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May, 2009

Beyond How to do Watercolor

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Originally posted on December, 17, 2007

The logical question following how to paint watercolor is what to paint. Bearing both questions in mind at the beginning helps accelerate the learning curve. I’ve given these questions of the budding artist painter more than just a little reflection. Advice has been asked by many other the years. Subsequently, there were many days and hours of talking with them about becoming a painter as well as much painting together. In the end teaching and learning become indistinguishable and I fondly remember these encounters.

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Are painters rational?

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Originally posted on November, 30, 2007

To the extend that an artist painter is intuitive and instinctive, he does not favour his intellect. This is not to say that he cannot express him/herself logically. It is simply not the priority. Creative expression is often at the top of the list.

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Painting the Universe

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Originally posted on November, 22, 2007

"Man and Nature", watercolor, 52cm x 37cm, 100% cotton paper, 1998.

The uniqueness of the pre and early 60’s San Francisco art movement was …. How to put this? Let me put it this way: at a certain point, it was well understood that those who remember the 60’s were not there. The “scene? if it was anything, was a life changing experience. It changed people. It connected them, in a way, to the entire universe. This was not, of course, the popular “hippie? experience thing. What I’m talking about was the experience of a unique way of experiencing in an intellectual and artistic sense: An intellectual pursuit somewhat removed from rational thinking and directly concerned with the experience of life. Above all it was freedom … freedom to have an individual understanding of our relationship with life. Jung’s work on psychological types helped me a lot in this area. Viva la difference.

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Peace – Art’s First Rule

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Originally posted on November, 7, 2007

"Misty Morning", watercolor and dry pastel, 38cm x 29cm, 100% cotton paper, 2007

It has been said that the first rule in painting is that there are no rules. Also, it has been said that a painting begins with an “idea?. I believe that both of these conflicting statements to be false. It is not to say that a painting may not begin with an idea. It is to say that an idea is not an integral part. Within the limitations of a short essay I can only suggest why I think so. Even if I was to persuasively argue this position many people would still not agree. Such are many popular firmly held convictions. I will, however, return in future articles to this problem. It is vitally important today.

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