Original Oil Painting by
I was very excited to get this painting finished for a couple of reasons – one, to actually say I finished it and two, to finally be able to tell you about it. While I’m fairly happy with the piece and I’ve received many positive critiques, it has not come into being without repercussion. Consequence is not always bad. I believe the consequences of this painting on my career as an artist will force me into a direction I have been fighting for years. Not because I don’t want to go there, but because it’s scary. And I’m pig-headed. And I hate that as artists we are told to express ourselves, but if our expressions are not profound, or ugly, or bloody, or resemble sex parts, or make statements about the injustices of this world then it is not “unique” enough.
I realize a lot of the way I feel is pure defensiveness. I know if I don’t want to be just another grandma painting pretty pictures, I have to say what I have to say. But, what do I have to say? Will what I have to say make me “unique” like everybody else? Why can’t my pictures just be? Why do people need my story? Why do people need to know what I think? Because “they” say that’s what we’re supposed to do as artists. It’s what takes a picture beyond a pretty picture. People don’t really care if you can paint. They want to know your story. It’s the story that counts. If you have a good story, you can stencil the word “Exit” on a cardboard box and call it art. (That is actually pretty profound when you think about it. I just made it up, but I’m sure it’s been done already by some very unique person.)
I’m on a rant. I’m sorry. I was set off by a nice man from
The name
I realize I’ve been taught to feel the feeling I get from Gennaro’s painting. She is a mother who has lost her son, but is at peace because she believes he has risen from the dead and has gone to a better place. An iconic story, to be sure. When I look at the paintings that tell this story in a woman’s face, it makes me feel fear and sadness, then comfort. So what if the Virgin was just another mother who lost her son to senselessness? (If she was.) She feels the peace from simply believing her son lives again in the vast beyond. Whether or not he does is really moot. She is sad, but calm – lost in her thoughts - reminiscing the day he was born, the mountains he climbed, the torture he endured and she wonders when she will see him again. She has accepted her pain and will go on looking forward to that day. She is a mother comforted by the story. (It is all about the story, right?)
My
How did you find yourself in your art - your content, your style? Or, have you?
You can view Dolores: Lady of Sorrows and my other paintings at KimberScott.com
The very fact that you continue putting brush to canvas says that you are evolving very nicely into yourself. If you are unconvinced, then just TRY to evolve into somebody else--I dare you. See? That feels inauthentic, because it is.
ReplyDeleteYou are already uniquely you. Sure, you will be influenced by those whose work you admire. You might even deliberately imitate somebody's style as a means of self-exploration. But your work is still the product of y-o-u.
I have often heard creative folks refer to their works as their "children," and thought, "Riiiight..." As I write this, it suddenly makes perfect sense to me in terms of one's creation.
My daughter is 20, has fair skin, blue eyes, and long, red hair. There are probably tens of thousands of women who fit that description, but if you put them all together in a huge arena, I would still be able to find my daughter among them.
Your art is like that. Don't apologize.
Thanks, Nicole, for such a nice comment. I like the analogy you used of your daughter's description. It fits with the situation perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to sound apologetic, but this is a struggle I've been having with myself for a long time. It's not that I don't know who I am, or anything. It's how do I put that in a recognizable form on a two dimensional surface. Nobody can tell me that. I have to figure it out for myself and I fight it so hard because it seems so ludicrous to have to put myself into an easily describable package in order to be "marketable." I fight it and yet I know it must be done. It's the nature of the beast. It would be so much easier if I were selling peas instead of "me." Peas are much less dramatic. LOL!
Thanks again!
