When I was at art school, most of my paintings were about 48 x 36 inches. I only painted in oils, which were furnished by the school. I loved the rich smell and creamy texture of the paints when I mixed them with Damar varnish and turpentine.
I find, though, that my oil paintings looked like they were done with acrylics. They had a certain flatness to them. We weren't taught any techniques; just thrown in to muck about until we found our own style. A list of suggested colours was provided, and the proportions for mixing the medium to add to the paint. We were also shown how to build stretchers and stretch the canvas properly.
My motifs were largely to do with nature but were more decorative than organic. I was greatly influenced by Persian paintings (hard to tell from these examples, perhaps).
So these are a sample of my art school work. Blasts from the past. At least they don't make me cringe when I see them!
I espcially like the last one. Interesting to see how much your work has changed.
ReplyDeletehow wonderful your Mom has kept these for you to see. I like them very much esp one and three
ReplyDeleteThese painting are beautiful! They all remind me of Gaughin after he moved to Tahiti! especially with the water and bathers. The last one looks more Persian with all the detail deriving from the bottom orange flower. Love them, Lynne!
ReplyDeleteJ, Hi! I like the simplified view of the last one, too. I can't paint in that style any more. I seem to go through periods of making certain kinds of art, and once it's done, it's done.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suki. It is gratifying that my mother has kept these examples of my early work. I must admit, I recently scrubbed my signature off 2 canvasses from my first year of art school that my mother still had (even though she hated them), and put them in a church thrift sale!
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret, How gratifying (and amazing) to have one's work compared to Gauguin's! My first big canvas, which has since disappeared, was reminiscent of le douanier Rousseau's naif style. Funny how one's favourite artists creep into one's work while trying to find a style of one's own. I never deliberately copied any artist's particular expression, though. But I certainly did pour over the wee book of Persian art that I had, looking for design clues.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to go back to see where we've been and to track how we got to where we are. Both in art and in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI like the paintings very much and I like what you do now, too.
Thanks, Karen. My visit "home" is all about seeing where I've been...so many streets and buildings imbued with memories that spring to mind unbidden, even as the city I grew up in becomes increasingly unrecognizable from those earlier times.
ReplyDeleteEvolution--not necessarily better, just different?
Its beautiful art
ReplyDeleteI love the first one :))))
Hi Lynne!
ReplyDeleteHeeee's Baaack... gotta love revisiting past selves through objects...
I love your these oils, and have to agree with Margaret... my thoughts went to Gaughin as well. I tried to work with oils and ended my whole painting phase with acrylics. So, I see what you mean about the "flatness", though with time I'm sure your depth would have developed. I found working with oils to be frustrating... all of the waiting to dry, etc... but here I am now where I have to wait a week or so for clay to dry, so go figure (I guess with age comes greater patience).
In the end, I love your oils, and I'm happy your Mom held on to them for you... I have to chuckle a bit, though, because just last week my Mother gave me a crumpled butcher paper package... inside were my hand prints in plaster from the first and second grades. hah!
David
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PS -- Thanks so much for your words on my last post... they meant a lot to me. And also, you left a comment on my post before last, about a possible exchange of art... I think that's a magnificent idea! let's talk about it soon!
Thank you, Anya! I'h happy you like it.
ReplyDeleteDavid, It's great to see you here again! That's funny about your impatience re:oils and now you have to wait a week for your ceramics work to dry! I feel I am less and less patient as I age. I like the quick-dry of acrylics. I used to laboriously toil over the details of a representational painting for 1-2 weeks at a time. Now 2 days is about my limit.
ReplyDeleteDo you think getting your hands in plaster in Grade 1-2 was like foreshadowing for becoming a ceramic artist?!
Whenever you're ready, we can talk exchange. My Buddha collages are all safely stored away for now.
BTW--your website is looking really good!