It is a priviledge to look and when the looking is over then there is the thought and then the repeat look, think, with this so much giving one a reason to paint. More to see!
What are you looking at?
Look up to admire.
Look into to investigate.
Look out to watch for danger.
For me as a Christian I could phrase the looking this way.
Look up to Jesus, look into the law, and look out, be careful for even Satan knows his helpless condition as the law is a detector of sin.
Why look up, look into, and be careful because there is a word coined in 1500
AT- ONE- MENT which simply means to take action to repair a wrong.
Jesus is the one who repaired but you choose ‘the Repair’ or not!
So look up, look into and look out!
These past few days I have been looking at our garden flowers in particular the ones I photographed for samples of September. A few weeks earlier I had accidently picked up and bought oil pastels instead of pastels and my journey began.
Who was the first to use these oil pastels? Children. Who was the first to make them? A Japanese painter and educator Kanar Yamampto and the founders of the Japanese company Sakura. They invented the first oil pastels in 1924 to 1925.
Who was among the first professional artists to use them?
Pablo Picasso used this medium professionally on untreated wood and cardboard. He was the one who approached Henri Sennelier for an artist- grade version and so we have them in many colours.
These are what I enjoyed to look with. Here are four.
The rose that is slowly changing into the softest of colours.
The petunia white with pink …
The miniature sunflower when for the first time I noticed how short the petals were as you looked straight on and how every single bend was round a single rib. Petals held with each fold a dignified, uniquely grown/ opening form. Time enjoyed looking and trying to capture something that is then will be ‘was’ and then no more.
This is the hibiscus that reminded me of our childhood home. If you think of it as a rose it looks all wrong. The petals need firm curving strokes to get their curl something I am challenged by. Then where is it light and where darker? The questions keep coming my hand can hardly keep up but this is the focus of looking and hopefully seeing. Strange this but my relationship with the God head is very similar. It is probably the wonder of creation with the Creator of me and everything else… If you believe.
I then spent time looking at the life and work of Jean- François Miller ( 1814 – 1875) He was a realist painter who loved using pastels to sketch vibrant ,textured scenes of peasant life.
I tried to let you see what I enjoyed on youtube but I lost everything so I won’t try again. Jean- François Miller had a fascinating life as are his paintings of ordinary peasant folk.
I believe Georgia O’ Keeffe ( 1887 – 1986) did flower close ups using pastels. I want to look at those next. Then there is George Shipperley to add to the above. These are only three examples.
The created looking and creating. Nature when looked at provides endless, ‘ infinite’ amounts of inspiration.
Just look! Look for it! Look up, look into, look out!
Take care,
Sandy 🙂