“Art, because it is so easy to do, but so difficult to do well, encourages humility in the human soul.” Robert Genn. “Art”, he said, “is an event.”

A million different decisions contribute to the evolution of one painting. Creating isn’t a linear process, nor is it automatic. Whatever genre an artist may work in, there is deliberation, conscious planning, and if practiced long enough, on a good day, flow that contributes to the magic factor.

A friend believes the more a painting looks like a photograph, the more skilled the artist. He spoke about efficiency, thinking artists have ability to wake up, decide to paint a specific subject, then just slap it together.
Before you roast him, I encouraged his questions & thoughts.

Artists do become more adept with tool handling, understanding mediums & their limits, as well as trying to push our own. Creating art also requires intention and work. Wonderfully, creating may be one of the most mindful activities there is. Skill level may be determined by mature style, execution, design, and evolution of their work, researching an Artist’s history, asking professional sources such as dealers and gallery representatives.

After our lively chat, I realized a key point, viewers these days may not see art beyond their cellphone screen.
For those who are physically unable to visit galleries and museums, online galleries make art accessible. The world wide web is a fantastic way to expose art and the world’s diverse culture to a global audience.

Thou like many things viewed on a screen, or like a travel brochure offering a glimpse of your holiday, it won’t compare to real life experience.

As Genn said, “ Art is an event”.

Among online galleries websites/ social media benefits ( artist run websites, art museums, commercial art galleries) is educating the viewer on an artists portfolio of work, history, etc. Previewing an exhibit online first offers the opportunity to think of questions for the dealer or artist, which pieces you wish to view when you visit, layout of the gallery, etc.
The web allows you track galleries, artists ,their sales, exhibits, industry news. Following galleries & artists on social media can be inspiring and help abreast of new work, future exhibits, etc.

I have gained international clients from the web. Their most popular comment? “Wow. It’s SO much better in person.”

These comments are common because viewing work online:
Electronic devices display colour uniquely, perhaps not true to life.
Size of the painting may be difficult to conceive.
Zooming in on images, especially on a phone can distort your cognitive experience and affect emotional connection to the work.
With impressionism, and large format paintings, proper distance in personal viewing is required to achieve it’s affect.

One hope with online galleries/ presence is to invite the viewer to explore and incorporate art into your lives.
The real ones.
Art is meant to be lived with, engaged in, .. it’s a wonderful personal conversation you alone have with each piece. To take advantage of the magnitude and scope of that conversation, reality takes the cake.

I encourage you to explore art beyond the screen. Visit museums & galleries, view a variety of genres, even ones you may not like. Feel free to ask questions. Questions are welcome when addressed in curiosity and kindness.
Gaining an understanding of different genres encourages an open mind, appreciation of different perspectives, and diversity.
There is quite nothing like the thrilling flutter when a certain piece captures your heart, or when you finally view the masterpiece you once only saw in history books. It can be transcending.

Spend your lunch hour at a museum. ( Interestingly, a study that had professionals doing just that resulted in lower blood pressure & HRates, AND resulted with increase of random acts of kindness). Meet friends for coffee near a gallery and take in the exhibit. Wander a studio tour or an art fair. Shake the hand of the creator.

Art exposure feeds our cognitive skills, communication, problem solving tasks and heals not just emotionally, but physically as well. Art can illuminate and feed the soul.

~

New Work: Field #1, 2 & 3. Each 16×20 acrylic/ oil on canvas.

New work, using the same reference, same size canvas, same prep, for these three paintings, painted in three different styles.

On the left in the group photo Field #1is a more abstract composition, meant to have pizzaz, exhibit the feel of clouds moving toward the viewer and swirling in the sky, it’s an energetic piece, true of the beauty of prairie skies.

#2 Middle is impressionistic. It’s meant to streamline the composition, eliminate fuss and ‘noise’ of detail, the intention is to feel the power of colour, of movement in the sky, and the rich contrasts of the scape. it’s meant to be a direct emotional experience, and spark imagination.

#3 far right is a realistic composition. It’s more illustrative, with blended transitions, detail in grasses, trees, clouds giving the viewer more information.

Which is your favourite? vote 1,2 or 3.
To purchase these or any new work please email me dawn@dawnbanning.com