an odd posting, but I realized it is also part of the creative process and my journey - the mistakes and the abandoned projects. I started this pastel study and was interupted in the middle. I now have difficulties starting again. I am bewildered by my own reaction. In a way I think it is an interesting picture, with the cool and warm colours, but at the same time it is not a very realistic depiction of what it would be like at the top of a submarine tower. Taking the sun heght, followinging a convoy, on even the best of sunny days, one wouldn't wear the parade gear ... the other problem is the approach I took: does one start with the high lights and the dark areas, or the far away and the focal areas? Do you build the picture in layers or in sections? There are so many ways to approach a picture, but for it to work, it needs to resonate within you too, and this one didn't ... so I stopped.

Emotional and sensory curiosity

I just finished reading Osborne, Sturgis and Turner’s excellent book Art Theory for Beginners (2006). It is an excellent work and which got me thinking and going. So after a quick digital art try-out (yes I know it’s a bit XXX, but what 'art' isn’t these days …?) here are my quick reference notes from the book:

• Is it “l‘art pour l’art” or does it and should it serve a higher purpose?
• Why is it that we humans spend time making, and spend time with things that to us are holy, beautiful or important? Doesn't it raise our sense of life (“lebensgefühl”) and make us feel better? Doesn't it make us feel more alive? It is lke the music we listen to and create, like the experience in the moments of intimacy and sublime presence ...
• Art is what moves us within (Diderot)
• The objective validity of aesthetic judgments, is the claim that the pleasure produced by any beautiful thing is such, that any being equipped with the perceptual and cognitive faculties of a human being, would experience this pleasure.  Thus it depends only on the general structure of the human mind. Aesthetic judgments can though not meet the rigorous standards for empirical knowledge (Kant in The Critique of Pure Reason)
• Art depicts the various stages of development the world’s spirit (Hegel)
• Art is constructive – the artist creates beauty, he does not merely reproduce it. It is made up of light, colours and shadows. (Goethe)
• Art Washes Away From The Soul the Dust of Everyday Life (Picasso)
• Beauty is a promise of happiness (Stendahl)
• Beauty is thruth (Earl of Shaftsbury)
• Art mirrors in an illusionary way how society sees itself (Marx)
• How surreal to be able to see the whole universe in but a weed, dada leaving us with nothing to help us though. High or low forms of art, or decorative qualities – what do I aspire to and want to spend time on? Beauty, function, cultural context and technical proficiency – it’s all down to emotional and sensory curiosity (Storm)
• “In the work of art the truth of an entity has set itself to work.” (Heidegger)

So art is an experience, and a craft, an intellectual and emotional phenomena - all at the same time. It allows us to come closer to the truth of our existence … allowing me to deconstruct myself, my thoughts, my emotions, and my mind …

Quotes here are my own free ones, from memory of the text, and not double checked. The digital art piece, a photoshop study of erotica/sex, Pollock (who sees that link I wonder?) and Warhol.

Never too late

"A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to." (Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings). My beloved daughter reminded me of this quote, I came a little late to the table for our Sunday tea and scones. She had prepared it, and I excused myself. She proceeded to correct me by having me repeat the classic Gandalf retort. :-D)  Thanks C! This also made me think of this sketch I did some time ago, and which I suddenly wondered if I mixed up with J.K. Rowling's Dumbledore for some reason. But I hadn't. This is a charcoal and white crayon work, which I did in a whiff. I have read the Tolkien stories several times, and the power of our imagination, the darkness of evil and the tenacity and strength of the good people never fail to impress me. Like Obama said in his Presidential acceptance speach 2012 "I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting." Another favourite guiding quote of mine is Napoleon's "Leaders are dealers in hope" (...des marchands d'espoir) - without this we succumb, and humanity wouldn't be so great if we didn't have this wizardly ability to keep believing ...

Homage à Degas

Oh, why is it so difficult? A life time's work will be needed ... and there is so little time it seems. Edgar Degas is so inspiring in his treatment of the human skin and pastels. Here a study of another artist (lost who this was unfortunately) and an attempt to try Degas' approach to create that special glow of the skin of a woman when ... :-D

Walking in the rain

Autumn is here. Leonid Afremov has found a tantalizing approach to capture the feeling of rain drenched streets, and walking along them under an umbrella with someone ... I long to start to do more acrylics, but here is another pastel study insipred by Afremov.

