I find myself choosing the wildest of places to paint. The pretty parks and landscaped yards hold no interest for me. It has to be rough and rugged to really get me interested. The above painting was painted from a landscaped park, and I choose to paint the one spot where the land was more natural and where the natural grasses had started to dry. Increasingly, this has become my habit. Here is a quote by Sir Winston Churchill. He came to the same conclusion, only says it much better.Mere prettiness of scene, to be sure, is not needed for a beautiful picture. In fact, artificially-made pretty places are very often a hindrance to a good picture. Nature will hardly stand a double process of beautification: one layer of idealism on top of another is too much of a good thing. But a vivid scene, a brilliant atmosphere, novel and charming lights, impressive contrasts, if they strike the eye all at once, arouse an interest and an ardour which will certainly be reflected in the work which you try to do, and will make it seem easier.
4 comments:
I'm so glad you printed that quote, Donna. It is exactly what I needed to hear. Now I won't feel like such an oddball when friends choose parks and gardens to paint and I find inspiration in the weeds along the edges.
Thank you Donna T. I specifically looked for that quote yesterday, and then wrote the blog, as a means to strengthen in my own mind what I find important. So glad you liked it and agree. Like minds!!
Which book are you getting the Churchill quotes from, Donna? If there is a book specifically about his art I would love to read it.
Hi Donna T. The book is called "Painting as a Pastime" by Winston S. Churchill. It is a very short book and includes paintings by Curchill. Quite a guy!
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