Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Illusions

In viewing a landscape, real or represented by a painting or photograph, one "reads" the elements by examining landmarks and categorical references (sky, land, water, etc) to form sense of what is being conveyed. When a reference parameter is changed or typical landscape features minimized, it can appear as if the landscape could represent any number of possible scenes.


Adrift has a razor sharp and straight horizon line suggesting that one might be looking at a seascape. Yet the foreground has a curious mix of yellows, greens and darks that could be endless fields or greenish-blue ocean waves! No other reference exists in the picture to guide one's interpretation thus allowing imagination to take over. The scene can be whatever the viewer wants it to be.


Adrift, Acrylic on canvas board, 16"x20, NFS

4 comments:

  1. I love your work! I especially like that you consider the imagination of the viewer in your comments. I am a musician who likes to blog about various topics related to creative living. Please visit me at freetospeakblog.blogspot.com or betsy-grant.blogspot.com

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  2. I love your work. I appreciate your use of color and intention in the layering and patterning of your landscapes. While I can only see a small image on my computer screen, I feel that if I were standing in front of your canvas, they would be captivating as the colors envelope me. They are reminiscent of Mark Rothko's work. I find your work intriguing as they are abstract like colorfield paintings, yet with your titles and the explanation of your intentions in creating the work, I can definitely see landscapes. If you are interested in creating a space for your work, check out ArtFortune to create a studio.

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  3. Gorgeous! If you are interested in supporting the arts you should check out the projects competing in the Pepsi Refresh Project. The Mary Brogan museum is trying to win a $250,000 grant to continue their outreach programs. This is a really important cause as the Brogan is the only art and science museum in North Florida. Its very easy to vote, just click on the link below. http://www.refresheverything.com/broganmuseum

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  4. I love the depth, the distance that I can see when I look at this painting. It reminds me very much of this one spot on my daily trek from the city to the country a few years back. I called it my energy spot. To my right the mountains stretched up toward the sky, and to my left the valley bellow crawled right into the river it seemed. A place where mountain, sky, valley and water met in perfect synnergy!

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