Kim
Hi Kimber,
ReplyDeleteYou found me on Twitter and this is the first time I have had a chance to pop by your BLOG - I was intrigued to hear your story. Getting beyond the pretty is an important part of fully realizing the art within you, but it has to come naturally as part of your artistic journey. The further and deeper you take your journey, the more your work will reflect your innermost thoughts, feelings and reactions to your environment and the world. You also have to decide what kind of artist you would like to grow into - do you want to be respected by peers, curators and critics - do you want fame and fortune? or do you want to be a hobbyist?
there is a place for all artists in the art world - you just need to figure out where you fit and pursue your goals of getting there...all the comments and feedback positive and negative will matter less and your journey and your art will matter more once you have figured out what kind of artist you want to be...I would also recommend the book 'The $12 Million Stuffed Shark' by Don Thompson - a good look at the inner workings of the contemporary artworld and something to chew on as far as finding direction goes...hope this helps.
Cheers,
Brandy
This is a very complex subject. I'm going to try and focus on a different aspect of it. I'm going to try to be coherent, too. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat is your primary motivation for painting? Is it to express yourself, or is it to sell paintings? You touched on several aspects of this, including the need to "have a story" behind a painting in order to stand out. That could also be seen as your viewers wishing to understand where you are coming from in order to understand what you are trying to convey in your paintings.
Expressing one's self and marketing one's self are also not necessarily mutually exclusive. They can easily be tied together or even related in less direct ways. And of course there is some stigma involved in promoting one's self, a little bit of "you aren't supposed to do that" from the way we have been brought up.
My own personal opinion is that if you like what and how your paintings express your self, if you are satisfied with your paintings, then that is what is important. If you want to sell them, then the trick is to find the market of people for whom your paintings resonate, who they speak to. If the people to whom you are trying to sell don't like or understand your paintings, you shouldn't have to change yourself or your painting style if you don't want to. Not saying that you shouldn't try different things that you want to try, just that it seems counterproductive to change your style to be more "marketable".
But it all comes back to your own motivations for painting. You are the one that has to be happy, whether it's happy with how the painting turned out or happy that the painting was sold.
In two words... please yourself. :)
Best wishes, and I greatly admire Dolores, as you know.
This is really getting deep, isn't it? I'm so appreciative of everyone's comments. Each one is so full of insight and wisdom.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, after I read and responded to Nicole's post, I got in the bathtub with a book called "The Painter in Oil" by Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst. I bought this book last summer, started to read it, and then forgot I had it. I found it in my bookshelf yesterday as I was looking for Emile Zola's "The Masterpiece." I settled in the tub and opened the book. Chapter 12 - Originality. The page was crinkly from having been in the tub before...
"Originality is not a thing to strive for. If it comes, it is not through striving. The search for originality seldom results in anything worth having. The best way of being original in your work is to be natural."
I have been natural in my work. It's what I've been all along. Why do I sometimes feel like I'm "supposed" to be something else? It started at university, I'm sure, but that is a whole other subject.
The book goes on to say almost exactly what Nicole said and it validated what I originally responded to my Twitter friend: "Do I pursue uniqueness for uniqueness sake, or allow the uniqueness to develop naturally over time?" This is like what Brandy said and yet ANOTHER subject.
Finally, the book says, "Paint that which appeals to you most fully. Don't try to paint what appeals to someone else. If you like it, then do it; and do it in the most direct way you can find; only do it so as to fully and completely convey just what it is that you like, unaffected by anything else." Which is what Kelpie said! Is this weird, or what? It's like you guys and the book are echoing each other. I think I'm having a "woo-woo" moment.
I haven't painted to please anyone but myself, except when working on commission, of course. It's just that I read, or hear, all this stuff that I "should" be doing if I want to be a serious artist - which I do - and I get all worked up thinking I "should" be doing something other than I am. No wonder artists go mad!
Kelpie, I'm very happy with how the painting turned out and I'm very glad you like it, too. I didn't paint it to sell it. I painted it because I wanted to. If it sells, that's a bonus.
Brandy, I'm going to get that book. It's sounds very interesting...
