Painting What You Love

"Maine House (red)", Acrylic on Paper, 17.5x13.5 inches
Jerry Lebo, 2005

Being noted under "Blogs of Note" has brought a lot of attention to my blog. Thanks again to all that have sent comments. There has been a lot of interest in my work as well, so I am going to try to post some more of my work to my website later today. In the meantime, you can see some of my recent work on http://www.sixtyminuteartist.com/ (and pricing information). I have also put a few of my paintings on Ebay for those who would like to purchase through an auction. There is a link below on the bottom right, or simply type "Lebo" on Ebay. My Ebay ID is "mdbear".

I titled this posting "Painting what you Love" partly in response to my 15 minutes of fame on eblogger. My sudden notoriety has got me thinking about why I paint certain things--and why some of my paintings seem to work out better than others. I have been painting long enough to know that I am not always in control of the outcome--and there are many surprises during the process. On the other hand, when I first started painting twenty years ago, I had the feeling that when I finished a painting that went well, I really didn't know why. I think I have a better understanding these days of what works and what doesn't--and here is my thinking.

1. Paint what you see. I have mentioned this in past postings, but I cannot say it enough. Painting requires the artist to be able to see what is there objectively. It is so easy to paint what you think you see. One of my former teachers used to say "look harder". It is good advice. There are a lot of techniques to match the color and tone of what you see, but first you have to see it. A simple example is the sky. Look at the sky every morning for one week. Is it blue? Most beginning painters will always paint a sky blue--when it is in fact very often gray. If you go outside and look at the sky right now, it is most likely made up of at least three to four colors and tones. Paint what you see--not what you think is there. Look harder.

2. Paint what you know. Human beings are strange animals. Information gets into them in a variety of ways and often on a subconscious level. The artist can use this to his/her advantage. The easiest way I have found is to paint locally, that is to paint that which is around you. What you know. Trying to paint a picture of France if you have never been there is not going to work—even if you have the best photo in the world. A good painting reflects the fact that the artist has some connection to the subject. Don’t ask me how it works, it just does.

3. Paint what you love. My finally recommendation is to paint what you love. The simplest reason is that your passion will show it your work if you love what you are painting. But, my experience is that the main reason to paint what you love, is that it is easier to do. What I mean is, it is easier to paint what you love because you work hard, look harder, and will spend more time on a subject that attracts you in a deep way. A boring subject is the quickest way to a bad painting. Also, how can you expect the viewer to feel your passion for a subject that you do not feel passion for when painting. Again, I don’t know how it works—but those subjects I have some connection and passion for seem to turn into the best paintings.

So there you have it. Check back to my web-site later to see more of my artwork. In the meantime, if you are an artist, go to your studio and paint. If you are not an artist, and you want to contribute, call an artist you know and send them some words of encouragement, and if you are feeling flush--buy some of their work.

All the best, sixtyminuteartist.