LOVE these Van Gogh posts! In this one: Although, there’s also the possibility that maybe for a long time and in many places, the realism that perspective implies just wasn’t important. Artists were more interested in portraying hierarchy or spirituality. Who cared about making the horse look real?
I know, right? If you think about it, realism is just recreating what our eyes can already see. And, sure, it’s amazing. But also, you can see where it might not occur to people to try that when there are so many more interesting and important things to do.
It is amazing how weirdly colored the world is once you begin to really pay attention. Another thing I love about Van Gogh and about thinking about art.
Finally catching up on this Van Gogh series! Really enjoyed it and appreciated so many insights and connections to your own work (and the work of creating in general). I especially loved learning that Van Gogh HAD to see what he painted and always painted in season.
I know, isn’t that sort of amazing to think about? There a few exceptions, but even the exceptions tell you something. He kept trying to drawn and paint this image of the sower over and over again, which has a lot to do with his father and his religious mania. That’s not from a model (you can sort of tell). Also, there’s a whole series of a woman (Madame Rouline) where he’s imitating a painting by Gauguin. Oh, also the one of his mother is from a photograph, because he hadn’t seen her in five years! Also, she probably wouldn’t have sat for him, anyway.
Glad you’re enjoying these! They’re really inspiring to me as I take a watercolor class and try to figure out what the hell I’m doing.
Thanks so much, Cymbaline! Glad you’re enjoying them.
"Tell yourself you are not writing a NOVEL, they’ll advise. You are writing a scene. You are writing a chapter. You are writing a sentence."
In my case, it's more like "you are transcribing an oral history", since I write so often in first person.
That's an interesting way to think about it. Does it make it easier?
Definitely. I’m a listener more than a talker in real life.
Yeah, I could see where it would be useful to just think of yourself as a transcriber. Cool perspective.
I have an MA in History, so I just saw it as a way to apply a perspective to things that really didn’t happen as opposed to things that did.
I just love these posts, Robyn.
Thanks so much, Asha!
LOVE these Van Gogh posts! In this one: Although, there’s also the possibility that maybe for a long time and in many places, the realism that perspective implies just wasn’t important. Artists were more interested in portraying hierarchy or spirituality. Who cared about making the horse look real?
I know, right? If you think about it, realism is just recreating what our eyes can already see. And, sure, it’s amazing. But also, you can see where it might not occur to people to try that when there are so many more interesting and important things to do.
Or maybe, at least sometimes, they ARE painting what they see. Once, walking in the woods at dusk, the pine trees were BLUE. I mean, seriously blue.
It is amazing how weirdly colored the world is once you begin to really pay attention. Another thing I love about Van Gogh and about thinking about art.
Yes!
Finally catching up on this Van Gogh series! Really enjoyed it and appreciated so many insights and connections to your own work (and the work of creating in general). I especially loved learning that Van Gogh HAD to see what he painted and always painted in season.
I know, isn’t that sort of amazing to think about? There a few exceptions, but even the exceptions tell you something. He kept trying to drawn and paint this image of the sower over and over again, which has a lot to do with his father and his religious mania. That’s not from a model (you can sort of tell). Also, there’s a whole series of a woman (Madame Rouline) where he’s imitating a painting by Gauguin. Oh, also the one of his mother is from a photograph, because he hadn’t seen her in five years! Also, she probably wouldn’t have sat for him, anyway.
Glad you’re enjoying these! They’re really inspiring to me as I take a watercolor class and try to figure out what the hell I’m doing.