Kim
I think there is a difference between aiming to be a commercial artist and "just" being an artist. That is not to say that one cannot be both, of course, but I believe the mindset is completely different. I tried for a long time to be a naturalistic painter because I knew those works would be easier to sell. But I didn't enjoy doing it, and I didn't much care for the works I produced. Eventually I decided my feelings were more important and now I don't try to be anything other than the expressionist I want to be.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is the same in other fields. I am a professional writer and make a tolerably good living at it. But the pleasure I get from what I produce at work cannot compare to the joy I feel when I complete a poem or a short story that is completely my own and created without any commercial pressures.
In the end, I guess, I am saying there is absolutely nothing wrong with being "a granny who paints pretty pictures," if that is what gives YOU satisfaction as an artist and as a person. We do not have to buy into the societal norm that money = value.
As a jewelry artist (designer also) I have always been drawn to shiny objects and adornments. As a teen I had lots of ideas for beautiful designs or new (to me) processes. But when I reached college and studied more art history my horizons began to broaden. I still make some things simply to make a beautiful item, but I had a very difficult senior year and I started to use some of my pieces as a way to work through my confusion, feelings and emotions. The painstaking process help to ground and center me, and I was able to release a lot of the pain, hurt etc with the completion of a beautiful piece of jewelry. Almost like a phoenix, beauty born from ashes so to speak.
ReplyDeleteNow not all my pieces have that much meaning, but even making the simply pieces is a kind of centering meditation, and for me, the process is what matters, rather than the result or whether others understand or know the background.
A great work of art!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fine painting. First we learn the craft of painting then comes the art. Just keep painting what interests you and don't pay too much attention to criticism or those who rave about your work. Eventually you will recognize when your work is strong and when it is weak. And you will paint uniquely without thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteThe painting is lovely; full of colour and feeling. Kimber, you loved this while you were working on it, and you painted it from inside. Your little child artist wanted to do it. What other reason do you need? Every artist produces work that arises from a need or urge; these works are not always masterpieces, but we need to do them. Sometimes they are just nice pictures, and we do them for the pleasure of creation. Maybe we just don't want to do the genius thing for a day or so...not every Picasso is a masterpiece. He produced thousands and thousands of pieces, many of them quite ordinary, but I'm sure every one of them was part of his necessary path and his process. There will be many people that love your painting and find meaning in it. Every work of art has its own validity.
ReplyDeleteKind of ranting here, but really, we have to ignore criticism. (Sometimes we have to ignore compliments too!) When my first book was published (it was poems and illustrations), the critics had a field day, unfortunately mostly in national magazines. I did get many good reviews. But some critics said something like, "MWG is an extraordinary artist. But she should leave the writing to the professionals." And other critics said, "MWG has included amateurish drawings in her book...she really should stick to writing, which is obviously her medium." Another critic bemoaned the fact that I had changed style from my previous series work, and was "ruining my career."
Fortunately I am very stubborn about my art being my way, and didn't listen to any of them. I am still writing and painting, and my career hasn't suffered that I can see.
One of my first rules for survival as an artist, and for maintaining my integrity (maybe even my originality) is...never, ever ask anyone what they think about your work. Never. Put your work out there, and if people want to comment, fine. You'll hear enough negative stuff. But don't ask anyone for their opinion. You don't want to hear it. You're inviting interference. Even positive comments can make us complacent or worse, keep us painting something mediocre.
Listen to your own voice. It's your little artist saying what she wants to do.
Thank you all for your VERY helpful comments. I had started to think airing my innermost anxieties about the "politics" behind art making might have been a bad idea. I have learned so much and I feel I have been opened so much by all of your comments. I'm glad I aired out my head like this. I said in my post I felt there were going to be consequences to the painting and the consequences have come - all good, I believe. The painting I'm working on now feels so different - so me. Of course, it has to feel so me because it is me! You'll see.
ReplyDeleteI have struggled with this for so long. I finally feel free. Not totally free, I still feel a little constrained by things like "What will my dad think, if I paint that?" I think I'll talk about that in another post.
Thank you all again!
Kim