Blog

Do something with it.  Saveur magazine sent me an email. I imagine thousands of other subscribers also received it, but I felt that it was a personal message. It was entitled “Everything You Can Do With an Eggplant.”  And although I do welcome eggplant recipes, I had more than a culinary interest.  The article reminded me of a significant incident during the summer between my college graduation and my wedding. I was living with my parents. One morning I walked into the kitchen and on the counter was an eggplant. Next to the eggplant was a note: “This is an eggplant.  Do something with it by five o’clock.”  

blank canvas, model, start

To this day, when I am confronted with a model and a blank canvas, there is self imposed pressure to “do something with it.”  During the first moments, I experience pangs of doubt. This doubt may be rooted in my lack of a formal art education coupled with my high expectations. Perhaps if I had majored in art, that foundation would bolster me.   Perhaps I would feel more assured if I weren’t compelled to paint an interesting portrait that looks exactly like the person. Daunting. 

Adam bombed

Last week, as my portrait was near completion, the doubt finally vanished. No doubt about it. The painting was an unquestionable failure. It did not resemble the model and it was not very interesting. As I write, it occurs to me that no manual or recipe book could have guided me to create a likeness. A formal art background would not have guaranteed an interesting portrait.  I am struck by the notion that my successful paintings come from attentiveness, luck, intuition, enthusiasm, and courage.  And experience.

Bev

My favorite paintings are colorful and not overworked. Many have flaws and look uncontrolled. They capture the likeness and spirit of the individual.  They have energy. These are characteristics that are not circumscribed by technique or process. They have to do with the moment. They are about transforming my initial doubt into an opportunity.

I don’t remember what I did with that eggplant forty-eight years ago. However, now when I have an eggplant, I am able to do something with it.  My eggplant parmesan, ratatouille, and baba ghannouj are usually successful.

Just for fun…check out this song on YouTube!

Good values are important. I recently thought about values after a dinner with a couple whose social, religious, and political values differ from mine.  Although we expressed different points of view, we engaged with respect. We understood that we all operate within a strong value system.  

Perhaps distinguishing good and evil can be metaphorically linked to discerning lightness and darkness.  That may be a stretch. Nevertheless, in both ethics and aesthetics, distinctions are critical.  In a painting, regardless of the style or palette, an accomplished artist effectively selects the correct light and dark values. The standard artist value scale has eleven shades going from 0 (black) to 10 (white). Fifty shades of gray is a bit much.  

Cooper Mountain Panorama by Scott Gellatly

And, why are values so important in painting?  Obviously, light and shadow would not exist in a painting if the painter did not adhere to a principle of values.  But beyond the literal portrayal of light and dark, controlled values are essential in expressing shape and form. Plein aire painters use values to express distance. In terms of design and composition, a good range of values adds interest and is crucial to effective abstract paintings. Furthermore, expert application of lights and darks can lead the viewer to a desired focal point. (Unlike the second photo, where poor value manipulation resulted in a total bust.)

Recently I did a portrait that I did not like. I dare not show it here. My take-away was that the range of values was limited. Perhaps if the lighting on the model had been more dramatic, I would have had an improved painting. Perhaps if the model’s hat, skin, and hair had been in more varied values, the painting would have been more successful. As an artist, I should have widened the range of values on my canvas rather than creating a realistic interpretation.  

My successful paintings overcome these issues.  I squint for about the first hour of the painting process. By squinting at both the model and the painting, I see contrast. I paint the darks and the shadows and the background, which serves as a reality check for future values. Then I concentrate on the darker mid-tones. As the painting progresses, I periodically squint, and I go lighter and lighter, ending with highlights.  I have learned that as long as my values are correct, I can experiment with color. One can experiment if one has good values. 

Good values are important.  Whether we learn this in religious school or art school, we must abide.