What One Can Achieve in 10 Years

I knew that Van Gogh had tried different professions like art dealer, lay minister, school teacher and book seller before settling on becoming an artist at the age of 27. What I did fail to realize, however, is that he only spent 10 years on being one including two years of learning how to draw.

Here is one of his drawings dating back to 1877 that was done before his studies:



And this one was executed during the first year of his learning in 1880.



As one critic commented: 'As you can see in the drawing of the carpenter, he [Van Gogh] struggled with problems of proportion and placement of forms. By 1882, however - two years later - in his Woman Mouring, Van Gogh had overcome his difficulties with drawing and increased the expressive quality of his work.'



More drawings and other works could be found here http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Drawing/

Still Life Studies

During the last two classes "A New Twist to Still-Life" I have produced a few studies. The course is liberating as one does not have to be reproducing every detail of a set up but instead use it as a departure point. The hardest part is to make a judgement when to stop and leave the painting alone. It is so easy to overwork it.

I also feel that although I know when I am not happy with a piece, it is a big struggle to figure out what exactly is not working. So then it gets really frustrating trying to resolve a problem when you can't quite put your finger on it. There are so many answers but finding your own is the key. My only consolation that all artists go through this with most of their works. They rarely just happen.

Here are my studies where I do like some parts but kind of unsure about how it all works together. There are all 16' x 20' and I didn't want to spend too much time on them.




This one started as a pure abstraction as I was trying out my new oil pastels and then the tulip worked its way out.



And here, a pear is the only thing that is left from an original still life. I started it with a bowl (only its opening remaining in the center), a tea pot (you can just about see where a handle was on the left), a vase on the right side and tomatoes (left bottom) just blurred into random shapes.

My idea about reworking a printed picture of the painting didn't work. It is just very different to working on the canvas. I have tried colored pencils, oil and wax pastels but it didn't give me any ideas. So I have dragged this canvas to my studio in the basement and there it started its transformation. It is too early to share the progress but hopefully I will be doing it soon.

There is one hurdle though. I have a large framing order to work on so only when I cut glass, mat, foam core and put it all together I will be able to get to my painting. This customer was waiting for a while with all my travelling and things. It's a drag but the job will pay for my painting classes. It also is good to know that they like the portraits I did (photography that is). Right, you guessed it, I am motivating myself to do this boring job.

I ended up photographing a piece that I was talking about in my previous posting in my back yard. My house was just too dark and I didn't want to use the flash or set up special lighting. The setting sun provided a beautiful golden light which made my painting look warmer than it is. For the purpose of reworking it on paper though it didn't matter. The light conditions made me want to play with photographing some still life but I didn't as my nose was just running too much. Hope this cold goes away soon. My house welcomed be back with a smell of mulled apple cider. I enjoyed a cup of this aromatic hot drink whilst making this post.

Now I have to figure out how to develop this painting further.




And here are a few improvisations:

Photographing Art

Taking pictures of art work is much harder than I thought. Have to learn a new skill. A lot to deal with including lens distortion, light, reflections, preserving detail and color.

Off to take a picture of my large canvas then want to print it and play with it trying to get a direction. I have started it a few months ago but not sure where I am taking it. The size is a little intimidating. 52'x 52'. I chose it myself though so better deal with it.

Why do it?

The question is that there is so much information out there so why add to it. Why have yet another blog or even try to create art in the first place. We are already struggling to pick through and digest all the stuff in our emails, web-browsing and other sources as well as having plenty of amazing art to look at. Well... I can not say that I will become a great artist or my writing is so gripping you can't live without it. I promise you though that you will get something out of it. I think that you will find it interesting to experience art making with me.

It has started a while ago, I guess, with my taking of photography. Then I felt confined in that medium and wanted to try another approach. I took painting thinking that I would be doing mixed media work. Afterward when I took a few lessons in abstract art I was hooked!



"Seeing the wood for the trees", 36' x 48'





"Looking Out", 38' x 38'

I never thought I could paint. It was such an exhilarating discovery. I was always an art lover but never an artist. Only in my early childhood I remember enjoying drawing and painting but later on even though my critics were sometimes complimentary about my efforts I gave up. I was embarrassed that I could not draw as well as I would have liked. Somehow I never articulated my feelings so no one ever bothered to teach me. That never stopped me enjoying the art of others and I spent a lot of long hours in galleries and museums both in Moscow and during my extensive travels afterwards.

My trials in abstract painting have led me to wanting to draw. This time I was better at following my heart so I have signed up for a basic drawing course. I have to report that to my astonishment the first ever still life that I did looked like the subjects on the table. Everything was recognisable and even proportions looked almost true!Here it is for your judgment:




My skills improved through those lessons but I still did not feel that it was good enough and I wanted to do more. Then after taking a few other painting classes I was recommended a book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" which I have been reading during the last couple of days. Here are a few exercises that I did from it.







I know that my drawings still look like a student's but it's not bad from a non-existent skill a few months ago. I always thought that somehow the painters were born with the skill of drawing and they never had to really work at it. Well looking at some studies of Degas and Van Gogh and reading more about them I have been proved wrong. They really studied a lot and it didn't just come to them. I am far from comparing myself to those masters. What I really am trying to say that I am looking forward to my journey in creating art and hope that you will share it with me.