New Work - Calligraphy Wildlife

It's been a long time since my last post. In the intervening time, I have moved! (What a surprise!). This time though it is to a beautiful rural acreage on the outskirts of Vanderhoof.

On to the new art...

"As I grew older , I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature, for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art." (Albrecht Durer).

I come from a background of highly detailed wildlife painting. In order to capture the animal and learn its mysteries, I had painted every hair. But I came to realize that there is no mystery in it, no life. There is nothing that engages the viewer, or the painter, except to say that it looks like a photograph, or comment on how much patience the artist has. Over the course of my career in art I have more strongly embraced the ideas that "minute and elaborately finished pictures never strongly impress the mind, and are but mere curiosities..." (Samuel Prout)."...if you are simple, you will stimulate the imagination of the observer." (Ugo Mochi). How much can you strip down a subject and still have it remain true to the subject? Thus began my explorations in the question of what constitutes the "essence" of the subject, its spirit. Here are a sampling of my answers:





I call this my "Essences" series. Definition from the American Heritage Dictionary:
es·sence (sns) Pronunciation Key
n.

1. The intrinsic or indispensable properties that serve to characterize or identify something.
2. The most important ingredient; the crucial element.
3. The inherent, unchanging nature of a thing or class of things.
4. 1. An extract that has the fundamental properties of a substance in concentrated form.
   2. Such an extract in a solution of alcohol.
   3. A perfume or scent.
5. One that has or shows an abundance of a quality as if highly concentrated: a neighbor who is the essence of hospitality.
6. Something that exists, especially a spiritual or incorporeal entity.

This is a series, and will eventually incorporate subjects that are not animals and, it goes without saying, that I have not given up my usual style of painting.

As always, I'd be happy to know what you think! You will also be able to see the whole series on my website very soon.

Cheers!
Keena