Jean Burman

Recent conversations got me to thinking about what really might have happened on that starry starry night in Arles!

Watercolour en plein air (bits of stuck-on leaf flicked off) 8 1/2″ x 12″

with thanks to John et al for the excellent inspiration!

artwork Copyright 2007 Jean Burman 

And… while still on a decidedly irreverent streak… here’s a little poem I wrote (adapted actually) about painting “en plein air”. Hope it brings a smile…

The 23^rd Psalm (for artists)

My Lord is the artist… and I’ll always want

His help to paint pastures of green

With waters so still they restoreth my soul

And leadeth me down by the stream

-

To a very nice set-up beneath a large tree

Where my easel won’t rock in the breeze

And the valley before me is bathed in bright light

Cloud shadows traversing the scene

-

I won’t be frightened…for I know he’ll be there

To deliver the paint to the page

And comfort is mine when the great Lord God Divine

Rocks up in the guise of my sage

-

He preparest a table before me

With friends gathered round for a look

A rather large cup of good coffee

And some linseed oil in the nook

-

But my cup runneth over with laughter

As the heavenly father mistook…

the brush plunging into the coffee

not the linseed oil in the nook!

-

Surely goodness and mercy

Shall follow me all of my life

Just as long as I keep painting pictures

To keep me from getting in strife!

-

Amen… (and with apologies) *wink* & smile

Words & Pictures Copyright 2007 Jean Burman 

I’ve never seen them… but they are right up there on my list of things to see (and do) before I die. Another would be to see the legendary Min Min lights of outback Australia.

I had a bash at this many years ago whilst camping with a group of school friends out under the stars west of Longreach. But no… the Min Min weren’t co-operating… living up to the legend… and their elusive reputation! Realistically though… I am probably closer to seeing a Min Min light than I ever will be to seeing The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) but who knows… the universe is all encompassing and we can never know what’s in store for us somewhere down the track late at night!

The Northern Lights

Watercolour 22″ x 30″ on 640gsm Arches

artwork & content Copyright Jean Burman 2007

In the meantime… my fascination has led me this week to the investigation of this rather unusual subject. My interpretation of “The Northern Lights” was born out of an exploration of the watercolour medium and the employment of various forms of “resist”. I reckon this is watercolour at it’s best… from the artist’s perspective at least! And it’s surprising how much prior thought must go into what appears to be a “random” work of abstraction!

Just like any other artwork… a few questions must be asked at the outset…

1. What do I want to say?

Okay… to answer this…

I want to describe my “complete wonder” at a space weather phenomenon that I have never actually seen except in photographs! Hmmm tough call.

2. Why do I want to say it?

To answer this question…

I’m not entirely sure… except to say that some ideas simply demand to be investigated and persued simply because they are there. Though I must confess… the Northern Lights have held a mystical fascination for me since listening as a child to Andy Stewart sing on well-worn vinyl the good old Scottish song “The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen”.

When I was a lad… a tiny wee lad my mother said to me

come see the northern lights my boy

they’re bright as bright can be

She called them the heavenly dancers

Merry dancers in the sky

I’ll never forget that wonderful sight

they made the heaven’s bright…

The Northern Lights of old Aberdeen

mean home sweet home to me

The Northern Lights of Aberdeen

are what I long to see

I’ve been a wanderer all of my life

and many a sight I’ve seen

God speed the day when I’m on my way

to my home in Aberdeen.

Ahem… back to the topic…
3. How am I going to say it?

Because of watercolour’s somewhat headstrong (yet completely exciting) characteristics and demands… the judicious selection of pigments for their unique chemical characteristics and interactions is the first consideration.

Then the support must be considered. I settled on a rough surface on heavy cold pressed 640gsm Arches… the idea being that the pigments (should) lift and separate and settle into the crevices of the rough surface and hopefully make the texture and atmosphere more interesting.

Saving the whites… and creating the effects was then a matter of avoidance of specified areas… and the careful and deliberate application of freshly ground rock salt and good old fashioned latex masking fluid!

I may never get to see “The Lights” but at least now I can say that I’ve experienced them!

What pure unadulterated fun!

Comments welcome…

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give -author unknown

artwork & content Copyright Jean Burman 2007

Watercolour 14″ x 20″ on Arches 640gsm
painted at the turn of the century (no joke) and tossed into the circular file - finally completed today as it was the only “smiley” painting I could find!

It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile…. so why ever don’t we do more of it? Smile… I mean. It can’t be all that hard! It does take a little bit of concentration though… especially that very first time! You have to close your eyes… and really focus hard on the sides of your face to get those cheeks muscles to move! But once you get the hang of that upward outward movement… wow… what a feeling!

Have you noticed lately the epidemic of sad and haunted, lost and lonely-looking angry faces? Next time you are walking down the street… or waiting in the supermarket queue… or standing on the street waiting for the bus… or sitting in traffic… I want you to do me a favour. I want you to stop and take a look around.

What do you see?

Surprising isn’t it? Who smiles anymore?

I’ve got to wonder… when exactly did we lose it? Why did we stop smiling? Did we forget how? Did we run out of reasons? Or did we just get lazy?

If we’re really truthful we’d have to admit… it is rather hard to do! Let’s face it… sometimes there isn’t much to smile about!

artwork & content Copyright Jean Burman 2007

But.. whatever… smiling is good for us and we really should be doing more of it! Smiling produces “feel good” endorphins in the brain… which lift our mood and improve our general outlook on life. Who needs drugs alcohol (or coffee!) when all we have to do is proffer up a big cheesy grin to the world to kick-start our day? And we don’t have to start with the whole world… we can start with ourselves (yes that’s right!) and then the postman… then the garbo… and then the lady behind the counter at the shop… and then… and then…

We might get a few funny looks to begin with. People may well say… “who are you to be so downright h~a~p~p~y?” or “what the heck are you on?” But I assure you they’ll get used to it… and before long… they’ll be shouting…

“I want what she’s having!”

Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to - author unknown

What greater gift can we give to the world… than the gift of a smile. It costs nothing… but it means so much. It has the capacity to transform the world. And we don’t have to utter one single word for it to be universally understood… because a smile means the same in anyone’s language!

A smile is infectious too… and sometimes downright contagious! Sit next to someone and start to giggle… they won’t be able to contain themselves. And before you know it… it’ll be an epidemic!

Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too! - author unknown

The more we smile… the more smiles we get in return. They can be the darned-est things to give away though… because they just keep on coming back!

Funny about that…

Smile… (cos) sunshine is good for your teeth! - author unknown