Ralph Avery Describes His Still-Life Painting

SELECTION OF SUBJECT A bowl of pconies has been selected forour still-life subject. The large handsome flower forms seem tolend themselves to simple color masses that are challenging to the

vvatercolor medium. This is mentioned because in choosing oursubject and knowing that we are to paint in a rather broad way,we may as well select a sympathetic subject. Of course, any kindof flowers can be painted and we should experiment with all ofthem. For this purpose, however, we are avoiding flowers that aresmall or that do not form into masses easily or that depend upontiny petals and details for their effect. Such a subject might betterbe drawn with a pen or pencil or made into an etching.

One of several preliminary drawings

Looking at the Subject The creative part of any painting be-gins as soon as we start to observe the various possibilities as tocomposition. Such questions as looking with the light or against

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124 WATERCOLOR PAINTING STEP-BY-STEP

the light; high eye level or low eye level; the over-all shape horizontal or vertical. These are all points to be considered early

in our plans before selecting the best viewpoint with the aid of

prcHniiiuu) rough sketches. Selecting the best one of the roughs

is often the deciding factor in the final success or failure of the

painting. This being done, the procedure is not slavishly to en-

large the selected rough but rather to use it as a starting point in

building the painting, reserving the right to change our thinking

as we go along and allow for the unexpected happenings that arecharacteristic of the watercolor medium.

General Procedure in Watercolor Painting Edges are so im-portant in watercolor that we try to anticipate, well in advanceof the finished effect, which edges are to be soft or blended andwhich are to be hard or sharp. Wherever soft edges are needed,the paper may be dampened with sponge or brush in those areasonly, being careful to leave dry paper where sharp separations ofcolor are needed. As the dampened areas begin to dry, and beforecompletely dry, strokes of color can then be added for accents oremphasis, leaving a sort of semihard effect in their edges.

Painting Step-by-Step Starting on a piece of Whatman illus-tration board, size 16" x 20", with a soft pencil or piece of mediumcharcoal, the main areas to be painted were sketched in. As roughas this step might appear to be and with little or no details indi-cated, important decisions were made at this time. The big areaswere settled. If these areas do not satisfy, then it is better to geta fresh start rather than to regret later that we did not do so. Iwould emphasize here that this drawing should not be carriedinto details or we might be tempted simply to make a coloreddrawing instead of a full-bodied painting. The underlying massesof color were now added to the outline composition. The darkestnote was established by indicating the dark bowl. The middlevalues produced by the yellow and green background draperywere now brushed in, and with some of the flower sections leftas white paper, we estabhshed the important patterns of thepainting. If this much was well done, the effect might be some-thing like a Japanese print.

The next logical step was to add modeling, to give a three-dimensional look to the flat masses, such as a general shadowtone on the drapery and flowers. How quickly the white flowers

RALPH AVERY STELL-LIFE PAINTING 125

take on form merely adding the warm gray wash of the shadowportions. Before additional touches were given to the red peonies,a little dampening of the portions to be worked on was used toinsure softness of edges where we wanted them. It is well to re-member that at this stage in our painting it was now a success orfailure. The final darks were added that gave completeness to allthe forms. At this stage we were drawing more carefully with thebrush as the petals of the flowers were observed. In other words,no amount of finishing touches and details will redeem a faultybasic pattern with poorly rendered areas. Every stage of a paint-ing should be interesting to look at. A miserable effect when thepainting is half done hardly ever develops into a brilliant finalperformance.

5

Samuel Kamen Discusses His Creative Methods

LIKE OTHER ARTISTS I am Sensitive to the visual aspects of life.Some of these are more beautiful and moving than others. I tryto anah'ze what it is that makes for this extra measure of beauty,then use my discoveries in the re-creation of the natural worldon a still higher level of beauty. In this way I become increasinglyfree of the vagaries of chance beauty offered by nature. Thisprocess I call "design."

Almost all representational subject matter can be embodied inrich design. What an artist selects from nature as his material is amatter of individual preference detemiined by his personalityand his understanding of life. If his predilections are shared bymany others there is a strong bond of communication.

Representation and design are the two main compartments ofthe visual arts; they are the extremes encompassing the gamut ofpossibilities which run from pure representation to the abstractand the nonobjective. Ocean s Edge, the picture reproduced herein color, falls into the categor)' of "design representation." It is

not a literal transcript of a single, whole scene experience; rather,

it is the essence of many visual experiences carefully selected andheightened through the power of design. I attempted to extractfrom the natural world those aspects that have stirred my emo-tions: a storm passing swiftly through a sunny day, dramatizing

the blue sea, green-covered dunes, shadowed cliffs and sunlightbreaking through to illuminate olive-colored foliage.

All the parts are like, but not exactly like, the originals; someparts have been excluded, others retained, modified and addedto, changed in position, shape and color for the purpose of cre-ating a new visual synthesis of heightened emotion exceeding thatof the original visual experience. No doubt a greater talent couldhave done more in this direction, as might I at a later stage inmy development.

This painting, as usual, was done entirely from memory in my

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I

128 WATERCOLOR PAINTING STEP-BY-STEP

studio. Thus far 1 ha\e rarely made a watereolor from life al-though I have painted a great deal in oil from both indoor and

outdoor subjects. This watereolor required about three hours for

completion. But, as often happens, I felt dissatisfied with the

result w ithout knowing just what the trouble was. So I put it asideand brought it out months later for the fresh look which revealedthe faults. I am a believer in drawing and painting from memory.Tliis way of working reveals the areas of my ignorance. Then I goback to nature, observe more closely and fill in the gaps.

I work on a tilting drawing board or on an outdoor tilting easelthat makes it possible to control the washes. I soak rough-sur-faced watereolor paper (114 lb.) in a tub of water. After the

excess water has run off and the paper has been blotted, I fasten

the paper to a somewhat larger drawing board with paper tapeand allow it to dry stretched before painting on it.

My usual practice in "designed representation" is as follows : Istart by making a composition in line and pattern embodying thesubject matter; then I compose it in values, based on this line-pattern organization. After that I compose in color, integratingcolor with the already determined line, pattern and value design.

I like to experiment at each stage. For instance, after having

determined a satisfying line, pattern and value design, I shift thevalues around but retain the line and pattern with only slightnecessary modification. At times I begin with a pure design and

then convert it into a still life or landscape, retaining the basic

unchanged design organization. On the other hand I may com-plete a composition of designed representation, then convert it

completely into a pure design devoid of any representational

element.

As one's experience and mastery increase, it is possible to com-pose from the very beginning in line, pattern, value and color,integrating all simultaneously rather than by separate stages. Ilearn from the small to the large; I create from the large to thesmall.

It has been my practice to compose from imagination manyhundreds of black-and-white compositions in wash landscape,still life, figure and pure design themes. I usually do these in smallsize. Working small in the initial stages seems to eliminate barriersto the free flow of the creative process.

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