Thursday, August 23,1979

The Herald And The Lantern

PAINTING^ from the ground c/tery/

I have often been asked of a painting, "How long did it take?”, and if I were Whistler, Td answer, "A lifetime”. A painting can be knocked off in one session or labored over for years. The cosmos can be symbolized in a splitsecond splash, an egg rendered line by line into infinity. The artist sets the timing and involvement. At times, the pressure of a deadline has the positive effect of forcing a direct approach, weeding out inconsequential meanderings, in order that some statement can be brought to a finish. On the negative side, a deadline may stifle adventurous discovery, and the thrill of painting over whole passages in order that something new may emerge. More time spent on a piece does not necessarily mean the acquiring of more details, but also refining the initial image or idea. Supportive drawings and paintings can be set aside for months to

be approached with new vigor and fresh eyes. Though some artists prefer to work up one painting at a time, I keep several going in different stages. Paintings begun in the winter overlap those started last month, last week, this morning, and now. One painting which has held my attention for some months now was conceived in early spring when I was digging the side yard garden. The subject was decided, but no other limits. As the shoots began to grow,so did ideas for the structure of the piece, and a canvas was selected, a 24x36” to be used vertically in contrast with the horizontal row of flowers, which was angled from uper left corner to lower right. The canvas surface in this instance is a rough jute-linen, primed with rabbit skin glue, gesso, and linseed oil. The coarseness of the texture contrasts with the delicacy of the

subject, precluding any attempts at fine detail. With the scene so close to home , I was able to observe it daily, to consider it at different times under changing light conditions. The floral colors seemed most luminous on dreary days, when the grey of the fence and surrounding atmosphere provided a neutral tone on which the living hues vibrate. On sunny days, the painting was put aside, and drawings were made of the various flowers. At one point, I decided that a figure would heighten the. interest of the piece, so that meant additional studies and compounded complications. The painting has been going on for months now, and its finish is nowhere in sight. Growth and changes in the artist are reflected in the development of the work; the resolving of some probelms set up new conditions and challenges. The time put into it is already inestimable. In order for the thing to work as a unit, whole areas will be subdued and destroyed. The work of numberless sessions must gel in order that the final image may be \iewed in an instant.

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