“Those who simply collect technique have at best only a second hand lot. A great artist is one who says as nearly what he means as his powers of invention allow. An ordinary artist often uses eloquent phrases, phrases of established authority, and if he is skillful it is surprising to see how he can nearly make them fit his ideas---or how he can make the ideas give way to a phrase. But such an artist is not having a good time.
A snake without a skin might make a fair job of crawling into another snake's shedding but I guess no snake would be fool enough to bother with it. ...
IF IN your drawings you habitually disregard proportions you become accustomed to the sight of distortion and lose critical ability. A person living in squalor eventually gets used to it.” Robert Henri, The Art Spirit
Not promoting this book just an example |
Wow, this an artist after my own brush! I have often been told in my life that those who can do and those who can't stand by and tell you how to. I must admit, that really gets under my skin sometimes. I just hate for someone to say to me "if you did this" and speak in terms that only one can find in what I call 'idiot books'. You know the books I speak of. The ones that convince people (that don't have a clue how to hold a brush must less how to keep the paint from sliding off the canvas) that they can tell you what and how to do. These are the people I want to take my paint brush to. I'd probably paint question marks all over their tiny little beady-eyed faces so when I looked back at them I could simple say, “Question? Why the hen are you here invading my space if you don't like the quality of my air? Crawl back in your own snake skin.” I mean really--gets on my last nerve.
enough said for today ... happy creating ya'll. P.H. Original's aka/Pam Hartfield