Last week we discussed how to recognize the emotional connection you have to your subject.  I listed a few ways to recognize that emotion, including immersing yourself in your source of inspiration, writing about what inspires you, and doing thumbnail sketches to help you look deeper into your subject (and yourself).  This list is not all inclusive, but they are things which have helped me. 

Now that you recognize that you do have an emotional connection to your subject matter, how do you put that emotion into your work?  Can you simply feel strongly about the subject, and the emotion oozes out of the brush?  Yes, I believe that is part of it, but I also think there is more to it than that. 

Artist Paul Strisik wrote:  "…a painting of a simple motif, deeply felt and properly expressed, can bring tears to your eyes." 

I agree with his statement.  The subject is of little consequence.  More importantly is how you feel about the subject and how properly you express it.  Notice that emotion is not enough.  Proper expression is also important.   

I do believe that there is an element of intuition whereby an artist expresses emotion without thought.  It just happens.  It flows from the brush.  But it is much more complex than just that.  An artist must also make choices.  There is a complex interweaving of choices and accidents, technique and experimentation, thought and intuition.  If you rely solely on the accidents or intuition to properly express your emotion, you are leaving it to chance.  It may show through but it may not.  It may only tell part of the story.  If you rely solely on technique or deliberately planned choices you may discard those accidentals which so blatantly reek with emotion.  The work may look like just that – work.  It must be a balancing act between the emotional intuitive expression and the technical.  This is what makes it so difficult. 

I feel that the first step is recognizing what you are excited about.  If you understand more completely what you feel, or why you feel that way, you can make choices as you work which will help you properly express your emotion.  Knowledge is half the battle.  Then make choices as you create your art through that interweaving of technical and intuitive application.  The more you study and learn about the fundamentals of art, the better equipped you will be to make compositional, color and technique choices to express what you want to say about the subject.  You then must be wise enough to let it all go as you create.  You must simply feel your way through the artwork.  There is much back and forth between the technical and the intuition as you proceed.  No easy task.  It will take a lifetime to master. 

I realize that this is very subjective.  But it has to be that way.  If it were reduced to a formula it would feel commercial; it would be commercial.  It would lack true emotion, but would be filled with artificial sweeteners or flavoring.   

Yet, I will attempt to show how you can make compositional and technical choices which will help you better express yourself, yet realizing that intuition may trump these choices. 

For me, I must first decide on a composition while I do my thumbnail sketches.  If I wish to express the monumentality of a mountain and wish to show the strength or power evident in the rocky precipices, I would likely choose a shape of canvas which expresses strength or power.  Square or relatively square rectangles would express this much more effectively than a long skinny canvas.  Size of canvas can also be effective.   

I must also arrange my shapes (design) in such a way that expresses the strength and power of the mountain.  I don’t want gently curving lines or lazy horizontal shapes.  I want large, powerful, strong shapes that look chiseled and express weight.  These shapes are more effective with a combination of straight, angular, and jagged lines.  The shapes will also be predominantly vertical, with more weight towards the bottom.   

I also would use bold brushstrokes with thick paint. Texture can imply a lot.   Smooth, feathered brushstrokes lend themselves better to a different mood – perhaps tranquility.  The quality of the brushstroke is a great tool to express emotion.  (This is why most photorealistic paintings hold little charm for me.  There is no emotion in the paint application.) 

You get the point.  Use composition, color, technique, etc. to express the qualities you wish to emphasize in your subject.  These will go a long way in expressing your emotional connection to the subject.   It is simply a matter of learning as much as you can, so that you have more tools at your disposal.   

Yet, as mentioned above, don't allow the technical to take over or the work will become mechanical.  Allow yourself to experiment.  Rely on intuition or inspiration.  Play around with the medium and see what it can do.  Yet, fall back on the technical to make sure you don't go astray.   

To recap: when you are inspired by a scene or subject: 

1.  Figure out what it is that excites you. 

2.  Then develop a composition which helps express that emotion. 

3.  Make informed choices.  Use color and techniques which also emphasize, not distract from, your inspiration. 

4.  But, be daring.  Let yourself go.  Experiment.  Rely on intuition.  Allow those accidents to happen. 

5.  Be wise enough to keep the accidents when they express what you want.

6.  Be wise enough to take them out if they conflict with your expression.    

There will then be a great marriage between the technical and the emotional within your art.     

Sincerely,

Keith Bond 

PS.  John F. Carlson wrote:  "Try to 'think' your textures rather than copy them. . . To make a rock seem harder or snow softer, you must grasp the significant forms and textures and let the rest go.  The simple statement is more forceful than much vociferation."