Another excerpt from Robert Genn's twice weekly letters, this one is dated April 15th and is titled "The Alchemy of Art":
Painting is not a witch's brew. With applied curiosity and reason, a
dedicated student can grasp the processes. Often straightforward and
practical, the best processes are the ones you figure out for yourself.
Further, there are laws. They're not like the law of gravity, wh...ich
pretty well guarantees an apple will fall on the head of a Newton who
sits under it. The laws of art are conventions, and are there for the
breaking. Lots of them exist, both for practical and eternal reasons.
Here are just a few:
Too many colours mixed together make mud.
A poorly thought-out painting is almost always weak.
A beginner's scales lead to a professional's concertos.
Painting is easy, but painting well is difficult.
Most art is not improved by a committee.
Chance and accident are best guided by a knowing hand.
Good artists never blame their tools or their situations.
Doing it is better than talking about doing it.
Asking "What could be?" leads to what is.
Paintings are for all time. Quality is always in style.
You can't put in a nickel and expect a dollar tune.
The flame of uniqueness still needs regular stoking.
There's no such thing as an undiscovered genius.
In painting, drawing is still the bottom line.
Great artists know well the joys of studenthood.
Better work is made by workers who love their work.
Painting is not a witch's brew. With applied curiosity and reason, a
dedicated student can grasp the processes. Often straightforward and
practical, the best processes are the ones you figure out for yourself.
Further, there are laws. They're not like the law of gravity, wh...ich
pretty well guarantees an apple will fall on the head of a Newton who
sits under it. The laws of art are conventions, and are there for the
breaking. Lots of them exist, both for practical and eternal reasons.
Here are just a few:
Too many colours mixed together make mud.
A poorly thought-out painting is almost always weak.
A beginner's scales lead to a professional's concertos.
Painting is easy, but painting well is difficult.
Most art is not improved by a committee.
Chance and accident are best guided by a knowing hand.
Good artists never blame their tools or their situations.
Doing it is better than talking about doing it.
Asking "What could be?" leads to what is.
Paintings are for all time. Quality is always in style.
You can't put in a nickel and expect a dollar tune.
The flame of uniqueness still needs regular stoking.
There's no such thing as an undiscovered genius.
In painting, drawing is still the bottom line.
Great artists know well the joys of studenthood.
Better work is made by workers who love their work.
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