Comments on: Speak American! http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/ Artist Writer Curious Dreamer Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:57:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jean Burman http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7411 Jean Burman Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:48:47 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7411 Thanks Jools :-) I think watercolour makes a lot of people uncomfortable. It's a pretty demanding medium. Especially working big. There's no time to think... you just have to "do". Knowing precisely what to do and when to do it (timing is everything) can take years to get the hang of and I think that's why so many people give up and go on to oils etc. But eventually a style kind of settles in. I think that's why it's so easy to see an artist's signature style in watercolour. Not to mention their personality! LOL With oils acrylics pastels (and even sculpture) the process is slower and there is more time to bring the thinking mind into the process. More time to collaborate with the medium. Watercolour has a determined will of it's own and will always respond best to an intuitive approach. Which ain't easy ~grin~ With watercolour the hard yards have to be done before any paint hits the paper... and then once it's on there it's all systems go... watching, waiting, checking on drying rates and moving the board to get the paint where you want it with no run backs. I used to liken it to fly fishing as opposed to fishing from the beach or a boat.... where you sit patiently pondering the world *sigh* and your place in it until something comes along and takes the hook. Fly fishing is all about the technique... get it wrong and you've got the lure hooked in the back of your hair in a tangled mess (you gotta trust me on this! LOL) Same with watercolour. As for fashion (in art or anything)... it's fickle... and too easily manipulated in the hands of vested interests. As for en plein air. Ahhh it's for the birds! (((chuckles))) But I do like camping out... Thanks Jools :-)

I think watercolour makes a lot of people uncomfortable. It’s a pretty demanding medium. Especially working big. There’s no time to think… you just have to “do”. Knowing precisely what to do and when to do it (timing is everything) can take years to get the hang of and I think that’s why so many people give up and go on to oils etc.

But eventually a style kind of settles in. I think that’s why it’s so easy to see an artist’s signature style in watercolour. Not to mention their personality! LOL With oils acrylics pastels (and even sculpture) the process is slower and there is more time to bring the thinking mind into the process. More time to collaborate with the medium. Watercolour has a determined will of it’s own and will always respond best to an intuitive approach. Which ain’t easy ~grin~

With watercolour the hard yards have to be done before any paint hits the paper… and then once it’s on there it’s all systems go… watching, waiting, checking on drying rates and moving the board to get the paint where you want it with no run backs.

I used to liken it to fly fishing as opposed to fishing from the beach or a boat…. where you sit patiently pondering the world *sigh* and your place in it until something comes along and takes the hook. Fly fishing is all about the technique… get it wrong and you’ve got the lure hooked in the back of your hair in a tangled mess (you gotta trust me on this! LOL) Same with watercolour.

As for fashion (in art or anything)… it’s fickle… and too easily manipulated in the hands of vested interests.

As for en plein air. Ahhh it’s for the birds! (((chuckles))) But I do like camping out…

]]> By: gardenjools http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7405 gardenjools Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:35:20 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7405 As for plein air.. I would like to try it. But I would have to be camping out under the stars as well, until it was done! :)) As for plein air.. I would like to try it. But I would have to be camping out under the stars as well, until it was done! :) )

]]> By: gardenjools http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7404 gardenjools Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:32:33 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7404 Hi Jean, What an interesting blog you have presented to the table! I have tried watercolour and to be honest, felt uncomfortable with it as I felt I was just filling in the holes and could not get a grip on how to do different textures. But I think that is because I like to paint so big. Sometimes I water my paint right down to get a "washed out" effect or to bring some light into a shape. I do admire those who can master the skill of making watercolours work for them..instead of the other way around! I have to agree that art is fashion, as art usually depicts the era of the artist and what they see and how they see it. The styles of each era remain, because people liked them and bought them...so there for are kept and remembered. A style, an idea or a piece of history? Hi Jean,
What an interesting blog you have presented to the table!
I have tried watercolour and to be honest, felt uncomfortable with it as I felt I was just filling in the holes and could not get a grip on how to do different textures. But I think that is because I like to paint so big. Sometimes I water my paint right down to get a “washed out” effect or to bring some light into a shape. I do admire those who can master the skill of making watercolours work for them..instead of the other way around! I have to agree that art is fashion, as art usually depicts the era of the artist and what they see and how they see it. The styles of each era remain, because people liked them and bought them…so there for are kept and remembered. A style, an idea or a piece of history?