Jealousy

Here another pastel study in the spirit and along the lines of the great illustrators of the past. As mentioned earlier, I tremendously admire the works of Norman Rockwell, J.C. Leyendecker, Charles Gibson, Gil Elvgren, James Avati, and many many more. This 60 by 40 cm illustrates very well I think the tension between the different people meeting; the appreciating look of the man, the jealous stare of the woman on the right, and the self-assured aloft look of the man's woman/wife, the joy of the elderly couple in the background in seeing each other ... The colours were well chosen too,  rendering depth and portraying the feelings of the people involved in the little drama. Don't we recognize ourselves?

Art nouveau

Here a 70 x 40 cm red crayon study of the classic 'art nouveau'/'romantic' painting by John William Waterhouse. red crayon, ink, dark pencils are a joy. This one is actually not finnished and I will not leave it framed, but Boreas as the original is called, depicts the great angry wind of the North - he is said to have abducted the beautiful red haired daughter of the king of Athens ...

the Storm family coat of arms

Here an adorned version of the Storm family coat of arms. Heraldry is an ancient art, if not a science, that have thoroughly looked at the effects of form, colours, contrast and symbolism. Here the Storm family shield is adorned with our motto "Amour, verité et diligence". The classic supporters are a lion rampant et guardant, and the red dragon simply rampant. The family colours Argent (silver) and Vert (green), the latter the symbol of hope, joy and loyalty in love. The blazon: on argent two juxtaposed swirls, between them depicting "S".

Choice of subjects

Here a marine marine pencil drawing I did many years ago, but which I somehow managed to keep and which recently turned up when cleaning out the house ahead of the move. I remember that when working with it I wondered what subjects I like. I am sure it changes over time and with one's mood, but I always come back to people. Landscapes can be beautiful, scenes interesting, and trying to capture the light on glittering waves can be a fantastically beautiful challange. But I always come back to people somehow ...

Impressions of parcour

An ambition to make an impression? An attempt to leave the beholder with a feeling mirroring mine? The joyful leap of faith, towards a new dimension.



Here a quick pastel sketch. I am trying to catch the motion, the feeling of making that one big leap, with courage and style ... Just a few colours in this and then 'black' - that feared pigment by many artists.


A French parcour traceur shows his artistic skill .. trying to impress the lady ... now who doesn't try?

The scent of a woman

It follows you everywhere, that image of that special person, the smile, the gestures, the touch of her skin and silken hair and her perfume ... try to capture that!?! Sketching, sketching ... here in charcoal. A turning of her head, her hair flowing in the wind and with the movement, her captivating smile .. melting ... and to this listen to the brilliant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj4j-iV-iak (António Pinho Vargas playing his Tom Waits ...)

Art makes the invisible visible

"Art makes the invisible visible" said Paul Klee. How true .. he was preceeded by the eminent August Macke. Here is a study of his insightful "Hutladen" (the "hat shop") in original size (ca 60.5x50.5).
 Our inner feelings are true, aren't they?  But we are not always in touch with our inner feelings, and not always honest with ourselves. Sometimes, we may not be prepared to face the reality of what we are feeling: fear, shame, longing, loss ... Art allows us, like music, to get into touch with our inner true feelings ... and bring them out .. to set them free ... bringing forth something beautiful ... (depending on who you are?) ...

Ina café in Paris

Jean-Pierre Gibrat is a master of water colours and BD design. Have with pleasure read his sequel starting with Le Vol du Corbeau, with the strong and beautiful Céline as the main character. Reminds me of someone ... Here a pastel version of one of the small strip boxes, capturing the sentimental mood in a café in Paris, and building on a tradition of French paintings, with Tolouse-Lautrec, van Gogh and others as insipration. 

So what is art?

Did this pastel study of dancing people. Is it art? Not sure. The colours, the movement of the dancing people, the sensual and seductive pose of the woman at the centre of our attention, the technique, composition - does it convey or give rise to a feeling? What is art for me? A sence of beauty; something pleasingly surprising; something crafted with technical proficiency - but not always necessarily excellent/superbe - and done with passion ... maybe that is it ...

Paris mon amour

Water colour study on 100x80 and 300 gr paper - fine grain. I am not satisfied. It is overworked and yet not finnished. It was satisfying working on it though (the journey in itself was worth it all).
I hoped the fantastic framing by the Boesner Frankfurt team (thank you!) would lift it, but no ...
I know I could do it better now, and maybe I should ... but there are so many other projects ...
Still I like the scene very much - it depicts the rue Rivoli in Paris looking towards Place de la Concorde on a chilly autumn afternoon ... a lovely walk hand-in-hand ...

