Thursday, March 13, 2008

Harmony in Green and Gold, day 3

Very exciting! Everything is moving! The whole painting is singing, dancing, swimming in atmosphere, filled with joy! All the masses boldly stated, each object beautifully realized, there is harmony throughout, sincere, simple yet powerful. Very exciting. Visual Poetry. When most artists sit down to paint a still life they approach it with the idea of copying what is in front of them as closely as possible. I prefer to see it as a portrait, a chance to capture the personality and character of my sitter. It's more important to me that the lace be gentle and flowing rather than counting threads to make sure it is reproduced with rigorous accuracy, that the pitcher, books and fruit are not just rendered but expressed. A poetic interpretation. To quote the pirate king from The Pirates of Penzance, "For what, we ask, is life without a touch of poetry in it?"... very exciting.....

1 comment:

Karen Winslow said...

You have said it so well, Tom. Visual poetry lifts the soul and makes you smile. Keep singing! Karen