Going out of the comfort zone.

[Sharon Knettell]

All too often I see too many of us clinging to the same artistic rocks on the side of a cliff.

The first rock as I see it, and one I have used is, ahem, "The Curse of the Barefoot Girl in the White Dress." I realize mothers love them, but before the opiate of the frilly and white clouds our thoughts, think black dress, red or navy dress! There is a stunning picture of a portrait of a child in a dark dress surrounded by red roses. I think it is on Portraits South or one of the big portrait rep sites. It is so dramatic it sticks in the mind in a positive way, which is desirable in separating ourselves from the crowds.

The next rock as I see it is happy, happy children. Look at the pensive expression on the face of Sargent's painting of "Miss Helen Sears" and imagine her turned towards you and grinning.

Rock three is never ever attempting to do a portrait from life, even if it is a friend or relative.

Rock four, slavishly copying a photo, sometimes bad color, bad lighting and all. Worse, relying on someone else's reference unless the painting is a posthumous one.

Rock five, bland and expected compositions. This is especially common in men's portraits. The lawyer's bookcases and the judge's or politician's flag. Dean Paules www.portraitartist.com/paules did a really strong portrait of a man with an abstract painting behind him. It was so refreshing and full of verve.

Rock six, timid color. We now have the most beautiful array of paints and pigments in glorious abundance, unlike anything available in the past, yet we rely on the same tried and true color combinations. I was recently looking at the lively coloration of Milt Kobayashi. Not totally realistic, but what wonderful and unexpected use of color.

Rock seven, and this is mostly the one we are under, fear of the client. Often we never get the client out of the studio. We rarely let our imagination wander to those dangerous woods of "How wonderful this could be if ".

I am always struck at how many of the really sucessful portrait artists fought back. Sargent was quite the pugilist.

You can only paint the picture in your head, you can't see what the client is visualizing. Remember you were hired for what they saw in your work.

I realize that fear of the client and poverty go hand in hand and all too many artists struggle with the bottom line and most lose. But once in a while let go and try something you would have never thought to try, like putting your client in a green wig. Oh well.

[Cindy Procious]

Thanks, Sharon, for posting this challenge. Much of what you say rings with painful truth in my personal career, and I appreciate the nudge out-of-the-box.

Lots of food for thought.

[Allan Rahbek]

Bravo Sharon,

This is something we have to look in to,---- our selfs.

Allan

[Julie Deane]

HI Sharon -

Seems I have done almost everything mentioned, and, since I'm so good at having to learn it all the hard way, I can add to your list:

Have a good friend talk you into taking a commission to paint a portrait of her as a young woman, before you see the original photograph. The photograph is torn and faded. Then allow the friend to talk you into changing the hairstyle shown!

(It worked out okay, but never again.)

[Sharon Knettell]

Thanks Julie, Cindy and Allan,

I believe I posted that so I personally would not be tempted by the same old, same old as I have been in the past.

I think that we have too continue to seek out new ways to refresh the genre or it will sink under the weight of boring, repetitive themes.

Sargent painted the era he was in, he did not try to make it look antique. His paintings were probably the fashion illustrations of the day and very contemporary to his time as tattoos, nose rings and green hair are to ours.

[Marvin Mattelson]

I have witnessed, time and again, through the eyes of many of the students I've had the privilege to teach, the dream of finding "the correct answer" for any problem. Being safe is basic human nature.However, this quest for rules to dictate how each situation should be properly addressed is the ultimate avoidance of personal responsibility in picture making. This kind of formulaic blueprint can only lead to redundancy, in my opinion, a far greater danger to producing lifeless painting than all other rocks combined.

When I see the work of any artist which remains essentially unchanged over the course of time (same colors, same composition, same complexions, same brushwork etc.) I see self imitation, not painting. I believe by being motivated by fear and insecurity and by avoiding taking chances, artists put themselves between a rock and a hard place!

Therefore, I feel it is my number one responsibility to squash this dream and make people realize that the opportunity to create, discover and invent new solutions is what made the great masters great.

[Chris Saper]

Dear Sharon,

The ring of truth in your post is extraordinary. I think that every portrait painter has in his or her history a "but..." and afterward a litany of excuses as to why the portrait fails: " The client insisted..." ; "The only photo I had was..." , "I really needed the money..."etc. I have the same history, and like many of you, I'd like to go collect a lot of those pieces and do them over.

The only path to excellence is the one under your control. Each of us can preserve the potential for excellent work, but none of us can do so with substandard elements along the way ( ie, poor photo reference, poor design or a variety of other fatal flaws [at least Hamlet wasn't trying to paint]). My thought on the matter is that every painting should move the potential point of failure from the beginning to the end. I have screwed up more paintings than I care to count.Now, I think, if I will have a failed painting, better it be at 11:59 than right out of the chute. Because if I can almost make it this time, I can definitely make it the next. It's about optimism, and there's no way to get that, except by putting in the work..

[Sharon Knettell]

Ah yes Chris,

The only time I have thought of doing something truly illegal, such as breaking and entering is to retrieve one of those unfortunate oeuvres that had more excuses than merit.

Oh the pain of the thought of those execrable paintings sitting on a wall in full view. I wince!

[Mari DeRuntz]

Amen.