Artful Living

master lemon

April 8, 2008

I have long been fascinated with the Old Masters and the vision that they possessed long before the actual execution.  More often than not, before I begin, I see the painting or the illustration in my head.  Old Masters worked towards a purpose often painting the same object or subject many times before they were considered completely final, before it matched what they saw in their head.  It is all in starting to see the ending.  I felt this while painting this lemon which to me has a nod to the old masters.  

The first few brushstrokes to the blank canvas ultimately have a purpose from start to finish. Finding the light, the shadow and suddenly realizing the shape and mastering it all requires chance.  The chance for uncertainty is the prerequisite of succeeding.   Mastering this lemon required seeing the ending, feeling the shape, seeing the light and having the ability to take a chance and purely paint what I saw that day, in my head.   Fascinated to master the lemon with paint and canvas and to see what I saw in my head was as easy as mastering a pitcher of lemonade.  Would you care for a tall glass of master lemonade or perhaps a master painting class?
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