Framed space

Inspired by an original at the Institut Suédois in Paris I had to try my hand at an 'installation'. It was a bit complex to realize but, I really love the concept of the framed empty space creating a very powerful form. One can see a simple cross, or the Vetruvian man/woman, the christian symbol of Christ's carried cross, and more ... all depending on fantasy and time. Unfortunately I do not know the name of the original creator. I am in his debt. Thank you.
(http://www.si.se/Paris/Francais/Institut-suedois-a-Paris/)

The pain of letting go

Letting go can be very hard and even painful. Letting yourself go, allowing your ideas to blossom, sharing and expressing them can be very difficult. One should be very caring about one's good ideas and visions, they are fragile, and yet can be extremely powerful (as was said by Apple's chief designer). Here a charcoal expression of the feeling of loss, hope and yearning. Courage is another side of the coin - do you have the strength despite the fears ... to let go.

Bach, mathematics & colour

Here an aquarelle study I made of Paul Klee's Tunisian Garden. Indeed a master of colours and colour balance. A bit like Bach? Or mathematical beauty at its best? At the same time as it is slightly naive in its approach, his mastery of the abstract is fascinating. I set this one in a silver frame I found by chance at Boesner ... beautiful and very different ... but framing is good fun too and sort of 'finnishes' the painting.

A classic pose

An old red crayon study of Francois Boucher's classic technique. Note the invisible light source, folds of the dress and the gentle hands.  The pose carefully chosen, as the crayon strokes. Was good fun

Sensual nude

Did this pastel study of a nude the other day. The colour of skin is very complex. Used the classic technique of a thin layer of white to bring life to the skin tones. Notable are the unexpected colours of green and blue and grey

(E)art(h)

Couldn't resist posting this pic that I found by chance ... yes, what on earth is art, eh?

Sensuality

"Art does not reproduce the visible, but makes it visible." (Paul Klee). I picked up a stack of very nice art books that were on sale at the local book store; van Gogh, Klee, Klimt, etc. Excellent reproductions and insightful tests. It will be a joy to read and analyze over the summer. Tried my hand at a charcoal study. The paper was a mistake (too rough) but one learns by making mistakes ...

Portraits and colour theories

Contrasts, perspectives, composition, hue, tone and value. Lot's to work on. Am reading about Goethe's colour theories as laid out by Szelényi in his excellent book Colours - the acts of light. Fascinating how spot on he was, and how complex it all is. A mathematical and physical Newtonian approach is not enough. We are human's after all, and we feel and react, to what we see and hear, and mix it in our heads to new things. Lingering memories of gains and losses, past experiences and the colours, as filtered through it all, should move us ... for it to be art. Here a portrait study in pastel, where I try to improve my approach to skin and eyes and hair.

The Last Walk

The Last Walk I call this ink study I did. The location is one of the islands in Seine (Île aux Cygnes), and we look towards the Eiffel Tower (up on the right hand side). I like the tranquil late autumn mood, reflected in the elderly couple as they walk lovingly close to each other. Will it be their last time together?  The original artist did a great job at reducing and balancing the details and perspective. Dark black ink can be wonderful, why should we artists be afraid of 'black'?

Illustration Masters

I really enjoy studying the many brilliant illustrators of the last century - and this. Think of names like Rockwell, Leyendecker, Armstrong, Fisher, and more. Here a charcoal and pencil drawing in A3 format based on one of their many sketches and works.

Summer feelings

Larger scale (70x40) study in watercoulor of Milo Manara's technique. A master of female forms and aquarelle, although his erotic stories may be over the top, he is inspiring. Should have been even bolder with the shadows and sunlit areas ... and then there is the water, like human skin an eternal challenge ...

Expression

Did this pastel study as I was intrigued by the original artist's sense of mixing the 'tight and traditional' with the 'free' style of expression. a bit like a jazzy mix of colours and lines. Struggled with her mouth ... there are so many subtle signs in our eyes, eyebrows, mouth and angle of the head, but an artists' ability to making them believable and coherent single him out ... have to continue to study this. Love her red hair flowing ...

Windows to the soul

Our eyes are windows to our inner souls it is said. Painting faces is therefore always intriguing. This larger than life pastel study i did last year from a picture source found somewhere. I struggled with the expression; what is she thinking as she looks at you? I love the way her hair flows over the soft bed, but hair is difficult. Need much more practice on this clearly.

Erotic phun

In the tradition of Kley; but studies of an unknown artist. I quickly did these three small ink drawings - inspired as I was by man's eternal fascination by women, and as the local artist materials store were selling out these  frames and passepartouts. A bit of humour, a sense of form, a steady hand, and let the fantasy loose! Inspiration and artistic passion can be found in a variety of places ...

