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April 25, 2005
three things
Three things are important for a good painting or drawing.
I can do a passable drawing pretty much most of the time. I can do an acceptable painting if I set my mind to it. But to get the drawing that stands out, to get the painting that is more than just paint on panel. To get IT in other words; three things are needed.
First a degree of skill in handling the medium. It’s no good trying to do something without the tools. Secondly a passionate inspiration, I believe only good work will come from something you are really fired up about. Thirdly and perhaps most important of all, the right frame of mind.
The wrong frame of mind can make me too hesitant and produce flat dull marks. A frame of mind where I’m frightened or in awe of my ideas and inspiration will produce hesitant marks. Too much confidence and the pudding gets too many eggs in it, the marks tend to be heavy handed and obscure the passion.
The moments where the frame of mind is just right are few and far between, they cannot be planned or just switched on. Hence the cliché of the artist’s muse descending. I am slowly learning how to set up circumstances which encourage the right frame of mind, and allow the muse to descend and settle on my shoulder, if indeed that is where muses settle.
Posted by john at April 25, 2005 03:52 PM
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