Our Artist Ancestors

"Blue Sky in Pimlico" 

Oil on Wood, 61 x 45.7 cm.

Patrick George, early 1980's

 

It's been said that when you are drawn to the work of a particular artist, and want to learn more about their approach, you should not study the work of THAT artist, but rather the work of the painters who influenced them. In other words, look at their artistic grandfathers, and great-grandfathers.  Taking this advice to heart, I have enjoyed tracing the family tree of living artists whose work I admire.  Many lines lead back to Patrick George, and George's mentor, William Coldstream.  For today, I'm looking at Patrick George (1923-2016).

"Jampot Tree with Two Horses"

Patrick George

My research on George led me to a wonderful little book of his writings.  It's entitled The Likeness is in the Looking.  George taught at the Slade School of Fine Art in London for forty years, and the book includes some of his lectures and teaching notes. It also includes entries from his diaries.  What a rich way to get into the thoughts of a wonderful painter!

"Hilary Lane Night Portrait"

Oil on Canvas, 106 x 91 cm.

Patrick George, 1965-6

If you've never heard of Patrick George, it's partly because he was a modest man, who focused more on his paintings than on self-promotion.  He lived in the English countryside in Suffolk, and loved to paint the local landscape. His obituary in The Guardian in 2016 called him one of the art world's best kept secrets.  It noted that "he was celebrated for his devotion to the particularity of things, especially trees, and English light and atmosphere".  But he also painted wonderful portraits, as you can see above.

"The Wood at Delmer's"

Patrick George

I love this quote from one of George's letters: "Could there be a better way of passing the time than sitting in a field surrounded by the intense concentration of nature...?  We paint because it is all marvelous to look at, that's why."  George liked to look, and he painted what he saw. He was keenly aware that his position vis a vis the motif was key, and that no place else would do, or ever be the same.  The shapes and patterns he saw, and their translation into paint, are simply breathtaking.  At least to me they are.  

"Valley Landscape", Oil on Canvas, Patrick George, 1965

George's teaching notes refer to the desirability of "unpredictable shapes". In fact, those unpredictable shapes are part of "accuracy".  As is "a definite particularity".  He emphasizes "Seeing shapes as shapes, rather than linear boundaries".  There are so many nuggets that I want to write down and tape to my studio walls as mantras.

Patrick George

This post is illustrated with George's paintings.  I will let the paintings speak for themselves, because it can be very hard to write about paintings.  As George himself observed, "Lectures are made from words, and paintings are not made from words."  Enjoy looking.

PS for the curious:  Mr George says that two of his "painting ancestors" were Durer and Rubens.  Ideas for delving back further into art history!

New Life for Old Things

 

I thought that my fellow painters, and non-painters as well, might enjoy seeing how I have repurposed some everyday items to serve a studio function.  Finding new use for things is fun for me.  I guess that's why I am a pack rat.  I tend to ask myself "What can I do with this?", rather than "Can I live without this?"  

A prime example is the standard file folder rack from any office supply store.  It is perfect for holding wet paintings while they dry.  I have several of these, and I also use them for organizing completed paintings from a series.  One rack might be marked "Pears", and another "Apples".  (Another personal fixation is for labeling...).

An easy hack: using garden gloves in the studio.  Peggi Kroll Roberts tipped me off to the Atlas brand, and I find that that they are far superior to disposable latex gloves.  For one thing, you can easily take them on and off (unlike latex gloves, which become sweaty and uncooperative).  For another thing, they last a long time and are more earth-friendly than disposables.

Last winter after my paper white bulbs died, I kept the vase and pebbles they had grown in.  It turns out to be a perfect spot to park wet brushes after I have washed them--they can go bristles down, so the water doesn't run into the ferrule, and the pebbles keep the bristles from resting in any runoff water.  Perfect solution!

Last but not least, there is the little rubber sculpting tool that I was introduced to by Tracy Everly.  Who knew that a simple little thing could be so helpful?!  It's intended for potters and clay artists, but I use it to move paint around, when I don't want the super sharp line of a palette knife.  I like its flexibility and size.  Sort of like an extension of your fingers.

The sculpting tool used to be red.  Now it is the ubiquitous gray that results from accumulating layers of dried paint.  I guess this post goes to prove the old adage that my husband often reminds me of:  "If it CAN get paint on it, it WILL get paint on it."  So true!

Confined or Contented?

"Woman in a Striped Dress"

Oil on Canvas, 65.7 x 58.7 cm

Édouard Vuillard, 1895

Faithful readers know how much I love the paintings of the Nabis.  The Nabis were a loose confederation of painters working in France (especially Paris) in the late 1800's, who led the way forward out of Impressionism, toward modernism.  The Nabis are not as well known as some of their predecessors (or successors, for that matter), but that may be changing.  One sign of change is a current exhibit, "Private Lives: Home and Family in the Art of the Nabis".  The exhibit features four chief members of the Nabis:  Édouard Vuillard, Felix Vallotton, Maurice Denis, and Pierre Bonnard.

"The Red Room, Etreat"

Felix Vallotton, 1899

The Nabis are sometimes called "Intimistes", because their work  is based on intimate scenes of daily life, often set inside cocoon-like rooms.  Hence the term "intimate".  It is lost on nobody that this exhibit coincides with a period of lockdown from the COVID pandemic--just when we have spent months confined in close quarters in our homes.  Very appropriate timing for a show that explores the life contained within the walls of home.

"Woman Sweeping"

Édouard Vuillard

A common thread through the Nabis was their ability to "draw emotion from the most modest acts of life", as Bonnard said.  Styles may differ, but the artists all portray everyday scenes around home--people at the dinner table, or patting their pets, or playing the piano. Routine tasks of housekeeping, or feeding and bathing children, occupy a central role. 

"The Lie"

Felix Vallotton, 1898

Some of these scenes are peaceful and serene.   Others have a certain tension that hints at conflict.  In fact, to illustrate the difference between these two emotions, the first room of the exhibit is titled "The Intimate Interior", and the next room is titled "The Troubled Interior".  As you might guess, the first room is filled with paintings that convey innocence, warmth and tenderness.  The next room holds works that convey drama, secrets, even betrayal.

"Washing the Baby"

Maurice Denis, 1899

"Boy Eating Cherries"

Pierre Bonnard, 1895

 

Several writers have commented on the prominent role of wallpaper in these paintings.  I see this especially in Vuillard.  Some of his figures virtually disappear into the walls, as the patterns of their clothing blend with the patterns of the wallpaper.  It makes you wonder:  Are the figures emerging? or fading away?

"Mother and Sister of the Artist

Édouard Vuillard

Speaking of interior decor, I was fascinated by another sign that the Nabis still influence contemporary tastes.  The costume designer for the Netflix series "The Crown" says that her approach to the outfits for the Royal Family is inspired by the paintings of Vuillard.  She likes the way that Vuillard emphasized the patterns of clothing and decor. She also notes that the close, confined quarters of Vuillard's paintings are consistent with the Royals' lives, "locked in their palaces." The image below shows a scene from "The Crown" that she says is "a Vuillard painting, if ever there was one."

Scene from Netflix series "The Crown"

The Nabis exhibit completed its run at the Cleveland Museum this fall, and is open at the Portland (Oregon) Museum of Art through January 23, 2022.  Since I won't get to see the show, I might just splurge and buy the catalog, which gets great reviews.  There is also a good UTube video chat by the Portland curator of the exhibit, discussing some key works and curatorial themes of the show.  Enjoy!