“I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.” Jerome K. Jerome
I assume Mr. Jerome’s comment is tongue in cheek because I giggle, imagining him staring at a computer screen while he daydreams about his date later that night.
As an artist, my job is to see the potential in my canvas and find the most powerful solution. In my paintings, I create an energetic field by first drawing thousands of tiny lines. In the next phase, I gaze at these abstract designs until shapes suggest themselves to my mind’s eye: a fox, a hobby-horse, a tree. I allow the painting to tell me what it is. When I’ve seen its essence, I add and subtract lines to emphasize light and dark spaces, increasing dynamism and realism.
When I make changes, either tiny or huge, I stop and analyze again. This repetition goes against my inclination because I’m a hurry-up kind of gal, a person who is happier once the goal is met. This is not a good protocol for an artist, who, at each baby step must contemplate and make critical decisions, knowing there are many more steps yet to come. I try not to think about the long process ahead.
Instead, I focus on the sumptuous moment and examine my progress. To gain visual insight, I use typical artists’ tricks: I squint my eyes; the blur makes highlights, shadows and large shapes easier to see. I turn the piece sideways and analyze the effectiveness of the composition. Next, I flip it upside down, then to the opposite side. I take a break for a day or two so the image will surprise me next time I see it. Each change requires time to evaluate. Luckily, like Mr. Jerome says, I like my work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.
By now, I’m not even half-way through. Next comes color, layers of acrylic washes and colored lines. Moment by moment, I remind the racehorse in me to ignore the homestretch and study the piece again, to patiently wonder which line or shape or hue is best.
I repeat all the artists’ visual tests time and again. Even while restraining my zeal to cut corners, I relish each moment of the pictorial feast before me, deeply enjoying the play of hues, the energetic lines, the evolving and fascinating designs. I get lost in pure joy while I look at my work. Maybe Mr. Jerome wasn’t tongue in cheek. He might love his work as much as I do.
Kauffman’s painting, Purple Palm is currently featured in an online exhibit with the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York. Use this direct link to see Kauffman’s work: https://www.artsy.net/viewing-room/walter-wickiser-gallery-kaethe-kauffman-flora/artworks
