(TSoT = The Story of Trees)
This tree is standing tall. I thought naming it “Beacon” was fitting. We walk and live towards beacons; they don’t have to be just trees or light houses of course; they can be the convictions we live by or the inspirational people in our lives we intend to emulate.
“Beacon” was somehow inviting me to draw it, because part of its bark was missing and it appeared excitingly different. I think, if you were to review the previous blogs (dealing with these trees and trunks of mine) you will notice that there is a warmth coming into the works now, which could be attributed by the colours of this particular background.
Here I seem to be uniting the tree with the background by using the impressionistic dots of colour randomly. Because this tree was taller and “skinnier”, I had more space on the page to play with. The size of these works is something between A5 and A4.
I think we need to pay attention to the ("pre-prepared") background (as an option) for a moment (and I may be advising myself here, which is fine). Even though I am quite controlled with regards to my art making schemes and techniques, deep down I lean towards spontaneity; I want the completed work to appear spontaneous and “approachable”. Very often I forget that by creating a “pre-prepared” background that can be altered during the execution of the art work, I could stand a much better chance at achieving the level of “crafted” spontaneity I am after.
Getting rid of the whiteness of the page or canvas is often the first step towards a great result; when something is already there (which we as the artists have placed there ourselves), we naturally adopt more adventurous approaches to art making which then kickstart the creative process to our advantage. Obviously, we don’t want to do that in every situation. Sometimes the contrasting whiteness gives us the “thumping” we need to increase the “visual volume” of the work, as you will see in a moment – when I introduce another artist.
I have been working with dots (for many years – as I suppose all artists do) but it is not a characteristic of my style necessarily. However, over the years I have become aware of the power a single dot of colour possesses to restore the balance in a work.
In “Beacon” the outlines provide the structure of the tree but then I seem to have played over it or I have played it down, so that the work looks a bit “jazzy” in the end. When one works with dots one’s eyes become a bit tired because the colours are competing for attention. What does one do when one has doubts regarding the dimensions in one’s work when the dotted scene is “screaming”?
We close our eyelids and peep through our eyelashes. The errors will come to the fore and then we can see if the tree is still a tree. I think I have now said enough about my friend “Beacon.” William Shakespeare said, “Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.” (https://www.inspiringquotes.us/quotes/S7oF_AadfO9mX)
This lady, Yayoi Kusama, entered my art world in 2012, when a French art loving friend, Philippe, introduced her to me in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Obviously, not in person, but he told me about the “dot lady” when he saw the dots in my art work. I found her inspirational and she has taken those dots the Impressionist introduced in the late 1800s to an international level. I am including a YouTube-link, which I hope you will enjoy watching. (Her art is not for the faint-hearted because those dots are pulsating.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WtEF94zwmM
I hope to see you at the next tree. Stay safe and make a few dots of your own. Remember there is art in your heart.
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