Beauty and Pity (2)

A distant garden died above us

As an artist I look each year or so for a new concept. Before finding a new concept it takes a few tries. I start with new paintings, new materials and new themes. It is difficult to explain, but many times it doesn't feel good...it feels to far-fetched, or to superficial, or the expression does not get through.

So I end up making 1 or 2 in a new style and then abandoning.

A good new concept and style:
- are clearly linked and fit together
- allows deepening the subject
- is suited for different moods and expressions
- even stays interesting after having made 5 in the series

Happy now that the Beauty and Pity for me fits all these criteria. In addition it helps further build different techniques with oil paint, like dripping, layers, etc.

Still inspired!

Inherent

Motionless

Beauty and pity

Feel the fish

Last year was a year of experiments and searching for a new concept.
I worked on exploring parchment as a material for art, actually creating a few nice and very personal art works.
But although the art works were nice a series would not really take off.
End of 2014 brought some new reflections:
- I should seek the next art series close to who I am; close to my strongest way to express. In my case this means working sketchy and very quick, without thinking
- Use the experience of the hundreds of small drawings I have made during the years. They have brought me a more direct way of expressing without a fear of ruining the art work.
- Find a way to combine beauty and pity.
I like the way Nabokov used beauty and pity to describe art.
Pure beauty will just lead to design. Something that will please and sell.
Pity connects it to reality, to my core and to my feeling.

Spinning

So I started a series of paintings and tried to find the ultimate combination, creating an approach combining:
- using nice oil colours to obtain the beautiful sketched image and add layers of depth
- using black (shades and drippings) to express the feeling that come to me through the painting.
It took some time to refine the technique with oil, but getting more and more happy with the results.
Here you find the two first paintings, but more are to follow.

I like the concept of beauty and pity as it also represents an approach to personal life, and even work if you like.
Our primary focus is often on direct  results, ethics, rewards. when striving for those elements we risk losing our authentic self, our connection with our natural role; short term benefits overrule subconsciously our true values.

More to come

Working on commission and still be free

Given in Perception

Recently I was approached by a friend asking me to think about making a painting. The initial question was partly specific: "something that is a symbol of my time in Paris and all the things that happened there".
At the same time she let me free in choosing my approach, and just contributing with some ideas without being directive.

I have worked in the past on commissions.
They are generally tricky:
- often the client has expectations and forces these on you
- at the start that is all fine, but at the end when working it limits your freedom and actually takes away the energy.

Linked to those experiences I still accept commissions but only under following conditions:
- I stick with the rationale of the concept of which they want a painting
- I make a multiple of paintings that I like
- in the end the client may choose one (or more if they like).

The Proud Parent

In this specific case we agreed using the Subconscious Power concept.
In line with that concept I met with client and kids sensing the atmosphere an then I took the paper and materials to a place important for the client...in the evening at her local park.

Sure, I had to climb the park fence as it had closed and a local bum looked at me as if he saw a crazy man.
In the end I made 5 paintings, of which she chose 3 for a triptych.
She was happy, and I was happy: 1) she found some that she liked and 2) she left me 2 of the works, actually the ones I connected with most but maybe a bit too 'dark' for her taste.

Of course not all clients like this approach, but for me staying true to my concepts and energy levels are more important than certain clients requests.