Mastering ink and pencil

Continuously sketching and drawing as well as training the eye and hand is a must. And studying the hand of others can be very rewarding. Here an ink study I did of one of the great Masters of Ink in the form of Heinrich Kley. Brilliant lines and an ability to emphasize just the right areas with a warm deep black. This one comes with his typical wry humor: Decorate you home!

Passions and meanings

Umberto Eco speaks of the interplay of the viewer and the creator in his book on On Beauty. Some form of emotional exchange or action/reaction is needed for something to raise itself from being an object to becoming more art one could argue. With the more passion an artist puts into his works, does it generate more feelings in the beholder? I had this 100x80 piece framed as it is special to me; done at a special point in my life. It is a bit of a cut out of something bigger, like we all are in the bigger flow that is humanity. I also enjoy the intricate play of cold and warm colours in this one. I had it framed at Boesner in Frankfurt, where the staff is extremely supportive and helpful. Here a large study "cut out" of an excellent BD by Rosinski & van Hamme - Thorgal.

Bandes Dessinées, Comics and Art

Comics, or les bandes dessinées (BDs) as they are called in French, have evolved tremendously and there are fantastically many talented artists in this area. I can really enjoy a well drawn and told comics story from time to time. I started out with Tintin and Donald Duck and Superman like many I guess. The bold perspectives, often great feeling for moods and characters can be very inspiring. Here a pencil study of one of Rod Guen's series of women. Check him out!

Larger formats

Inspired by an oil panting I once saw in a small gallery in Paris, I tried this impressionistic piece in larger scale (50x80 I think it is), on prepared canvas, and finishing it all by putting it into an old frame I had. Larger formats are great and gives a fantastic sense of freedom. Preparing the canvas with sanded paint worked very well, but I didn't manage to get the trees, colours and shadows they way the should have been. The original artists idea can be seen though, and framing it (temporarily) immediately makes it look all the more finished. I might just try something else for that frame ... or maybe oil anyhow?

Mårten's Friends at the Club in Paris

"Mårten's Friends" drinking cognac at the Club in Paris. The idea was to steal the classic scene of the much more famous Club Board painting, and mix in some Swedish classic Carl Larsson style with a bit of contemporary Manga influence on the side. I think the characters are recognizable, although slightly caricatured.

Courage and aquarelle

Worked on soft edges with my Schmincke watercolours and inspired by Pauline Adair. The result is too elaborate and not courageous enough though. And then those female forms and shadows, such a challenge! Should be able to look forward to years of needed practice in this field ... :-D

Speed and camouflage

Whilst doing this Swedish fighter plane I had to think about how speed influences a painting. Deliberate detailed and slow work on something can make it excellent technically but also dull. How does one keep the freshness of the eye and work, without spontaneity and courage at the final stages?
Camouflage is also intriguing - a 'trompe d'euille' of complex colours and forms. Now the fashion industry has taken it to another level. How can we know who is friend and who is enemy these days? Old rules no longer apply.

Blonde beauty

Tried velvet paper this time for this portrait pastel study of a stunning blond. Who wouldn't want to dance and date with this lady? Skin tones are a struggle though: there are so many variations and possible combinations, and then there is the hair .. need to work more on this. Clearly!

IT Matters

I-T!Another pastel study; this time borrowing inspiration from Jean-Gabriel Domergue (which in turn seems Tolouse-Lautrec affiliated). I like the way he captures motion and people's moods, and combines European and Japanese traditional techniques and perspectives. I changed some minor details - IT matters. Framing makes one's works seem so much more finished as well.

Nude values

Working those values and wonderful female shapes! Read Deborah Secor's excellent blog/online book about pastel painting in between working this charcoal sketch. She is very thorough and easy to follow.
Ah, but finding the right surface to work with is a struggle, and indeed ... one never seems to have enough pastel colours - even with 100 of them in the box!

Masters of colour

Paul Klee was truly a master of colour. Studying his Highways and Byways using pastels and pencils was a joy, taking me on a fantastic imaginary journey.

What to believe?

Inspired by Xenia Hausner's excellent art, here is a small (50x40 cm) pastel study of one of her large pieces. Her bold fresh choices of colours, formats and ability to capture people fascinates. Reflecting on her thoughts; what is she thinking ... and what mood is she actually in ...?

A new start

For various reasons I restart my journey in search of beauty and joy of art in life. Before embarking all on my own I decided to start out by closely looking at  what those that went before me did. Of course the old dutch masters are an inspiration (here in pastel and as interpreted by me and Frederick Simpson Coburn). In parallel I read Umberto Eco's insightful "History of Beauty".