atomic-raygun

Enjah wrote: 'I have always had a postively mad love of paper. Pencils, crayons, pastels, charcoal, brushes, whatever, as long as paper is involved, it is magical for me. WHOA breakthrough! Thanks for posting this. Now I understand some of my reluctance to work on canvas. Not only is it physically taxing, but it is NOT PAPER LOL' - which I can understand as I love paper, too. One of the best ever quotations about art, from Man Ray, is 'An artist must have contempt for his materials.' That is, we must be willing to sacrifice raw materials and lavishly squander without a thought costly and entirely wonderful things. My mother loved paper to the nth degree, so much so that it was hard for her to sully it with her own scrawls. It was already perfect, and in an undamaged block, with its sensual smell and feel, could not be added to but only detracted from by human endeavor.

One of the supreme joys of being an artist, and one that must be overcome, is that all our materials are a delight. We learn not to love the materials less, but to file that love away at times lest it impede us in our expression.

posted by

- 2:58 PM

Comments:

For me one of the real thrills of making art is the feeling of the implement moving against the support. For those who have not had the experiences, I mean the luscious glide of pencil on paper as it leaves behind particles of graphite or color; the amazing feeling of a loaded brush pulling a bead of pigment-filled water across dampened watercolor paper; the push of a bristle brush into the giving canvas (not too much give, but just enough) as it drags paint into paint. I take it all back, I love canvas too.

# posted by

Ellen McCormick Martens : 15 February, 2012 15:22

If you are like us it's impossible NOT to love the feel of paper, the smell of paint, the look of the ragged edge of a bushstroke, the texture of a finished painting, the magic of a newly-pulled print, the liveliness of wet ink - ALL OF IT IS DELIGHTFUL. Gawd!!!! *screams* Even auxilliary equipment! Taborets! Easels! Flatfiles! Everything about art is a joy!

# posted by

Osprey : 15 February, 2012 16:07

the true sport of walking into an art supply store

# posted by

SJ : 15 February, 2012 20:18

Yes, an art supply store is all good things in one place!

# posted by

Osprey : 15 February, 2012 20:42

Yes, followed by old-fashioned hardware stores, with bins of nails and other metal bits that fit together to make something, the tools to do that, such as a hand drill ... OH A HAND DRILL!

# posted by

Ellen McCormick Martens : 16 February, 2012 08:29

Post a Comment