Art Talk
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Want to ask Jerry a question or start a discussion? Tribute To Ken Danby - New Entry February 28, 2008 Well, I have been studying to be an artist now for almost ten years and yet I feel I now know less then I ever have. Socrates says for a wise man this is true, however, it feels this is hard to accept. I wanted to be a painter to depict things in my childhood I loved. I enjoyed nature and animals but mostly it was sports. I played many sports - baseball, football, but I always loved hockey the most. Even though it was never my best sport, I played for 11 years and enjoyed it and miss it sometimes still. I remember as a boy looking at pictures of hockey and trying to draw them, often with little success but having the encouragement of my parents to try again. Later in my youth, I remember seeing the art of Ken Danby, not knowing then who he was. This changed everything for me. Knowing in my early teens that I would never be a great sports star, I started thinking of other things that might be feasible for a career. I thought of art. Others thought different but I knew of nothing else that might fit me. Still as a young man, Ken Danby paintings were what I saw and stirred me and I did not know why. Ten years later, and much debate and talk of what art is, I am back to my original thoughts. Ken Danby was a great painter, he knew some things about composition, paint application and story telling that I can only hope to ever attain. He was a great Canadian and had a cause for painting. I remember telling one of my first teachers after art school, a forever ending experience of one semester at ACAD, "I am here to learn how to paint like Ken Danby". He chuckled. I did not know why. After many art classes I learned what so called "real painters" thought of Ken Danby, Robert Bateman and others of their kind, realist painters. This continued for many years until I had the chance to see Robert Bateman's retrospective show. I then realized that everything I had been taught for the most part was untrue. Not the application of paint, but the theory of what art is. Art is big and wide. But art is a craft and it is to be well done. Great art is hard, and it is supposed to be hard. I am almost ten years in and I am now only beginning to understand what I want to say and how to say it. This painting of a goalie is a tribute to the late great Ken Danby. A painter and a man who was taken too early and with more to say no doubt. I am sorry I never had the chance to meet him and thank him for inspiring me to be a painter. I hope I can say half as much and reach half as many as he did. He was a great Canadian painter and has my respect.
"The Guardian" - 20x30 inches - Oil - by Jerry Markham Posted by Jerry Markham on Education of Art - New Entry December 10, 2007 The education of art is something that I have always been quite passionate about and yet find it quite confusing as a student and teacher, due to the elusive nature of art itself. Where is the best place to learn art and how do you know if your skills are improving? I believe art is for everyone. Therefore, all I can do as a teacher is try to enhance the appreciation of art and create a more serious form of art appreciation than the mere enjoyment of picture study. However, as a student I find myself in constant search of paintings or painters that stir something from within - good or bad. Recently I had the opportunity to see the Robert Bateman retrospective show at the McMicheal Museum north of Toronto. I must admit that going to the show was somewhat of a bitter sweet experience for myself and the large slice of humble pie was more bitter than I thought it would be. Before going to the show I had already formed an opinion of Mr. Bateman. Though I respected him as a painter, I viewed him more as a picture maker than an artist. This was a preconceived idea that I had created through years of influence and a lack of education and edification on my part. The show raised my appreciation - not for the style of painting so much as it did my admiration for the compositions that Robert Bateman can conceive and produce in a painting. His method of arranging elements on a canvas is amazing. It has changed the way I look at painting. I take a lot more time in producing a painting now. I think about the best way to show the viewer more than just a picture of a thing but the best way to present my idea, the feeling behind the piece and intention for the painting. Viewing the Bateman show has increased my art appreciation as well my understanding of what art is and how to create it. My point is, the education of art is hard to pin down and that’s why it requires a passionate student - one that is not quick to judge or be too critical as I was, but a learner, “a perennial student”, as Harley Browne says. Educate yourself. Learn the things that are important in the production of good art - drawing, value, edges and color. Imbed them deep in your consciousness and then and only then release yourself from the barriers of rules and paint with your heart while keeping the rules in mind. Mind your principles! Use them to help you say what you want to say. Without laws you have only anarchy. I will post more on this subject - the education of art - and other topics soon. Also, Doug Swinton has a new feature on his web site - an online critique - which I think is a great idea. I know Doug quite well and he gives a grand critique - tough, honest and fair - and I think that’s all we really can ask for. I also know Doug is a great student and educator of painting and art. His Drawing For Painters Class (in Calgary) is one that should be embedded in the depths of your brain. I hope you will look up his web site at www.dougswinton.com. If you have any questions or comments, please click on 'Add Comment' below. I look forward to reading your comments. Posted by Jerry Markham on Perception of Watercolors Versus Oils - Latest Entry February 3, 2008 Posted by Jeremy Browne on Painting from Life - Latest Entry January 21, 2007 Posted by Andrew Neagle on |
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