Advice from William Paxton

[Allan Rahbek]

Linda,
I was actually trying to be slightly serious I did not address it to you alone, but to all members.

Those maxims seem to cover all the aspects of painting like the masters, so if we joined our common knowledge, here on the forum, we might be able to define to meaning of every single rule set up by Paxton.

Alex made a fine example with "backgrounds" I believe that it must be possible to define the maxims by words and examples if we put our minds to it.

I will attach an example that, in my understanding, illustrates "flow" - how one area flows into another.

"Beauty"should not be one single element in the portrait (the person) but should be supported by the way the the whole picture is painted.

I really look forward to a concentrated and serious attempt to solve this topic.

Happy New Year to all.

[Linda Brandon]

Allan, what an interesting Paxton you posted - observe all those undulating, wavelike flowing lines. This also strikes me: if you turned her arms over, she would be cradling her arms as you would rock a baby. Paxton's women are always so ladylike and soothing, whereas Sargent's women usually have some dangerous edge somewhere,

Alex, what an interesting discussion about backgrounds! I've always felt that Sargent used a very subtle form of cartoonist's movement lines to show life in his subjects; depicting light radiation is another version of this.

[Richard Bingham]

Linda, that list of Paxton's are going to be my New Year's resolutions! (and I've already broken several) Thanks for posting that, and for reminding me of Paxton, whose comps I generally consider lyric! Great stuff!

[Mike McCarty]

"Let the surfaces flow into one another in a supple envelope of light and paint."

To me "flow" has to do with edges, the edges that appear and disappear, flowing the properties of one passage into another. This also has much to do with the control of focus:

"Paint all things in relation to the focus."

Establishing a focal point and a hierarchy of interest through the use of edges, contrast and light.

Regarding backgrounds, I once asked a question of John de la Vega and got this response:

[QUOTE]Re backgrounds: you

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

These are wonderful, inspiring remarks, aren't they? But they are things that you only understand after you have come to that conclusion yourself. After you have done these things in your own work. They are comments to reassure you that you have done the right thing, not a mandate for what you should do, because once you consciously try to apply these things to a painting they don't work. They only come about when you have forgotton all about the spontaneity you are trying to achieve and are simply enjoying painting. By humbling yourself, forgetting these noble aims, painting for yourself, for the process and not the effect, then the effect is achieved. And greatly! As Picasso (was it?) said - don't paint a picture; paint a painting. It will end up as a picture anyway.

Thomasin
www.thomasindewhurst.artspan.com