marysgardens

Sometimes, when observing or painting in watercolors, I find that I have a choice of viewpoints. There is the artist’s view of the painting and then there is the outside reviewer’s perspective.

Is it what the artist sees or is it the perception of others that one hopes to illuminate?

Does the artist aim at controlling the observer’s reaction to a painting or should the artist aim to express their innermost thoughts vis a vis their art without regard to the observer?

How might one strike a balance? And why would one do so?

I have come up with my own approach to this balancing act.

1. I develop my own idea of what I want to paint.

1. I paint what’s on my mind.

1. Once drafted, an outside observer may comment on it or ask a question about the meaning or appearance of the painting.

1. At that point, I am interested in listening to what they are saying

1. I try to better comprehend what their observation or question means, in light of what I intend for the painting.

I have learned that when an observer focuses on one aspect of a painting, I may look at the picture elsewhere in order to adjust what they see.

If they say, for example, that an area seems too dark, I may look at other areas of the painting to improve on how colors contrast or how depth of color might be adjusted to better highlight the painting.

These interactions and reactions lead to changes in the painting that are often very beneficial.

If I simply modify something based on the observer’s comments without any analysis, I have lost an opportunity to interact with them and learn more about what they see in the painting and to ask what are the mechanisms in my painting that cause them to see this.

If instead, when I listen to their observations and then analyze them while considering my own intentions for the painting prior to changing anything, I usually gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between my painting (myself) and an outside observer’s viewpoint.

This is beginning to sound like an existential analysis of a painting.

Perhaps that is what it is?

I paint, therefore I am?

You view the painting, therefore you are?

The painting is our interaction.

Much like music and writing, we learn through our exchanges.

It may be useful to conduct multiple interactions before concluding a painting

And now, back to my painting, with these thoughts still in my mind.

“Hiding in Plain Sight”, watercolor