Relating Well (assignment 2 cont.)

I found myself being able to relate my practice as an artist  in some way to all of the artists  that were suggested for me to look into. however, the two that i found myself relating to the most at this time are Rembrandt and Alice Neel.

One of the things i enjoy about Rembrandt's portrait above, is that its painted in a classical way but if ind the expression to be more expressive and less rigid as portraits of his time tended to be.

"Also notable are his dramatic and lively  presentation of the subjects devoid of the rigid formality that his contemporaries often displayed, and deeply felt compassion for mankind, irrespective of wealth and age."-unkown 

I feel like my work relates to Rembrandt's through the use of his imagery. like Rembrandt,  i have an interest in painting the figure in a representational fashion. i find the human form and experience deeply interesting and i feel like that interest can be seen  in his work as well. Furthermore, my interest in lighting that creates deep shadows and highlights can be seen in his work as well. Rembrandt's use of Chiaroscuro gives his paintings a kind of drama that i feel i am interested in as well (the portrait of the girl above exemplifies this).  In terms of how i feel i can learn from this Old Master, i think it goes back to paint application. i've probably mentioned this previously in other blogs but i really admire how you can see the texture and brushwork  of his paintings. this is evident in the portrait of himself at the top; the texture and movement created in the hair is beautiful, you can feel it fluffing about in the air. i feel like i should try to push those things in my work.

The second artist i feel i should mention is Alice Neel.

"Like Chekhov, I am a collector of souls... if I hadn't been an artist, I could have been a psychiatrist."

-Neel

 i can relate to Neel's vivacious interest in people. After watching her documentary i realized that Neel loved studying people just as i do and that interest in people fuels my own interest in painting the figure.  From what i understand she worked from life with her portraits, studying the individual and capturing what she saw. even though  i don't have the opportunity presently to paint from life all the time, one of the things i enjoy most as  a painter is studying the people in my photo references. Furthermore, the people that i paint are people that i have interacted with in my life; they are the people i get to observe on a frequent basis. Visually, i can relate my work to hers through her  lively color use as well, which can been seen in the her works above and below.

One thing that i feel like i should consider after researching Alice Neel is  how much do i want to capture  of the actual individual that i am painting. i guess it is making me consider the idea of trying to say something on a more individual level, something about their personality or situation in life through my expression as a  painter. i'm still thinking it out. its also interesting what the people you surround yourself with say about you, as an observer of them.

"Whether I'm painting  or not, I have  this overweening interest in humanity. Even if I'm  not working, I'm still analyzing people."- Alice Neel