Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Place Names

Twilight at Honey Grove Creek
10 x 10
Private Collection


This morning I went to our local hardware store/lumber yard. Its one of those great old fashioned hardware stores with wood floors and at least one of everything you need. There are always two or three guys hanging around the counter. Its a good place to find out about the name of a creek or whose place that is down the road, or even how long its going to rain. These days, those are all things I find it necessary to know. Although my landscapes are not in any way direct transcriptions of particular places, they are a distillation of this place. And, it seems that often, unexpectedly, less specificity of detail leads to a richer specificity of place.

10 comments:

David The Good said...

I just stumbled across your blog. Your use of color is wonderful... I love the classical feel and the blurred edges.

Keep up the great work!

Ben Coope said...

Hi Deborah,
I found your blog a few days back and have been happily browsing for awhile. I really like the way you simplify the landscape and edges.
I enjoyed your posts on glazing and your new online workshops look like a great idea.

Making A Mark said...

I so agree!

Thanks for your comment on my success in getting into the SBA exhibition.

Jala Pfaff said...

Beautiful as always.

Deborah Paris said...

Thank you, David & Ben and welcome!

Well deserved, Katherine. Thanks for visiting!

Thank you Jala-glad you like it!

patrickgracewood said...

So true.

As you say Deborah, distilling a landscape means loosing all but the things you want to say about the place, the mood, the time, etc..

As a sculptor I've found that the more "real" I try to make something, the deader it gets.

Too much specific detail is reporting rather than commentary (art). Far better to let the handling of paint or clay do the suggesting. That lets the art be both true to the medium and more able to evoke that feeling we want the art to have.

Anonymous said...

Your work evokes a nostalgic beauty of place and " other " time, something that a cinematographer would win an award for capturing in a film.
It's a fitting tie-in to your description of the local hardware store.

I so love the way you see and then interpret so that we can feel the timelessness of sun, moon, earth and goosebumps.

Cheryl Anderson said...

Deborah, I love the warmth in this latest piece. I tagged you on my blog today. Your work (and frames) are certainly worthy of additional exposure.

Lora said...

Your painting is so warm and peaceful. It really glows. Great job

Anonymous said...

How True about the specificity thing...and yes a bit of a mystery is always far more exciting than a smorgasborg of reality.