Pomegranate

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6x6", water mixable oil on gessobord, 10/30/15

"Every artist was first an amateur" -Ralph Waldo Emerson.

This was one of those paintings where what I was trying to do came pretty close to matching what I actually ended up doing... which is how I envision the creation of art by the masters of this craft. They envision a painting, think through the necessary steps necessary to execute it (drawing on their previous knowledge and experience), and then carry out those steps, making something pretty close to what they envisioned. Precise control. I'm sure the only way to get consistent with that kind of mastery is by putting many miles of canvas behind you. 

I've occasionally been told that I am too hard on myself. Reading through a few of my blog posts, it's clear that I am critical of my work. I don't gloss over my imperfections. This doesn't bother me. I like to be realistic and authentic. If I feel dissatisfied about something in my painting, I don't want to ignore it or pretend it isn't there.

I don't want to be the painting equivalent of one of those American Idol contestants that gets up and sings their heart out (truly believing they sound good) when, in fact, they cannot carry a tune in a bucket. "But ___ and ___ have always told me I have the most beautiful voice they've ever heard." 

Lucky for me, I do have the ability to recognize my shortcomings, and I think that is a great strength. If you can see your errors, it's that much easier to correct those errors  (though obviously still not easy), right? So if it seems like I'm a little critical of my work, it's because I know I can improve. I have it in me to learn how to do this well. I truly believe that, and that is why I keep at it, and why I keep pinpointing where I could do better :) Maybe at some point, it will make more sense to keep quiet about my imperfections. But now is not that time. Now's the time to learn to overcome them, and I really don't mind if people know about it :)

Also, here are some pomegranate paintings from the past--favorite subject of mine. I tend to gravitate toward the reds (Jan/2015, Dec/2014, ~2005):



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