Hello

[satanfriendly]

A kind of 'pared back' simplistic approach to a 'meeting'. My original sketch had a piece of detail which changed the whole aspect of the subject, but my wife asked me to keep it 'tasteful' for a particular reason and hence omitted. I'm rather happy with the end result, but I do see this as being the last in this style I have recently adopted as I have a few new ideas I need to get out of my head on in to reality. In recent years I have tried to hang on to a sense of Bauhaus with a balanced feeling either in colour, geometrical or the physical positioning within the picture itself.

So far everyone who has seen it has come up with a different thinking to exactly what it is and this I do like. I like my paintings to ask questions and to be whatever people want to see in them. I never really set out with a particular idea as to what my paintings might represent and the title 'Hello' I hope adds to this effect.

Any comments very welcome

[CarlOwen]

You know, I keep checking in to look at this and have come to the conclusion that I simply don't understand. I have read your narrative and am just as lost. I do know about the Bauhaus school of art which actually leaves me cold as to Why do this? Maybe that is it. I once got into a heated argument with an art history professor in class over his opinion that Frank Lloyd Wright was a genius and that idiots built ugly Victorian houses. I just love Victorian architecture. While I got A's on all tests I got a C for the class because of my attitude. Looking back on it I guess he was right after all, since I was going to college on the G.I. bill and I was not going to let any teacher tell me how to look at the world. You see, I had already seen the real world. So, given this narrative, and while I like the color combination, the forms are to simplistic from my point of view. I do wish you success, but do have my doubts for you. I know this is a no comment page, but I felt like you needed to hear from someone as this has been hanging out here for awhile with no comments one way or the other. Just thought my comments and observation would help explain why you are alone here, I think. Could be other artist's are just to timid.

[satanfriendly]

My respect to you Carl. It means more to me to receive some form of 'I don't comprehend' criticism than it is to receive none at all. More so that you actually returned a number of times to draw up some form of conclusion.

As a bit of digression I actually live in one of those 'ugly Victorian Houses' (1886) and I love everything about it. The interior has little touches which one would never see in a modern day build. It was once occupied by a captain of the 'Queen Mary' and now occupied by another captain, me. It is just around the corner from another ship's master who was famous for other reasons, Captain Smith of the Titanic. So how do my style paintings fit in with the style of architecture? Actually quite well as I would probably hate an abode full of 'period art' (not to say I don't have time for 'real art per se' as I have a lot of admiration and time for it) and my simplistic approach actually feels very much at home. I couldn't live within 'cluttered walls'. As I said 'I digress'.

As a passing further digression I actually like Frank Lloyd Wright's designs and they have a form of timelessness about them. Genius? Very debatable and depends on what side of the fence you sit. Isn't that the same with everything in life? It boils down to a personal view.

Art to me does not always have to throw up a 'realistic, detailed, that is what it is' scenario at the viewer. I like to create a 'point of ponder' and if you don't understand then I have achieved what I set out to create. Even more so as I probably don't understand either! I like life to be somewhat 'peeled back' to the basics, minimalism with style. My approach to music takes very much a very similar stance and again I can still lose myself in the sea of detail and events within a piece of classical music, listening for the tiniest of nuances, yet still believe the best songs ever written have very little musical depth within them.

Bauhaus has a cold edge to it to many and I can fully understand why, but to me it eludes simplicity and warmth within my inner soul. Life doesn't always have to be complicated and detailed to say something, or not as the case may be.

As I mentioned though I have respect for your comments and they are very welcome. I could live a whole life of critique as you delivered than suffer no words at all.

As someone once said 'one man's poison is another man's tonic'

[CarlOwen]

Thank you for responding to my comments. I also like Frank Lloyd Wright's work. Just could not stand the instructor's rhetoric and dogma against Victorian architecture. I am also chasing a certain excellence in presenting a type of work that is representational and abstract at the same time. So far, the painting "First Thaw" and "Damon Reinbold" are my best efforts pursuing this quest. I am very serious about my work and have some rock solid opinions about what I find as beautiful and what I believe is nasty through to inappropriate. And I find it wrong to tell an artist he or she has potential when I know I am lying to them. It is my opinion that the more beauty there is in the world the less likely we are to want to destroy it. I am not locked in to any particular style or motif of presentation. And when I see something I don't understand or am confused by, I will explore it until I understand it, feel it and then make a decision about it. So, enough commentary here and rest assured I appreciate the never ending differences that exist in the world. Our methods of presentation are different, but I think our purpose is the same.

[cpking]

In one word its good work exceptional work.

[satanfriendly]

Thank you very much your kind comment. Appreciated.