I am delighted to have sold this painting, Three Cliff Reflections, to a collector in Scotland. As is so often the case, the collector has a connection to the location in the painting, having visited it and climbed to the top of the peaks quite recently. I hope that the painting brings back happy memories of the summer.
As a painter, I feel that I have succeeded if I my work can provoke an emotional reaction. I would feel that I had gone wrong somewhere if someone said “that’s interesting” or “it’s technically skillful” about one of my paintings. Not that there’s anything thing wrong with being skillful, I just don’t want it to be the first thing they say.
They don’t have to be entirely happy emotions, either. I once had a friend who said a painting of mine, “Park Bench in the Snow” made her want to cry.
I am not sure why she wanted to cry, I think she said something about it reminded her of the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”. That film always makes me cry too. Mind you, I was particularly fond of this painting and was pretty sad when I had to part with it. I didn’t cry though. I do have favourites, and this was one.
Quite a few of my people portraits have a bitter-sweet quality to them as I am drawn to the fragility or vulnerability of the sort of people who are frequently overlooked by our instagram obsessed society.
Or amusing quality, I hope. I like observing little moments that are easily missed. Like these two children at the Uplands markets examining an old manual typewriter.
I also like watching for moments between dogs and their owners, in particular.
Back to Three Cliffs Bay. This painting “Human Concern” (below) was based on a scene I observed at Pobbles Bay, last summer. Pobbles Bay is right next the Three Cliffs Bay. The little Jack Russsell stood and watched his humans off in the sea, with such intensity. It amused me. I also found it very touching.
I believe the serious artist strives to marry technical prowess with the intangible…As you say technical prowess alone doesn’t cut it. Beautiful paintings. janet
Thank you, Janet.
Very expressive paintings on this page. I especially like the last one, which reminds me of my dog watching a grandchild play in the distance.
Your paintings are amazing. This one is symphonic!
Thank you so much, Aletha!
I love the last one, as well – it reminds me of dogs I’ve known who would bark anxiously at the water’s edge while their owners were in the sea.
My partner and I wandered through St. Ives once, looking at some prefab art once, and one of the painters was very skillful at capturing waves and the light on waves, but the pictures were dead. Nothing there beyond skill at that one thing, which she (or was it he?) did over and over. I walked away wondering what the purpose of art was. Fortunately, other artists managed to remind me what it is. But emotion? Yes.
Well spotted, Ellen. There are plenty of artists who paint the same thing over and over. I don’t know how they do it. I keep moving on looking for new things that interest me. Yes, I may get into a groove where I am mostly painting people, or woodland, or coastlines or what ever but I don’t stay in it for ever. I am pretty sure I will be painting something else this time next year.
Schitterende werken.Je legt er je ziel in.
That’s so kind. Thank you, Marylou.
Something of the artist always shines through their work, I think. Beautifully observed, all of them
Thank you, David.