Animated self-portrait (my father coming through)

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

Thank-you for your comments, Sharon. I am always very pleased to hear from you, and educated and very encouraged by what you have to say.

I am not sure, though, what you mean here:

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

However, making a face and that lives, breathes and communicates and paint that lives as well is not the end all and be all of draughtmanship. Realism and realistic are two very different things.

Do you mean that you don't feel a face well-drawn and painted with truly felt and animated marks is near what we're aiming for? Are you saying that a David-like clean, smooth painting is just as good (which it can be, of course, I fully agree. I just am personally no good at doing David-like paintings; and I tried and tried). What is the difference, in your opinion, between realism and realistic? I am not arguing here, I am just hoping to clarify your meaning.

Carlos, it's always nice to be agreed with - you feel you are on some sort of "right" track. It's especially good to be agreed with by you. Thank-you for your (very articulate) comments. I also do my sketches and idea working-outs on the actual canvas and draw with tones (rather than outlines) to get a sense of solidity - it's so important - solidity, that is. If the character or composition or physiognomy looks off, it 99% due, I think, to erroneous rendering of space and form. And if you have a sense of form, I feel, even the sketchiest marks and the most distorted face look solid and finished.

I am starting to put in outlines as a compositional element - yay! I love bits of outlines, like Degas, who (with Picasso - thanks heavens he existed because he allows so much freedom and unfinishedness), I must admit, is one of my most returned-to influences. Now I am rambling, but rambling is a bit like beginnings of paintings - it shows where you are as a thinker and writer.

Alex, thank-you again, so much for your continued support. It goes a very, very long way to increasing my confidence and experimenting, and with the influence of your own excellent works I feel I am sailing along very well indeed.

I will start that thread you suggested just as soon as I've posted this.

[Sharon Knettell]

It is really, for me, a hard concept to get across. I have seen portraits, beautifully and skillfully painted, that are dead. I have seen Van Gogh's potraits, not skillful but alive.

It a matter of the conciousness of the painter coming through the paint. The paint as well as the subject are both alive. It is not a matter of style. I was just referring to how I paint. I love Gwen Johns paintings.

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

Yes, I understand what you mean perfectly, Sharon. That sense of life is the realism I am after. It's so hard to achieve, sometimes, though, and my paintings get redone so many times until I find it.

[Sharon Knettell]

Fabulous news Thomasin!

You are getting to quite a regular with those prizes.

Wonderful painting.

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

Thank-you very much, Sharon. I am glad I got to be an artist's mag. finalist last year because out of curiosity I went through all the other finalists names on the internet to see their work, came across your name, your lovely work and this forum, and here I am. So I thank you for being a finalist, Sharon. Much appreciated!