Important Principles of Art
Harley Brown’s fascinating things no one else will tell you
Harley Brown’s fascinating things no one else will tell you
Greatness doesn’t have to be the grand masterpiece Sistine Chapel, Tale of Two Cities or Gone with the Wind. An inspiring work can be quite basic like John Singer Sargent’s painting of a fence post; one of my favorite TV documentaries, The Queen’s Garden; or a book, like the straightforward The Old Man and the Sea. Ah and yes, I recall five sentences of advice from one of my lifetime heroes of art. Simple to complex, our art world cannot always have logic, it needs to be experienced. Artists can ponder elaborate projects; they certainly have an importance, but once in a while, all artists believe in “artistic breathers.” While we’re on the subject, I have new artists that have totally reached me: spiders. Their webs are absolutely masterly. Each one is totally unique in its beauty. I’m also impressed that if a web is destroyed, another will soon take its place. One even more brilliant. I’m bringing this up because nature’s fascinations continue to teach us. I’m an ultra-student.
Gastown
I’m here to proclaim that one of the most interesting places on Earth is Gastown in Vancouver, British Columbia. I was there a couple of weeks ago, and it took my mind to areas I thought were lost forever. To explain would be impossible, but somehow it revived certain creative corners that needed a wakeup. And here I am… it also took me to my revelatory art college days when virtually everything was beginning in my life from artworks, relationships, visuals around every corner, and yes, a few relaxing moments with espresso coffee.
My Own Techniques
I’ll stop my painting before it is “finished” in the academic sense. Before my obsessive fussing would take over like a masked bandit…stealing my heartfelt dabs and strokes. I want the viewer to see the subject and also the artist. I’ve always felt that art is actually for the self. The inner self. Creating also brings in the outer world. Connecting that outer with the inner is the aesthetic drama of the ages. With color, it is sometimes better to hold back. Then have a moment when an important hue literally throws itself onto the canvas/paper. I do this and that moment allows me to fly into the clouds.
Forging the Path
My goal is not to eventually find happiness. I find my delights in the journey, knowing that goals are never exactly reached. In my youth, one of my “goals” was to be able to draw