]]> By: Jean Burman http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7401 Jean Burman Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:02:53 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7401 John... your typo made my day! To think that Miss Gen X could belong to whoever sees her would be a dream come true for me. So thank you! I hope you're right about JSS... I'd hate to incur the wrath of that great man (((chuckles))) Yes... I was a little disappointed there were no watercolours in the exhibition... but like I said... it wasn't unexpected given the nature of the medium and the support... and I guess... sadly... the lesser respect afforded watercolour. (I'd love to see Homer's "Palm Tree Nassau" someday for real. The subtle nuances of color and light are palpable even in print... so I can't begin to imagine how magnificent the original might be) I think you're right about watercolour these days chasing the shirttails of oils and acrylics by becoming more like them. What results in some cases is a kind of "paint by numbers" predictability. Technical perhaps and true to the subject... but boring nonetheless. I've never quite got the hang of en plein air... something to do with the climate, the bugs, and the incessant toppling over of my little travel easel. Sheesh... it's like trying to start a jallope in the rain when you've got the Ferrari parked in the garage! LOL John… your typo made my day! To think that Miss Gen X could belong to whoever sees her would be a dream come true for me. So thank you! I hope you’re right about JSS… I’d hate to incur the wrath of that great man (((chuckles)))

Yes… I was a little disappointed there were no watercolours in the exhibition… but like I said… it wasn’t unexpected given the nature of the medium and the support… and I guess… sadly… the lesser respect afforded watercolour.

(I’d love to see Homer’s “Palm Tree Nassau” someday for real. The subtle nuances of color and light are palpable even in print… so I can’t begin to imagine how magnificent the original might be)

I think you’re right about watercolour these days chasing the shirttails of oils and acrylics by becoming more like them. What results in some cases is a kind of “paint by numbers” predictability. Technical perhaps and true to the subject… but boring nonetheless.

I’ve never quite got the hang of en plein air… something to do with the climate, the bugs, and the incessant toppling over of my little travel easel. Sheesh… it’s like trying to start a jallope in the rain when you’ve got the Ferrari parked in the garage! LOL

]]> By: Jean Burman http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7399 Jean Burman Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:36:46 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7399 Thanks Roger and John :-) Roger... I think you're right about artists in the trenches. It does make you wonder who's pulling the strings when it comes to what's in vogue... what kind of art makes it into the magazines and why. I checked out Tunis Ponsen and can see why you can so relate. I esp love the energy of the lines in Apple Tree In Winter. It's almost electric! Watercolour has always commanded a lower price than oils or acrylics and (honestly) I have never been able to see why... when the medium demands so much more of the artist... especially when it's executed in the spontaneous way it was born to do. There is something really honest about watercolour... there are no secrets there. When the medium comes off the brush everything about the artist is revealed. The way it is laid down... (whether in tentative dabs or laid out in glorious fluid brushstrokes)... the artist personality/spirit is revealed right there on the paper. There is no escaping it! LOL Thanks Roger and John :-)

Roger… I think you’re right about artists in the trenches. It does make you wonder who’s pulling the strings when it comes to what’s in vogue… what kind of art makes it into the magazines and why. I checked out Tunis Ponsen and can see why you can so relate. I esp love the energy of the lines in Apple Tree In Winter. It’s almost electric!

Watercolour has always commanded a lower price than oils or acrylics and (honestly) I have never been able to see why… when the medium demands so much more of the artist… especially when it’s executed in the spontaneous way it was born to do. There is something really honest about watercolour… there are no secrets there. When the medium comes off the brush everything about the artist is revealed. The way it is laid down… (whether in tentative dabs or laid out in glorious fluid brushstrokes)… the artist personality/spirit is revealed right there on the paper. There is no escaping it! LOL

]]> By: roger marz http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7394 roger marz Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:23:14 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7394 A very good impressionist named Tunis Ponsen was born in Holland but came to Chicago as a young man. He went out of fashion after wwII and retired to a Michigan farm. A local gallery acquired his residual paintings about 20 years worth. The watercolors are much better than the oils but sell for a tenth the price. A very good impressionist named Tunis Ponsen was born in Holland but came to Chicago as a young man. He went out of fashion after wwII and retired to a Michigan farm. A local gallery acquired his residual paintings about 20 years worth. The watercolors are much better than the oils but sell for a tenth the price.

