The agony and the ecstasy

I saw that old film last night (as I love watching everything that has to do with the life of artists), and it made me think about the status of the artist.

There is a scene where Rafael says Michelangelo some disturbing things.

Raphael: For what is an artist in this world but a servant, a lackey for the rich and powerful? Before we even begin to work, to feed this craving of ours, we must find a patron, a rich man of affairs, or a merchant, or a prince or... a Pope. We must bow, fawn, kiss hands to be able to do the things we must do or die.
[chuckles]
Raphael: We are harlots always peddling beauty at the doorsteps of the mighty.
Michelangelo: If it comes to that, I won't be an artist.
Raphael: [scoffs] You'll always be an artist. You have no choice.

Of course, after the 19th century all this is supposed to have changed. It's a well known change in the way art and artists exist in the world.

Or has it changed? What needs to be done today for an artist to be able to live from his or her art? Different kind of patrons, but still you have to peddle beauty at the  doorsteps of the mighty.


I think of all the successful modern artists. How many of them really felt in control? Picasso, maybe. But even so, wasn't he an exception?

I wonder how would Michelangelo take to our modern world. Or any of those renaissance greats. They would have produced different art, I bet.

Watercolour

On the subject of the previous post.

This book basically suggests a particular palette for flesh and another for draperies and background. It also advocates the use of hatching for watercolours, and blending through the use of that, or afterwards with water. Washes are  seldom used. There is advice on what colour should go first to achieve the most luminous hues. In fact, it's a very technical little manual.

As an experiment, I will follow its advice on one work. I want to see the results. It could be a breakthrough for me in watercolours, because it's a medium I am not very familiar with. Half the time I don't know what I'm doing, and I get completely lost in washes. Hatching suits me very well, but I haven't done it in colour much. And with portraits too!

Anyway, if I could unlock the secrets of watercolour portraits, I would be more than happy. 

A little gem free online

http://archive.org/details/practicaldirect01merrgoog

This is an old book on watercolour portrait painting, and I mean old. However, I always love to learn things, even if they are considered out of style. I have read this little book, and I like it. It has some tips on how to paint a face with good blending. I will experiment with some of the things it says. I don't see why a modern book has more precious advice on art than an old one.

I have been gathering my materials, books and all sort of resources included. To think that at some point I wanted to give everything away, books, colours, brushes, the lot. I shudder at the thought now.

My main goal is to make something each day. Drawing, painting, anything. Just make a good habit of it. It was so long ago I spent my days painting. Now my ambitions are so much smaller: quietly spending some time each day in that world of beauty.

Life has become so stressful lately where I live. We never used to talk about money before, it was considered vulgar. Now it's all everyone talks about. Art is a luxury, apparently. For me though it's like returning home. I was away for so long.

Two drawings

This is an african lady from a  photo somewhere, and a copy of an angel.

Here are a couple of things, just to get me started.

Copy from a fresco at Pompeii. Watercolour and pencil.

 

An angel, brown and white on toned paper.

I've been thinking of using my family's old photos as inspiration. We have so many, starting mainly from the 1930s all through today, but there are some older one's as well. Even from the late 19th century, with the dresses and all. I could make a project out of it. I mean, it has been on my mind forever, because I've always loved looking at them.

Media

My art supplies and media:

Countless sheets of hardboard
Many heavy sheets of paper
primers and mediums for general purpose
many egg tempera pigments (I have all of the colours required to make icons, and then some more)
watercolours
my trusted pencils of various  numbers
watercolour pencils
good brushes for icon  making
several brushes for the oils, that will be used for other media now
charcoal
gold leaf (real and fake)

I need ink, cheap  paper  to waste (although my art teacher used to say: never waste a piece of paper, always make something of that sketch), perhaps a few more brushes.

The key concepts here are easy acces to things, not making a mess, not too much fuss about things. This is so important in my life right now.


I also need a way to make all this part of my life again. Not in theory or in dreams. I have been dreaming of being an artist all my life, but never believed it. It's high time.


How should I do this? Sketch and draw like my life depends on it.




 

Art and other lovely things

I have been painting all my life. It's great wonder then that I have nothing to show for it online.

I have been doing oils and grand things like that, but always focused on the human form.

However, several things (life that is) made me go back to the loveliness of watercolour and water based media.

I am still finding my way there, but ink, tempera (egg and acrylic medium) and watercolous are my main focus now. Something I can scan and share with the rest of the world.

I love the idea of sketching my way through life. Of documenting things, events and feelings, or just an image that pleases me a lot.

Water based media have a long and venerable tradition. It's part of the near east  and Mediterranean world , a world that has to do with the sea, the sky, the sun, the humanistic tradition, the history that links the peoples of the region and the cultural give and take. It's such a world of beauty.

That beauty has always been my great love. The icons, that go back to ancient painting, gave me the technical guidance and freedom for expression. I think I've left my oil days back for good.

Anyway, I also love learning languages, and hopefully one day I will be able to speak most of the neighbouring languages, apart from the main european ones. Whoever said "my mind belongs to the west but my heart belongs to the east" was talking about me.

Mission statement (well... at least a promise to myself):
Many many sketches, paintings, work to be done. Just work!