Christmas Moon (2007)6 x 6
Private Collection
Here's another small painting from the archives, this one done just a few months after I started this blog.
So, this week I've been reading A History of American Tonalism 1880-1920 by David Cleveland (which I mentioned here) . It's over 600 pages, a feast of scholarship and discussion which I've been devouring course by course. The author's attempt to not only provide new insights into the art and artists, but to create an entirely new lens through which to view Tonalism is impressive. I feel certain that when I am done I will have an even clearer understanding of how my own work fits within this rich tradition of landscape painting.
One of the things I stress to my more advanced students is the importance of working from memory. So, when I read these lines last night, all I could think was "Yes, exactly."
"Tonalist light is memory incarnate, memory filtered, memory infused, while the use of memory, the perfection of memory to render specific qualities of light was considered both a practical skill ... and a necessary discipline of the professional artist."
A History of American Tonalism 1880-1920
David Cleveland
2 comments:
Wonderful mood and colours!
Your work is sense-sational! I love it and your quote here about painting from memory is totally justified,,,,I usually make some written notes to identify the scene and lighting, and more often that not, those paintings come out more 'real' than photos copied or even much of my plein air work! Thanks for honing in on what you love and sharing it profusely!
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