]]> By: John Crowther http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7388 John Crowther Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:23:39 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7388 Oops, a couple of typos there.... most egregiously referring to YOUR painting as OUR painting. Oops, a couple of typos there…. most egregiously referring to YOUR painting as OUR painting.

]]> By: John Crowther http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7387 John Crowther Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:22:31 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7387 So glad, Jean, that you go to see some of those works spectacular works that we New Yorkers have hogged for too long. I favor the watercolors of both Sargent and Homer, though the oils are wonderful too! I agree about watercolor today. It's become all about trying to "compete" with oils and acrylics, and in so doing loses freshness. Meanwhile, so many artists have embraced the (to my mind) idiotic notion of "plein air" as a style or school of painting, when all it is, really, is painting on location. All it's done is produced a lot of really bad pseudo Impressionist oils that might have been better as watercolors. I love our Miss Gen X, Jean, and I think JSS would have too. So glad, Jean, that you go to see some of those works spectacular works that we New Yorkers have hogged for too long. I favor the watercolors of both Sargent and Homer, though the oils are wonderful too! I agree about watercolor today. It’s become all about trying to “compete” with oils and acrylics, and in so doing loses freshness. Meanwhile, so many artists have embraced the (to my mind) idiotic notion of “plein air” as a style or school of painting, when all it is, really, is painting on location. All it’s done is produced a lot of really bad pseudo Impressionist oils that might have been better as watercolors.

I love our Miss Gen X, Jean, and I think JSS would have too.

]]> By: roger marz http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7379 roger marz Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:51:23 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7379 I love Sargent especially the watercolors. Down among the trenches a lot of painters leave mhites but their work isn't in the magazines. Roger I love Sargent especially the watercolors. Down among the trenches a lot of painters leave mhites but their work isn’t in the magazines. Roger

]]> By: Jean Burman http://jeanburman.com/2009/07/11/speak-american/comment-page-1/#comment-7375 Jean Burman Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:34:20 +0000 http://jeanburman.com/?p=818#comment-7375 Thanks Vernita :-) Yes it was. I had thought I may never get to see an original Sargent... but there you have it. All good things come... eventually (grin) I'd love to have seen some of his watercolours... but under glass I'd imagine them to be too fragile to risk shipping so far away. I especially want to see his watercolours as I love the way he would drag the brush across the rough paper leaving sparkles of light across it's path. That's surprisingly hard to do convincingly... but like the master he was... he achieved it effortlessly. There are still some artists nowadays who use this technique effectively but more and more it seems that watercolour artists are losing the spontaneous whites... shooting for a more orchestrated placement. I know of at least one very successful watercolour artist who wouldn't be seen dead leaving any white paper showing. Funny isn't it how attitudes and approaches change... go around... and come around all over again. I guess that's what you've got to call progress? (grin) Thanks Vernita :-)

Yes it was. I had thought I may never get to see an original Sargent… but there you have it. All good things come… eventually (grin)

I’d love to have seen some of his watercolours… but under glass I’d imagine them to be too fragile to risk shipping so far away. I especially want to see his watercolours as I love the way he would drag the brush across the rough paper leaving sparkles of light across it’s path. That’s surprisingly hard to do convincingly… but like the master he was… he achieved it effortlessly.

There are still some artists nowadays who use this technique effectively but more and more it seems that watercolour artists are losing the spontaneous whites… shooting for a more orchestrated placement. I know of at least one very successful watercolour artist who wouldn’t be seen dead leaving any white paper showing. Funny isn’t it how attitudes and approaches change… go around… and come around all over again. I guess that’s what you’ve got to call progress? (grin)

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