[Justin Snodgrass]

Allan,

Thank you for the comments.

Originally Posted by Allan Rahbek

My goal is to express something painterly coherent, which means that the marks of the brush is the words that tell the story, I don't paint everything in front of me but choose some of the parts from my motif.

I may begin a painting by squaring up and transferring a motif taken from a photo, to get a certain composition. But once I start painting I will simplify, or summarize the elements in an attempt to make the painting live through the brushstrokes....the brush strokes tell the story. Does that make sense ?

I sacrifice the original picture and make my own story.

I think I see where you are coming from with this description. This is something that I admire about art and its creator. Perhaps it can be compared to being able to see the world through the "mind's eye" of the artist. Would you say that you take those things from an image (or set of images) that "dazzle" your mind and then, through painting, try and make them "dazzle" for others as well? This is a very interesting concept to me.

Originally Posted by Allan Rahbek

A smile is the shortest distance between people.

Very true, and a challenge to accomplish through wires and waves!

Originally Posted by Richard Bingham

Justin, the detail and presentation of your methods on your website belie this. Having painted a recognizable, workmanlike image, you are justifiably happy with the result. Good for you.

To instruct and/or delineate methods of working presupposes mastery. As you are a recent graduate with a baccalaureate, this is at best, premature, especially when you enter a forum where not only have a fair number of the participants been seriously dedicated to the practice and study painting for long years, but many are recognized, respected masters of national and international reputation.

I spent a good portion of the last year building a depth-of-field lens adapter for my digital video camera. The majority of that time was spent on-line, studying text and images posted by others that have built the same. Once I had completed the lens adapter, I posted images and a detailed write-up of the process. This was not done as a statement of my mastery of the process. It was a way of sharing what I had learned and served as a means to receive feedback. Am I proud of something that I create? Absolutely! Does being proud or sharing the way in which I have created something make me a self proclaimed master? No.


Now, if the description of my process would have been titled, "How to Paint Oil Portraits", then yes, that would have been premature. But saying, "here is how I currently paint portraits" and asking for advise and input seems appropriate and timely (especially in the presence of masters). The forum's description states: " A Forum for Professional Portrait Painters and Serious Students". I can see that there is a wealth of knowledge here, so I truly hope that this statement is the case.

Originally Posted by Richard Bingham

Speaking of great masters, it's incredible how often a death-bed regret that life should end just when "understanding" of painting was within grasp is recounted. The biographies of Titian, Michelangelo, Tiepolo. Renoir and others include such, although all lived to ripe old ages. There's a moral for all of us in that.

Very interesting. It seems to often be the case with "understanding" the purpose of life as well. Strange how these two (art and life) have such similarities. They can both be acknowledged, but not clearly defined. It also seems that both can never fully be mastered, in that each seems to be effected by the cycle of change promoting change.


Among the biographies that you have listed, do you know if there is one that most touches on the point that you have made. I just might have to make a trip to Barnes and Noble tomorrow with the kids.

Originally Posted by Richard Bingham

Read, listen, converse, study hard and work harder, and you'll do great things if painting is your muse.

Advice that I will heed.

Originally Posted by Richard Bingham

... but please, leave your ego at the door.

I just hope I didn't trip over any on my way in.



This has become an excellent discussion of the process in question, and I am very grateful for that.

-Justin