Another library find - this one based on lecture and seminar notes a student kept from several years’ worth of study with David Leffel. The version I have is older than dirt (published in the 1980s, I think) and many reproductions are in B&W (blech).
HOWEVER…his handling of light is intriguing - clearly influenced by Rembrandt - and so far the element of the text that is sticking with me is his repeated discussion of “concept”. His theme here is that the subject is not the painting - the concept is. Is your painting concept about a certain direction of light? a particular thrust of action you want to emphasize? Too often, as animal artists, we can end up being slaves to our reference material. Leffel’s point is that our paintings are NOT about our reference material - they’re about our unique concept.
An example: my piece “Painted Night”. I had a rather blah noonday photo of a wild stallion with striking pinto markings, and wanted to use it in some way. One night when I was lying awake noodling on art ideas (does anyone else do this besides me??) I was thinking about that handsome boy, and this bolt from the blue - this concept - came to me … and the painting you see here is the result. I assembled all the reference material I could - none of which was nocturnal - spent time outside at night during a full moon studying colors and values, and then went to work.
There’s much in which I disagree with Leffel (particularly his handling of color - natch!), and others do as well (check out the Amazon reviews of his books)…but I thought this takeaway worth sharing with you.
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October 8th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Leffel’s use of the word “concept” reminds me of Scott Christensen’s workshop and something related that he talked about, which is that a painting must have one idea, and one only, and every element of the painting must support that idea or out it goes.
Now, I think that it is perfectly legit for one’s idea to be “I gotta paint a cape buffalo… now.”, and go on from there, but Leffel’s point about looking beyond the literal subject to a more abstract concept or a particular element would serve many wildlife artists well.
More and more I look for reference with interesting light, maybe lots of shadow area that I can play with.
Just remembered, too, a master class that I had with John Seerey-Lester in 1997. One of the exercises was to take a photo of an animal, a photo of a setting and change the time of day and season. That kept us all out of trouble for a couple of days, I can tell you.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Someone recently ask me - ” if you spend all that time taking photos why do you paint them?” — This is why.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Now that is a question I haven’t gotten. Yet.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
How can I explain? Many people do not understand art or artists and also do not appreciate what we are trying to do. People like paintings with people in them or things people have created. They like nature that they can control like a flower garden or nature that does not threaten them.
It is a hard road for a wildlife artist in ‘this neck of the woods’.
I think the question came from a lack of understanding of art. I tried to explain that I was using the photos as reference to express my vision. Oh crap - it does not matter I have to paint.
It is the concept and what we felt when the experience hit us.
October 10th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
There is a great little cooperative gallery in Billings that uses quotes from famous artists interspersed with the artwork. One I particularly liked (and is simple enough for my addled brain to retain) read: “If I had the words, there would be no reason to paint”. Edward Hopper. Kind of struck a chord with me, as I find it very difficult to verbally express (or justify to infidels) the need I have to fling paint at a canvas.
somewhat related topic here; my studio is not properly ventilated, so I have started using water miscible oils. I really like them, and clean-up is much easier, but I can’t find much information or articles about them. Just wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with this kind of oil paints? pros, cons, words of wisdom?
October 10th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Hmm, haven’t tried the water-miscible things. I did use alkyds for a while before getting into oils proper. The alkyds were kinda ‘gummy’ and dried really fast…too fast. Sue, are you getting the kind of handling you want with them?
Suzanne, Susan - yes, I think there is value to saying “my concept is ‘essence of cougarness’”, or something like that. But we have to be clear about our concept (I’m saying this for my own benefit as well! I’ve certainly been seduced by nice reference material, and painted it, but what did *I* add to that? that’s where the idea, the concept, must be clarified.)
October 10th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I totally agree, Julie. I went off on a tangent - I hardly ever do that, heehee. I do know what you are saying and do agree.
I love the idea of using reference material and turning it into a night scene. I am going to try that.
I have not used oils in a long time. I miss them.
John Seerey-Lester also says the subject is not the painting.
October 10th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
More words to paint by!
October 13th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
The concept of “paint the concept” seems to turn up in most things I’ve read - Carlson, Stobart, etc. Isnt that what the beginning artist is striving for? What is it we loved about that Liljefors piece, or the Matisse, or Sprick? We just loved the way the artist communicated the subject. One of my favorite pieces of yours, Julie, is a little snowy owl that was in a group show here at Pinon Gallery a few years ago. It was so simple, but it just blew me away.
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