A Love of Nature

Why do we paint? Is it a calling, a way to make a living? Is being an artist glamorous? Do we paint because it is like an addiction, we have no choice, it is a need, a love? For me it is a calling. I was exposed to painting and drawing by my older brothers. In their spare time they drew and painted, they had no formal training they just loved doing it. 

My journey was not directly in the arts. I worked as a cabinet maker, insurance agent, shoe salesman and eventually worked in the art department of a department store. Years later I would freelance for two major department stores in Los Angeles. I did that for ten years and as fate would have it the market for freelance illustration died overnight.  I always wanted to paint and the decision was made for me. From that day on I painted. I was fortunate to do what I had dreamed of. The journey has been a wonderful experience. 

Mother Nature has been my inspiration and mentor. When I first began painting I would go out every day and produce 5 or 6 small pieces, usually 6”x8” in size. Learning to see was and is my goal. The process of seeing is the same on a 6”x8” as a 16”x20”, the difference is one can cover a 6”x8” quicker. Learning to see takes time, it is a response to what is in front of us. At first I would want to include all that I saw. I would look at a scene and miss the concept of what I saw, I was too anxious to start and did not look at what was in front of me. In time I learned to listen to what nature tried to tell me. “Slow down and don’t just look at me without much thought. Paint not what you see but what you feel is in front of you”. I would see a certain light effect nature presented and paint it. The color looked right but did not feel right. At this point I would alter it until it felt right. If we merely copy what is in front of us we are not doing Mother Nature justice. Feel the color, the atmosphere, listen to what she tells you. If everything is painted well but is lacking feeling it will never be a true representation of nature. I have walked into many galleries and from a distance immediately attracted to a painting only to be disappointed when I come close to it. It had no soul. On the other hand I would see a painting I did not notice the first time around. The painting did not scream “look at me” it was a subtle poetic work of art.  

Often I paint with other artists and find myself settling on a scene someone else is excited about. As I paint I find myself going through the motion and eventually scraping what I painted. Why? Because it was not what I saw but what someone else saw. Paint what inspires you. Paint for yourself not for anyone else. We are influenced by our teacher. We see other artists whose work we like and are influenced by his or her work. This is only natural, we paint and grow and eventually we find our own handwriting and our own way of seeing. Our own statement. If we paint like our mentor or anyone else we admire we are only looking through their eyes, not ours. We will only be an imitation of someone else.  We should aspire to be as great (not copy) as Sargent, Sorolla, Monet, etc. Set your goal high. Keep growing as an artist and don’t settle.

Painting never becomes easier. Each painting is a new beginning and there is no formula. I paint and rely on my instincts. I begin with an idea but will make changes at anytime during the process, beginning or close to completion or even after completion. The goal is to create work that has merit. I paint outdoors and when I bring the painted panel into the studio to see what I have accomplished the first question is: did I do it justice? Did I capture the light, the atmosphere and does it have merit? The big question is: did I paint with feeling? The colors can be accurate but do they feel right? I rely on the feeling I walk away with much more than what is actually in front of me. Art is an emotional response to what we see but mostly what the artist feels. After all is said and done the feeling I bring in the painting is my goal.

I am attracted by the afternoon light. I may set out in the afternoon (earlier than I should) and drive around searching for a location only to find myself back where I began, by this time the light changed and the location is now subtle and harmonious. Sunsets as well are more subtle and quiet to my eyes. The last light is not easy to capture as it changes quickly. The “Golden Hour” as some describe it is just that. Everything is bathed in a warm glow. The greens have more orange, the mountains more red etc. The danger is it can be garish when painted, I personally find the last light more subtle, more harmonious, it speaks and does not scream. I have always thought of nature as gentle, yes it does have its harsh moments, but I fell in love with her gentleness.