Monday, November 27, 2006
Going Beyond The Obvious
So, ArtPact...
For now, I intend to go for a series of paintings of my great- nephew, NitzkuA.
"Why paint the same painting more than once?!?", some of you wonder.
Aha - because when you paint one painting, and then move on to the other, you are most likely to go for the obvious painting, pretty much painting what you see, and being very cautious to not paint outside the lines.
Especially when you are a beginning painter, which is what I am.
You copy what you see, follow the colors, the shapes, the light pattern, not leaving much room for creativity - and when you are done, you move on the to next painting, which you are likely to do in the same way.
Painting the same thing more than once gives you the opportunity to explore.
Once you've painted the first version, you are free from the look-alike mode, you are no longer intimidated by the subject, as you already did it once and survived.
And, above all: you are not likely to paint the same thing again exactly in the same way, using the same colors.
As, well, that would be terribly boring.
So, you try a different color combination.
And then you try a third version, perhaps with a different technique.
And then you do a fourth one - - -
"C'mon, you must be kidding", you groan in disbelief.
Nope.
A year ago, I took a class titled "Watercolor Beyond The Obvious".
There were so many legends and scare-stories about this class, and I was terrified, to say the least.
But, JanieP pretty much informed me "OK, young lady, you are taking this class. Now".
And when JanieP tells you something, well, you just do it.
A matter of survival.
Ask The JohnnyB.
It wasn't your typical class that you go, paint, and go home telling yourself and The JohnnyB, "OK I painted in class - I don't need to paint again this week".
Nooooooooooooooooo.
That class was anything but that.
The instructor, MikeyB, was super-enthusiastic, knowledgeable and a very unique teacher.
He exchanged hugs with students who took the class before, jumped up and down with tons of energy - and at first sight, I couldn't stand him, nor the whole artsy ambience.
"It's not the place for you", I warned myself.
But myself replied, "Give it a chance!".
Plus, myself was scared of JanieP, who was also taking the class.
We stayed.
To say that I was skeptical at first, would be the ultimate understatement.
I listened to MikeyB's introduction with the Yeah-Right look, as he went on and on about the wonders of this class.
Soon, I discovered that each class begins with a sharing session to begin with - now, that was
way too touchy-feely for me, as I am soooooooooooo far from that crap.
I used to sit there, rolling my eyes - - - but as the class progressed, I realized how necessary that sharing session was.
As, it wasn't just a class. It was more of an experience. And an amazing one.
The whole idea of the class was to pick a subject and paint it throughout the class.
May it be still-life, figure/s or portrait/s.
One subject.
Painting was done solely at home, at our own time.
(That was one of the benefits of this class: we could actually wear normal clothes, and show off a bit...
Artists usually see each other in rags, bought in Ross Dress For Less...).
In class, we would have a series of lectures and discussions about design, composition, color - anything that's art-related, followed by a critique session of what we painted at home.
So, there we were, 24 painters, from utter beginners (yours truly) to highly accomplished artists who sell their artwork in galleries, all in the same boat of going through the excitement of the process.
First, there was the highly concerning picking of the subject.
Then the initial enthusiasm of painting it a couple of times, learning a new thing every time, with all the ideas we had.
Then came the wonder how to paint it differently.
Then came the struggle to find yet a new way to portray it.
Then the boredom...
...and the excruciating frustration...
...and the extreme anger!!!
...and then hitting the wall of void and swearing in many languages at MikeyB and his #%$^#* class...
Because, y'see, we each made a commitment at the beginning of the class:
To bring, each week, 2 paintings of the same subject. no matter what.
2 paintings a week, at a class that lasts 10 weeks: that means painting the very same thing 20 freakin' times!!!
Insane?
Oh yes.
Masochistic?
Definitely.
"And you actually PAID to do that?"
Yes.
Because - after all those mood changes and hitting the wall (in my case, literally...), you emerged from the other side, with tons of freshly new creative ideas, and could go on and on with the same subject.
As you, all of a sudden, realized that the subject didn't really matter.
It's just, as MikeyB says, "an infrastructure ion which to hang the elements and principles of design".
At the end of the class, we all brought our paintings, and each of us got 15 minutes of fame.
The paintings were spread on tables, and the mob of painters and guests walked around and Wowed.
Looking at such a body of work, unified by the same subject, was quite overwhelming.
20 paintings, each of them the size of a full-sheet watercolor paper (meaning, 22"x30", or - in Hebrew: 55x75cm), all of the same subject, and yet, all looking very different.
Not everyone had 20 paintings, but I was among those who did push ourselves to go for this typological number, and the sense of achievement was intoxicating.
That class has made a big, huge, immense change for me.
Not only in the art domain, but also on a personal level.
For the first time since I came here, I felt that I belong.
And, when it comes to painting, I revealed that the best way to work in indeed in a series.
That is the only way to go beyond the obvious.
A novel idea, perhaps.
Requires lots of work, definitely.
And yet, it really does push you up and forward at an incredible rate.
I took that class once again, 6 months later.
Obviously, I was one of those who hugged MikeyB.
