| When I paint, I am not attempting to
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| | to the right, and the top to the bottom,
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| capture the likeness of a landscape or
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| | you may have balance, but you lose
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| figure. My subject is the painting
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| | interest.
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| itself. In spite of this, some viewers
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| | Getting the composition right, or
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| immediately try to pin down an image they
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| | balancing the elements of color, line and
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| can name in my art. Not that seeing
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| | shape while maintaining a dynamic
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| things in abstract paintings is a crime,
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| | tension, is a major preoccupation of the
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| even if the artist didn't put them there.
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| | painter. If you add a blue brushstroke to
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| But you miss an opportunity to see more
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| | the bottom left-hand corner, for example,
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| if you spend all your energy trying to
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| | you may have to change something in the
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| turn the painting into something you can
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| | top right-hand corner because of it. You
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| name, like a figure or flower or
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| | can't concentrate on one section at a
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| landscape.
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| | time, ignoring the rest of the canvas,
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| What do you actually see when you look at
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| | and expect to end up with a composition
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| the painting? Color, shape, line and
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| | that works.
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| texture are the physical elements that
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| | Energy is the life force that is present
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| combine to make up the image. A selection
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| | in all good art. This is not something
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| of dark, heavy shapes may impress you as
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| | that is easily defined, but it is the
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| somber; light, airy images as mystical;
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| | opposite state of static flatness. It is
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| balanced, and temperate forms as
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| | this energy that makes a painting speak
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| peaceful. Shape, color and form have
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| | to you, and makes an artist's work
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| meaning in and of themselves. We react
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| | original and identifiable as the work of
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| emotionally to these elements even if
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| | that artist. Energy is created out of the
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| they create no recognizable object for us
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| | artist's materials and tools, but the end
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| to hang onto. Thus, a painting of ragged,
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| | is more than the means in the same sense
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| angular forms in deep reds will evoke an
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| | that a musical composition is so much
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| entirely different feeling from one in
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| | more than a collection of notes.
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| soft curves of yellow and white.
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| | The next time you look at an abstract or
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| The handling of space, or the illusion of
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| | "modern" painting, don't begin by
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| space, is another element in the artist's
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| | searching for some identifiable object
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| toolbox. Are you drawn into a world of
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| | from your world. Instead, try to enter
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| three-dimensional space stretching beyond
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| | the world the artist created. Relax and
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| the framework of the painting, as you
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| | let your eye leisurely wander over the
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| might be in a landscape? Or are you kept
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| | painting's surface. Let your heart and
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| visually taut, as a skater on a pond,
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| | mind react to its colors, shapes, and
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| skimming across a two-dimensional
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| | textures. Let yourself be drawn into the
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| surface? The impression of depth,
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| | illusion of its spaces, the action of its
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| perspective, airiness, solidity, and
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| | lines, and the mood of its atmosphere.
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| other spatial relations are created and
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| | Step back and look at the painting from a
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| controlled by the artist.
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| | distance. What is its impact as you
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| The overall composition or design of a
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| | approach it?
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| painting is what guides the viewer's eye.
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| | Move up close and explore the intricacies
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| Have you ever looked at a painting or
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| | of brushstrokes, paint thicknesses and
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| photograph and felt it was off balance?
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| | compositional details. See how the parts
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| One of the big differences between
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| | are woven together to form the whole.
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| amateur snapshots and professional
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| | Give the painting time. No artwork can be
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| photographs is the quality of the
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| | understood and appreciated in a ten
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| composition. In an amateur photo, perhaps
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| | second glance. Good art should grow on
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| all the action is centered on the left,
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| | you, becoming more interesting and more
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| with nothing but empty space on the
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| | enjoyable to look at as you live with it.
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| right. The lopsidedness gives you a sense
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| | You may still see things in abstract
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| of unease. (Of course an artist may use
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| | paintings, finding birds and trees and
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| this unease deliberately as well.)
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| | animals hidden in the forms. This is as
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| Composition is one of the fundamental
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| | natural as turning clouds into
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| tools an art student is taught. The goal
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| | recognizable shapes. But by opening your
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| is to have a balance of visual elements
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| | eyes to the possibilities of the world
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| without making the weight so balanced
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| | the artist created, you may see more than
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| that the art becomes boring. If
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| | you ever expected to see in abstract art.
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| everything on the left is exactly equal
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