Monday, November 12, 2007

Post Modern Impressionsim

I was asked a question about my paintings. How very exciting! Here it is in Q & A format.

Q: I've noticed that most of your paintings have a strong energy about them, like you can't sit still. And then, there are some paintings that you've done with the trains and the water tower that are so calm and peaceful and dreamy.

What I've wondered is how much of your mood reflects the way the painting turns out? How much of the painting is influenced by the actual surroundings vs. what makes up the thoughts and feelings of the creator of the painting?




click to see the whole thing

A: When I drew the trains and the water tower, I went out, looked carefully at the subject, drew sketches from life and took photos. Then I went back and painted them. So I think I was more careful about capturing the subject. I looked over my sketches as I painted and paid some attention to the photos.

With the tree paintings, I basically sat in my yard and stared at them for a long time. I watched how the sun changed the colors of the trees. I really looked at them and tried to see what color they were. I took a photo or two for quick reference but when I started painting, I didn't much look at it anymore.

Putting this into the context of art history, the trains and the water towers lean towards impressionism, stealing from Monet :) The trees lean towards abstract expressionism, stealing from De Kooning and Pollock.

More post modern impressionsim

1 comment:

Janelle said...

I LOVE this tree painting, Ian. It's great!