And I bet there was a newbie looking at me with disgust, thinking, "I am so outta here!".
Never say never, Eh?
Labels: Art
# posted by Nava @ 2:52 PM 
Comments:
Dear Readers, you cannot imagine the pride and emotion one feels to see such a committed and talented student as Nava. Then to see all the instructor's efforts materialize in the form not only a group of paintings, but an article in a blog! WOW!
This is the "MikeyB" speaking. If you know her, Nava is one extraordinary woman. I remember her smug, "we'll see" look on her face the first few meetings. And I also remember her unusually intelligent, probing questions. If you are reading her blogs, you are becoming as educated by her as I have been.
There is a trend sweeping the country right now . . .a fad, perhaps . . . that is Sudoku puzzles. People of all sorts are becoming enthralled with the process involved in solving them. I have recently attempted and solved a few of them. If you have done so also, you will understand completely that it requires very focused concentration and mental energy. One must enter a near trance of concentration to complete one of them, error free . . . .at least, that is how it is when one has not practiced the methods and logic required to solve one.
For about an hour, one enters into a state of focus which is nearly hypnotic. If interrupted, one does not merely 'resume' where one left off. Steps must be retraced and recalled. Answers must be reproved. And the ever present question of "did I do this right? Is this answer in this box *really* the correct one? How did I get that answer? Maybe I should re-do it just to make sure. ETC.
Imagine that state for ten weeks. New muscles get formed. New talents and methods appear. Confidence actually shows up. Miraculous excitement joins the puzzles that crop up. A sense of accomplishment and a feeling of having *earned* one's place set in. And finally, the pariticipants make discoveries about their own uniqueness . . .and that there are, really!, no wrong answers.
The big realizations don't come until later . . . much later . . . .when a judge or an artist from outside this communitity see the work . . . .their comments are always the same: "My Gosh! This artist is SO ADVANCED compared to the others I see . . . .or the whole group is beyond the level of other groups.
I have to admit; Looking at these paintings at the end of her blog article makes my eyes a little bit wetter and puts a lump in my throat. (Okay! So it's touchy feely!! That is what art is, fer gooness sakes!: Touchy Feelyness!) I am again swept up in the variety and wonder of this series of paintings . . . . . .and the talent it took to produce them.
Take a bow (again!) Nava! Take a big, well deserved bow. You really ARE amazing!
# posted by 
: 11/28/2006 8:08 AM
Aha, the Master speaketh to the unwashed masses!
And bloggeth from my comments, too...
You learn from the best, Eh?
And I thought I managed to hide that "we'll see" look from your eagle eyes.
Well, you did ruin us all for life, y'know, as I can attest that most of your devoted students now work in a series, and cannot go back to the pure uncaring joy of producing obvious mediocre paintings.
MikeyB, what have you done???
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This is the "MikeyB" speaking. If you know her, Nava is one extraordinary woman. I remember her smug, "we'll see" look on her face the first few meetings. And I also remember her unusually intelligent, probing questions. If you are reading her blogs, you are becoming as educated by her as I have been.
There is a trend sweeping the country right now . . .a fad, perhaps . . . that is Sudoku puzzles. People of all sorts are becoming enthralled with the process involved in solving them. I have recently attempted and solved a few of them. If you have done so also, you will understand completely that it requires very focused concentration and mental energy. One must enter a near trance of concentration to complete one of them, error free . . . .at least, that is how it is when one has not practiced the methods and logic required to solve one.
For about an hour, one enters into a state of focus which is nearly hypnotic. If interrupted, one does not merely 'resume' where one left off. Steps must be retraced and recalled. Answers must be reproved. And the ever present question of "did I do this right? Is this answer in this box *really* the correct one? How did I get that answer? Maybe I should re-do it just to make sure. ETC.
Imagine that state for ten weeks. New muscles get formed. New talents and methods appear. Confidence actually shows up. Miraculous excitement joins the puzzles that crop up. A sense of accomplishment and a feeling of having *earned* one's place set in. And finally, the pariticipants make discoveries about their own uniqueness . . .and that there are, really!, no wrong answers.
The big realizations don't come until later . . . much later . . . .when a judge or an artist from outside this communitity see the work . . . .their comments are always the same: "My Gosh! This artist is SO ADVANCED compared to the others I see . . . .or the whole group is beyond the level of other groups.
I have to admit; Looking at these paintings at the end of her blog article makes my eyes a little bit wetter and puts a lump in my throat. (Okay! So it's touchy feely!! That is what art is, fer gooness sakes!: Touchy Feelyness!) I am again swept up in the variety and wonder of this series of paintings . . . . . .and the talent it took to produce them.
Take a bow (again!) Nava! Take a big, well deserved bow. You really ARE amazing!
# posted by : 11/28/2006 8:08 AM
: 11/28/2006 8:08 AM And bloggeth from my comments, too...
You learn from the best, Eh?
And I thought I managed to hide that "we'll see" look from your eagle eyes.
Well, you did ruin us all for life, y'know, as I can attest that most of your devoted students now work in a series, and cannot go back to the pure uncaring joy of producing obvious mediocre paintings.
MikeyB, what have you done???
