Le Reve. I’m not sure why I’ve procrastinated finishing this study. I kept passing by it and struggled with how to manage different aspects of each painting. The sleeping face, the position of the head on the arm, the shoulders. I decided to stop. In Matisse’s original, not everything is proportional and so I need to let it go. But the learning was valuable. With each iteration, you pick up a new learning. Putting it all together, well that’s a nother story.
I saw a film on the plane coming into Paris in January that talked about the Impressionists – the artists who wanted to break away from the traditionally heralded work of the Salon. So back then, the 1800s, painting, sculpture and all forms of work in France were judged once a year by a body that could make/break artists. Regardless of your beginnings, you could study and become a professional artist. But the art judged by the Salon was typically very traditional, realistic, detailed. The Salon told you what was art, what was acceptable (in terms of themes, depictions, etc) and what was good. Artists could submit 3 pieces a year, and if marked with an “R” – it was rejected. If accepted, positioning of your piece was critical. The higher to the ceiling you were placed (sky-ed), meant it was not as good and therefore, farther away from discerning eyes.
The Impressionists – Monet, Renoir, Degas,, Cezanne, Monet, Matisse, Pissaro, and others – took a risk to open their own show, bucking the Salon. In the book, “David and Goliath” by Malcolm Gladwell, he talks about this understanding of when you realize you don’t want to be a little fish in a big pond. You may want to be a big fish in a little pond or just a happy fish in a pond of your choosing. These artists decided to create their own pond, which came with its own risks; they felt what they were doing wasn’t just for themselves but also for other artists, for the public to see what they were missing, and for the public to decide – not the Salon – what they recognized as art. This paved the way for artists like Matisse; generally considered a post Impressionist painter, he honored the style, but what makes him stand out is his use of color.
I tried another study. I could never get the hills right but it was also a good study and understanding another phase in Matisse’s work. The colors I chose were intentionally exaggerated. I learned a lot about color layering but also realized that the lighting can make a big difference, particularly as I was mixing colors.
I’ve packed up the acrylic paints now for a bit as we’ll be traveling a bit.
