Modern Art or Intellectual Bullshit?

[Alan V]

Put up some of those pics?

Here are a few examples.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Oh, that's good.

[Gwaithmir]

Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Sappho and Alcaeus, 1881

[Dancefortwo]

I like those, thanks for posting.  For myself,  I would take them and do them in watercolor.  The reason I like watercolor is because you can't labor over it too much.  At least the type of watercolor I like which is a wet in wet style.  It's very loose and spontaneous.  I particularly like the first picture.  It has backlighting coming through the foliage in the middle ground.  Nice.

[Bucky Ball]

Oh, and I've also been working on a long-term environmental piece which I've titled "Picking Up the Garbage."  So far I've garnered positive reviews from a local audience.  But I think my work has potentially big social and political implications as well, once it catches on.

That's probably your wife, ... right ? 

[Deesse23]

Im simply to stupid for art. Amazing Stuff Alan!

[Alan V]

Oh, and I've also been working on a long-term environmental piece which I've titled "Picking Up the Garbage."  So far I've garnered positive reviews from a local audience.  But I think my work has potentially big social and political implications as well, once it catches on.

That's probably your wife, ... right ? 

Now that you mention it, my wife hasn't encouraged me at all....  

Since I'm out picking up garbage every few days, people walk or drive by. And some stop and thank me for trying to keep the area clean -- perhaps twenty individuals or more altogether over the years.

I took ownership of the problem after I retired.  It helps me feel useful and is actually good exercise.  And it bugs the hell out of me to see how certain people drop their trash everywhere, so I'm very motivated.

[SYZ]

Thanks for posting these images Alan.  I've been looking at them several times, and I can only say
how perfect they are. Your mastery of foliage in particular, and depth of field  are both outstanding.

Some of these remind me of UK artist Michael James Smith's work.  You might like to check out his
site here:     https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelJame...t/featured

     

[Alan V]

Thanks for posting these images Alan.  I've been looking at them several times, and I can only say
how perfect they are. Your mastery of foliage in particular, and depth of field  are both outstanding.

To be clear, the pieces I posted were processed photos rather than paintings.  I just like to make painting-like photos with the great post-processing tools available. 

So your linked artist has far superior skills to my own.  

I wish I could paint like that. If I had my life to live over, I would learn landscape painting.

These are the kinds of paintings I actually create:













I posted most of these before in another discussion, but the service I was using disappeared so I'm re-posting them here. (I obviously "borrow" styles and motifs from famous painters.)

My studio:

[Dancefortwo]

I did not do this artwork but this is the watercolor style I love.  It's very lose and free flowing.  It looks easy but it's extremely difficult.  Once you put the watercolor down on the paper there's no erasing or painting over it.



There's nothing earth-shattering about this style.  It's rather pedestrian stuff but I like it anyway.

Asian artists are master of watercolor and have amazing command of a brush because traditionally they use brushes to write with.  



One of the difficult things about this type of watercolor is white paint is seldom used.  The white of the paper substitutes for white paint and so one needs to think about how and where the white of the paper will show through.  Because  there's a certain transparency to watercolor it should glow from within.   I've only had this happen one time. I couldn't figure out what I did though.   It was just a happy accident I guess.

[Alan V]

One of the difficult things about this type of watercolor is white paint is seldom used.  The white of the paper substitutes for white paint and so one needs to think about how and where the white of the paper will show through.  Because  there's a certain transparency to watercolor it should glow from within.   I've only had this happen one time. I couldn't figure out what I did though.   It was just a happy accident I guess.

That reminds me of a segment on the CBS Sunday Morning show this morning, about a woman artist who created 50 very impressive realistic watercolors of veterans from all 50 states.  She mentioned that she used the white of the paper as well.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/we-the-peop...50-states/

I don't think there's any question whether these works are art.

I never had the nerve to experiment with watercolors to any great extent. They threw me off right away when I tried them out early on. So I admire anyone who can use them well.

[SYZ]

Thanks for posting these images Alan.

To be clear, the pieces I posted were processed photos rather than paintings.  I just like to make painting-like photos with the great post-processing tools available.

I appreciate you clarifying that mate (don't I look like a dick LOL).

[SYZ]

Once you put the watercolor down on the paper there's no erasing or painting over it.

I do ink line and wash, or "cartoon" watercolour.  You can usually lift any mistakes off your watercolour
before it dries with a damp brush, or even a paper towel or large Q-tip, particularly with wet-on-wet.

One of the difficult things about this type of watercolor is white paint is seldom used.

I use white gouache very sparingly for highlights.  If you want to paint snow, say, then extremely
diluted Payne's Grey with a touch of Cobalt blue works well, as it "looks" white.

The white of the paper substitutes for white paint and so one needs to think about how and where the white of the paper will show through.

You can also use masking fluid with a bit of forward planning.

Because  there's a certain transparency to watercolor it should glow from within.   I've only had this happen one time. I couldn't figure out what I did though.   It was just a happy accident
I guess.

Thank you Bob Ross.    

[Inkubus]

This is the peerless Jonathan Meads ranting about, well, everything. It's Jonathan Meads. Innit.


Jump to 48:56 for his take on modern art and the deplorable wankers who promote it.