[Aquanet] Fw: September critique

[patchapin at mindspring.com]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: patchapin at mindspring.com 
To: springhillsites at earthlink.net 
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2008 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Aquanet] September critique


My thanks to all who have thus far participated in the September critique, Liz so kindly having used my painting.

And, of course, a few remarks -- while I always appreciate good comments, the ones that do me more good are of the critical nature.  I was reminded of the quality of this group when I realize that the very comments made in that vein are ones with which I wrestled.

Just about snorted my drink over Pat and Jack's commentary, I'd love to say that the tension Barry mentioned was the reason for the position of the subject -- the actual one was, however my tenuous grasp of perspective, particularly on curved surfaces. I created as much tension as I could, therefore, in the fond hope that nobody would notice the thing was a bulls-eye and I could get away with it despite poor drafting skills.  Three times I went to brush clear water  and soften those deadly dark firs, and three times I couldn't make myself brave enough to risk it.  I hardly ever paint still life nor landscapes (perhaps every ten or fifteen years?), so this painting was a challenge in all directions, but by chickening out I weakened the image.  The textures took me forever, as I glazed, drybrushed and 'pounced' for what seemed to be an interminable period. I like to finish a painting in a day or two, and this thing lingered on the board for almost a month.

And my thanks too, someone noticed the title -- they are sometimes tough to come up with, aren't they?  Years ago I decided I had a hate on for images of still life set ups, say, a white pitcher and three oranges named "Still Life of White Pitcher and Three Oranges". I think it is okay to name a painting of a particular street or mountain "Looking East on 42nd Street" or "Mt. Whatsit in the Fall", if you want to, because you are portraying a particular piece of earth with which the viewer may not be familiar and want to know.  If that same viewer cannot tell it is a white pitcher and 3 oranges, however, you screwed up badly and cannot fix it with a title anyway.  That said, I admit to having painted some things so badly I was tempted in that direction.

On the other hand, I'm equally irritated by the same thing titled "Rejuvenation #487" or even worse, "Untitled", both of which strike me as either  "Look Ma, I'm painting!"  or "You Peon Viewers Cannot Hope to Know My Lofty Thoughts".  My titles usually arrive whole with the idea for the picture, or arrive in the third stage of painting, when I can see light at the end of the tunnel.  Sometimes, they come from a line of text I really like.  This one being an ancient stone planter looking at mountains it was never meant to see, I suddenly realized I wasn't sure how I was going to do here, either.  Neither one of us knew the ground rules for living in the desert. So, it was either New Horizons, or Far >From Familiar.  

Anyway, thanks and anyone else out there on the list will, I hope, join in? This is how we get better for sure!

pat chapin
www.patchapin.com



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Liz" <springhillsites at earthlink.net>
To: "aquanetArt" <Aquanet at cleverwhiz.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 5:21 AM
Subject: [Aquanet] September critique


> Pat Chapin is our September critique artist. A very appropriate subject 
> because of Pat's experiences with  past hurricanes.  So glad you are in 
> a safe place, Pat.
> 
> Liz
> Aquanet mailing list
> Aquanet at thedigitalbraintrust.net
> http://lists.thedigitalbraintrust.net/mailman/listinfo/aquanet
> 
> Check out the Aquanet web site:
> http://www.aquanetart.com 
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