Saturday, June 26, 2010

Evoking Emotions

'Play it Pretty' - acrylic, paper on canvas / 30 x 36 in.


'Dutchess County' - acrylic, paper, fabric on canvas / 24 x 36 in.

'Baby Oh Baby' - acrylic, paper on canvas / 30 x 36 in.

In mystical terms, when you're in a state of grace, all of 'it' happens effortlessly. I keep creating paintings, seeking moments of 'Divine Grace.' One can try to analyze a painting but it's not easy. You don't need to know the 'recipe.' In our contemporary world, we are so removed from our emotions and feelings. If you create a painting, you are supposed to evoke an emotion, a 'rasa.' For instance, Bach knew which tones would evoke certain emotions. I too base my work on specific moods. Most of my work is about exuberance and joy. That's it. Often when I paint, I turn the canvas to lose my sense of up and down. After a time, I became more comfortable with not working with a specific subject or a 'something.' My paintings just developed where each paint-stroke dictates the next. I enjoy to paint loose and free of not having to represent a 'something.' The painting is a representation of my mood. Like a symphony, there are many moods. When I step back and look at the painting, a 'little voice' tells me which color to use next. This is the intuition or sense which guides me - when I am in the 'groove.'










Sunday, June 6, 2010

Rasas

I'm not concerned with what's in the 'how.' Art must convey an atmosphere. The nine Indian 'rasas' (love, joy, wonder, peace, courage, sadness, anger, fear, disgust) are essential
energies that define a set of emotions. It's important for us to have this in mind when we look at art. If none of these emotions strike you, then all you have left is simply seeing the artist's technique. If admirable technique is not even present in a work, then there is nothing at all. Vincent Van Gogh was not much of a draftsman. But, his emotional intensity over-rode this missing capacity. He was labeled vulgar and crude by the fine art academicians of his day. Artists are either masterful or mediocre. Styles are as infinite as those of personalities, like one's handwriting which is strictly their own.
'Red Sunset' - acrylic, fabric, paper on canvas, 30 x 40 in.

'Fireball for Julio' - acrylic, paper on canvas, 25 x 36 in.