Don’t let past problems, mistakes or dark days affect what is happening with you now. Now you are fairly cleared of those times, and you can go straight ahead with your wondrous art life. Yes, there might be bungles here and there, but they’re not hindered by off moments of the past. In fact they’ll be erased by grand experiences and by doing what’s inspiring your mind.
In the beginning, do areas that must be truly accurate. Enjoy each moment for its own sake, also focusing in general on where you want to go—general and not overly specific because you might find interesting little side roads on the way. Once in a while, you might drift slightly off your usual nature. This may open up territories that you were hesitant to explore or quite simply didn’t know existed. Our inner mind is continually and secretly picking up ideas both visually and mentally with many combinations. Don’t be surprised if some of them want to mysteriously flow into your next art piece.
BURRO BENNY As with many of my pieces, I find myself looking back at this pastel of Benny, interested at how I worked him dramatically standing against the background. The varied shapes surrounding him with the saddle helped add overall character, all loaded with lost and found edges. A couple of touches of red. He’ll be waiting there for a bit longer.
An Easy Mental Break
Day by day, there I am in my studio, then a pleasant evening and off to bed. Once in a while, I can get a sluggish feeling in my mind and body. That’s when I drop everything and take off in the car. To anywhere. My mind needs a fresh release, which begins to happen almost immediately as I see and feel the “outside world.” It may be just an interesting drive or a busy mall, a walk through a park, a drive-through coffee. Soon, my mind tells me I’ve lifted my spirit, my soul, my being. Eventually, I ease back into my studio and art piece. They welcome me and join me as I joyfully continue creating.
Put it this Way
All the artists I’ve admired, I’ve discovered on my own—from Rockwell to Sargent, Degas to Sorolla, Rembrandt to Hals, Fechin to Repin, Michaelangelo to Boldini. When admiring their genius, I really hadn’t the time to notice the so-called “serious artists.” After all, how much happier and internally involved could I get? I admit I got confused in my early years as to “what is art.” Now, I’m very content in my present space, calmly loving so much of all my chosen observations and creations. I remember well the time in my life when I happily flowed into knowing what I like.
SWEET INNOCENCE Carefully handled, expressive face. Mostly warm with touches of cool. Overall angles give visual movement. Variance of fine strokes and broad strokes. I’ve portrayed children all my artistic life, and each and every child has a distinctive, exquisite glow.
Yeah, Yeah
How many times when we’re younger did we hear the phrase, “Just be yourself.” Well, most people don’t really know who they are. Seeing ourselves objectively is quite complicated. So bottom line: even if we’re not being ourselves, we’re actually still being ourselves.
An Art Idea
While you’re into your drawing or painting, also think in terms of “abstract shapes.” You know what I mean: light and dark areas, shadows, cast shadows, connecting shadows, connecting light areas.
Also once in a while, get an average-sized coil sketchbook and a small set of pastels. Do some “abstracts” in it, working out colors and shapes. Think in terms of design, dominant colors, various values/tones, complementary colors, grayed colors and maybe a few smudged edges. Have that sketch pad ready for these works once in a while. This is good for helping the flow of what you are doing with your art. Now, if you are an abstract artist, once in a while go to an open life drawing class with paper and pencil or charcoal, and see how life drawing will help your individual approach with your art. All of you do both.
JUAREZ LADY We observe this lady as she looks to her left, watching those cattle coming on down the road. What she wears around her head adds so much to the impression this art piece gives us. We take extra care with the features of the face, including actual details we see and personal details that we lay in.
Centers of Interest
Our eyes spend most of the time looking at “centers of interest.” Whether it be those two lovers holding hands on a park bench, a singer walking onto a stage, a child talking about school at the dinner table, that floral bouquet near the front window. And of course while concentrating on that center of interest, surrounding areas might be out of focus and dulled in color. Some subjects are incredibly interesting and some quite ordinary, and many in between. It’s something everyone experiences, and it’s up to us artists to choose which visual experiences to remember. It’s what us artists find and do.
Art and Life
My youthful upbringing years were in the ’50s. That was a perfect time for me. We learned how to be independent and knew right from wrong. Trusting people was a given. Family, friends and teachers were 100 percent behind me with my art. To me and many others, that was a perfect time in our early lives. I’ll add that art then was quite revolutionary in many ways. Readers, please Google life and art during the 1950s and into the beginning of the ’60s.
A Few Thoughts
When I look at a painting you’ve completed, I want to get the feel of why you painted it without you telling me. Paintings can reveal as much about us as they do about the subjects being painted.
Get acquainted with yourself by doing a drawing every day that no one sees. Like a diary entry or your own personal visual comment. Soon, you will begin to see “yourself” in your work, honestly getting acquainted with yourself. Be like a solitary golfer, play your own best game.
No need to get too involved with art critics who don’t create art. I don’t care what a critic says. It’s what the artist says on paper and canvas.
MOTHER DEAR Her smile radiates out to us as she stands fully protective with her loving child. Mostly warm and small touches of cool. Again, lost and found edges. The flow of shawl stripes. A combination of loose and very careful pastel strokes. We see purest spirit and love.
Look at your subject at least as much as you look at your work. Your subject gives you all the directions on where to go, and your work shows you where you’ve been.
I like to start my portrayals with a light/medium tone laid onto the paper. Then I often work in some darker valued areas so I can judge future tones more accurately.
Disregard what others might think of you; those thoughts can be irrelevant to where you’re going. Also don’t get jealous, it’s a waste of brain cells. In my younger days, I actually once got jealous of myself. That was a very psychologically complex time. It’s quite hard to believe, and I wrote about it in one of my books.
Over the course of my life, I’ve loved being with artists. And students? Every single student added some inspiration to my classes.
Close art friends will be honest with each other.
You’re never too old to get going in art. It’s not just the big goal that counts, it’s those little goals along the way. And if you’re in your 90s and finally feeling good with your art, then you’re spending those years successfully. Game, set, match.
Way back in high school, I had decided “never to work for a living.” That started the first day out of art college, and I’ve stuck to that vow right to this very day. You understand what I mean.
In art college, sound art theories are put into practice. The best instruction keeps the student enthralled and clamouring for more. There are thirsty minds out there. So when we come into the world, we are saddled with theorems and principles all clinging to our minds. That is why over time, starting with those, we then become ourselves by holding on mightily to what truly makes us stronger and more inwardly complete. —
BALINOFSKI: BUDDY RICH
BUDDY RICHHere’s the great, renowned drummer Buddy Rich, giving us his knowing smile between creative drum chops—an interesting moment that I’ve brought here with my brain cells reacting in two parts. One part took a good bit of fuss time getting his features just right, and the other part had his head surrounded with eagle winged pastel strokes, each part naturally guided by my eccentric faculties. As you’ve often seen, I’m quite motivated as to what happens with my art through my approaches. Yes, my outer and inner minds had a battle with this portrayal. The best with all this is that they both inspiringly won.