Filbert’s Newsletter: October 2006 Issue 11

Welcome to the Filbert Splosh Newsletter. Your comments, suggestions or contributions are welcome.

If you have produced a wonderful piece of work in whatever medium, why not send a digital photo of it to me and I’ll put it in the newsletter – I’d like to start a reader’s gallery section to the newsletter.

Featured Artist: Gustave Klimt 1862 – 1918

Klimt is something of an acquired taste, but a fabulously sensual painter. He was the leading Viennese painter of his day finding fame when he broke away from the conventional attitudes of the time to found the Viennese Sezession movement. He developed a highly original and sensitive style in which he combined wonderful figure painting with richly decorative pattern. He was an oversexed, workaholic with quite a reputation amongst society women of the time, who flocked to have their portraits painted by him. His paintings explore the concerns of his time, namely the need to break with existing taboos and conservative thought and also to breakdown the snobbish barrier between the artist and the craftsman.

He was originally trained at the School of Decorative Arts in Vienna and this is where he developed his passion for pattern based on both Egyptian and Byzantine art. It is a wonderful experience how he balances the fine painting of hands and faces with the mosaic-like pattern of gold leaf and silver, whilst exploring the inner thoughts of his sitters.

If you are interested in Klimt and his work you might like to come along to the Inspired by Klimt Weekend, 20/21 January 2007 at Leintwardine. There will be lots of opportunities for you to explore the relationship between figures, faces and pattern. Unfortunately, I shall only be supplying gold acrylic paint rather than gold leaf!

Let’s appreciate Art

Over the past few months we have looked at lots of the things that influence art, and at ways in which the artist can manipulate the things we see. I thought it was about time we put all this into practice. Over the next couple of newsletters we shall be looking at how we might appreciate more the artist at work. When reading the following sections it might help to have a painting, or picture of one at hand, alternatively, you might take the information with you when you go to a gallery.
Form
Remember Form relates to all those elements that influence how the painting is physically constructed.

Let’s think first about the medium used. All mediums have their subtle differences and this begs the question, whether it is really important to note that a specific medium has been used. In most cases it is probably not, but it does become important when the medium has been used outside the norm, for example, in a multimedia work, or in a particular expressive way; Van Gogh used oil paint thickly and in short brushstrokes to express emotion and feeling. You might consider what would have happened if the artist had chosen a different medium, e.g. watercolour, how would this have affected our appreciation of the painting?

How important is scale in the painting? This element is important because scale can create impact and thus a sense of awe in the viewer. A typical example of this would be the huge painting F111 by James Rosenquist the American Pop artist; it is over 80 metres wide. When seen in a book it is impossible to appreciate the work in the same way as in real life. Seeing the work in a gallery, the sheer scale becomes overpowering. At the other extreme, the painting of the Arnolfini Wedding by Jan van Eyck, is a very small painting barely 40 cm high. By painting this on such a small scale the artists physically draws us into the work, because we have to move closer to it to appreciate its nuances. By the act of moving forward we become much more involved in the intimacy of the scene, almost like a very special, privileged guest.

Colour can have an immense effect on our appreciation of a painting. So let’s ponder our general impression of the colour of the painting. Is it warm, bold and daring like a Fauve painting, for example, The Pool of London 1905 by Andre Derain? Or is it cool and sombre like the blue and grey tones we see in the painting, The Old Guitarist 1904 by Pablo Picasso? Maybe the colour is simply descriptive – grass is green, sky is blue - as it might be in a traditional landscape painting, or more expressive? Is the hue of the colour (the actual colour of the object) being used as in the case of Cézanne’s landscapes? Or, are the environmental aspects (sun, fog, drizzle) of the colour being exploited as we see in Monet’s many studies of the effects of light, on everything from haystacks to cathedrals? How well has the artist handled this?

Of course, colour can be used in a purely decorative manner as can be seen in some elements of Gustave Klimt’s portraits, for symbolic reasons as in the case of Gauguin’s Yellow Christ, or philosophical reasons as in the many abstract works by Piet Mondrian. Colour is important and we should try to come to some conclusion of its importance and role of in the painting.

Remember that on the flat surface of a painting all Shapes are two-dimensional, even though the artist may have used various devices to make them appear three-dimensional. A shape that defines the sky can be organic and imply volume and openness. Other organic shapes, like a clump of trees may give an impression of mass and density. Shapes can also be geometric as in the case of paintings by abstract artists such as the Russian painter, Kasimir Malevich.
It is also important to consider what affect shapes have on each other; do they overlap or simply meet along an edge? Has the artist balanced his shapes to create a harmony, as we might see in Constable’s Haywain where a large, open volume of sky (organic shape) is counter-balanced with a much smaller mass of trees? Or has the artist used shape to create an imbalance to suggest movement, for example, as can be seen from some of the geometric shapes that inhabit the Suprematist paintings of Kasimir Malevich?

Next month we shall look at: Line, Space, Light and Texture

Filbert Splosh’s News

The big news is the launch of Filbert Splosh’s online shop.
It is now possible to book and pay for a course online at the Filbert Splosh Website, just click on Painting or Drawing courses and you will be taken to lists of courses and the online purchase system. The system is incredibly secure using the PayPal system used by Ebay, Dell etc. The system keeps a record of the places available so if you book a course you are guaranteed a place. It will not allow you to purchase if there are no places left. You can, if you prefer, go straight to the online booking system by logging on to http://www.paulpriestley.com
You can also purchase gift vouchers, prints and paintings if you wish. Ideal with Christmas coming up.

Forthcoming Events
This month’s courses
8 October: Pen and Ink Drawing at Storridge Village Hall
15 October : Coloured pencils at Leintwardine Village Hall
22 October: Drawing for Beginners at Hampton Bishop Village Hall
Next Month’s courses
4/5 November : Starting Points at Leintwardine Village Hall
16 November: Drawing with a Brush at Leintwardine Village Hall
18/19 November: Beginners’ Watercolour Weekend at Hampton Bishop Village Hall
26 November: Pastel Portraits at Leintwardine Village Hall
To book any of these courses please click here:

Special Offer
· The Pen and Ink Drawing course at Storridge Village Hall on 8 October is now available for just £30. To reserve your place call Paul on 01568 617433

Regards

Filbert Splosh