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North Light Shop
About Me
- Larry Seiler
- Enculturation imbued with print media & tv means we live in a 2nd reality, one the lens sees. Lifeless shadows, static detail rank accurate to life. My renaissance from 20 years in studio came after taking my paints outdoors. Several things happened- I saw color as only an artist can see, (painting being the deeper way of seeing); I was overwhelmed with all to be worked out in short order; thirdly, that taunt of a feeling I knew nothing of painting! Such would send many back to the pretense of the familiar, but I’m not good hiding from myself that which I’m not able to succeed. By right…I should be able to paint outdoors, and was going to do this were it to kill me. Kill me it did! So complete was that death, I could no longer aspire to paint as artists I had admired. Their works now lifeless, labored, detailed, realistic, yes...but no sense of REAL'ness. I wish I had started nature’s schooling much younger, but lives are like books. Not one chapter stuck to one narrative. Life can be filled with many chapters. It can have interesting twists and new directions, and I say go for it! *See my book on landscape painting, and new DVDs available thru “Books & Videos” at larryseiler.com
High Resolution Quality Prints
You can now purchase high quality prints of many of my works seen on this blog, with options of giclee canvas, matting and framing, greeting cards...all from Fine Art America. Follow this link here to my page, just to spend time checking it out if nothing else!
10 comments:
Hi Larry,
What amazes me is that one can tell that's a flooded ground and not a lake or a river or creek.
Wonderful!
And, on the other hand, theres no mistake about which one of those elements on the painting is the focal point or main subject.
As Gruppé said (in "Gruppé on Color", page 88):
"Studentes shift their attention as they work, painting first one object and then another - without deciding which object they want as their center of interest. As a result, you see everything in the picture with equal clarity. The painting looks as hard as nails. It might as well be madde of cast iron.
Glacing at such pictures, you feel the painter tells you more than you want to know. You look once - and don't bother to look again.
Great work on the other hand, is more elusive.
Only certain areas are defined; and you discorver something new in the picture every time you see it".
Thanks for that very fine quote from Emile, Helder...and just as there are camps of artistic thought, there are preferences and thoughts by patrons of art. One reason artists continue to paint everything with clarity is the demand patrons of that camp are willing to pay for it. Even more, the estimation of an excellent artist is judged and understood by the level of detail ..."Ooooh...it looks so real!"
I have written in great length on this, comparing the jot and tittle of over the top detail as the Joe Friday's of the world (Dragnet..."Just the facts, maam, just the facts" where patrons want object recognition, and its refinement satisfies their need for validation the artist is indeed talented.
However...once the object is recognized to be something they like, say like a nice whitetail buck...and that indeed the artist has talent, it becomes something of a decorative after thought on the wall of interior design. To be counted as coup for status quo.
The need for my art work to move beyond that, to engage the viewer less passively has taken on something of the mission of the story teller that uses a parable. The facts are not all spelled out in every detail, but invites the hearer to create and add to the imagery and narrative in their minds.
The object of the story or moral stirs intrigue to peel back the mysteries and layers until thinking it over and over something of an epiphany or "Ah-HAH!" moment occurs.
To my thinking...the painterliness and aiming to determine what NOT to paint has an allure similar to a parable that invites the viewer to become a co-creator with the visual narrative. Thus...making the imagery theirs, their memory and imagination fill in the spaces and it takes on a realism that touches on personal experience. It validates their experience, underscores and brings expression...
Truly then making sense that less indeed IS MORE...
With a fully completed detailed everything painting, the viewer needs not add any personal experience to the narrative. They are only asked to agree the artist did a fine job, and requires no completion by their participation.
Their joy with the work...is to anticipate friends visiting who then too can be stirred to agree the artist is indeed talented, and thus is a worthy acquisition.
I survived a good many years as a wildife artist investing in that assurance for what reputation would bring.
Today, I want more from painting than to supply status quo to ego requirements. I want to touch those fleeting moments of nature where the soul recognizes its smallness in light of something higher than they, something transcendent...inciting awe, wonder, mystery...and the privileged gift of living this unique thing in the universe called life.
What a clarity... in your mind!!!
Making that step of expressing your own profound attitude beyond the 'pretty pretty that sells' will bring you to the next level, saying much more with much less (in fact, in that sense less is more ).
If you want to tell people how you feel about your subject, what's the point of having all the facts in a painting (pretty pretty), but haven't made a statement?
I think we can find the difference between art and craft in this two ways of seeing the world.
The craft draws attention by the skills of the craftsman and you probably say "Ooooohhhh..." and few minutes later you can't remember and tell what that painting was about... it wont last... its just one more pretty thing that matches the color of your sofa or curtains...
But the real art touches you in your soul, for some reason you identify yourself with that is in front of you and probably you just stay silent before it...
Keep all of your good vibrations.
OMG. I thought this was finished a while back and I was using it as a desktop background. I love it! Amazing and beautiful work.
the values are so spot on Larry
a very fine painting with lots of feeling
thanks Rob...had fun with it. All adhered to a wood panel now. Just waiting to order my next batch of frames... 8^)
You've handled the reflections just beautifully!
thanks Cindy...thanks Helen..appreciated
Hey Larry,
Nice to see this one develop through your posted images. There really is something I like about a wooded scene and the water makes it even better. We've got lots of sycamores out this way that I plan on painting more of this year so it's nice to see your work with scenes such as this.
I want mine looser looking than some of my other work but I'm smart enough to know now to never overplan on anything when it comes to painting, haha. Leaving room to stretch a bit works better for me. Very cool work on these Larry.
the sign of advancing in one's painting career is to understand oneself well enough to know what advice to ignore, what methods, what directions to push...
sounds like you've got your finger on the pulse, Ron...
take care...thanks
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