arty stuff

Thursday morning before-work rambling.

I have been enjoying dipping back into art blogs as I settle into some kind of routine again. This morning I posted a comment on one, and realised how much I miss the discussions with other artists.

I went to an exhibition in Ceprano recently. It was a one day, open air, no cost, brass band, lots of people kind of affair. I didn't take my work as it was rather short notice to put together something cohesive. I was glad that I had taken the conservative option instead of trying to oblige and throw together a mis-match to make up numbers. It left me free to mingle, to reflect, and to chat with other artists, and with two in particular I managed some reasonably fluent conversation about their work. I am acutely aware that there is a whole new range of vocabulary I must learn if I am to take these new friendships to a more meaningful level in our art discussions.

Writing the reply to another artist this morning (the subject was brush strokes in oil paintings) I dipped into my own website to illustrate what I was saying. (1980s guys, don't be too hard on me!) I was amazed at how the New Zealand colours and contrasts jumped out at me!

When I was painting many moons ago the late Bill Hoffmeister, artist and musician, was frustrated at my inability to see all the soft mauves and violets in the shadows. I saw only the dark contrast and bright blues and greens. Now that I live amongst warm coloured buildings and poluted but beautiful air I see all the colours that I still maintain we don't have in New Zealand. I am happy to disagree with you Bill, but I suggest that your Perugia-trained eye was seeing what existed in Italy and made pleasing paintings, not what I was seeing in the North Island of New Zealand.

Today I am grateful for artists who blog about art!