Point of Art
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excerpts
from the inspirational book
by Robert Maniscalco
The true artist has a point
of view but recognizes beauty in all its forms. His
world-view is unlimited.
Nature is full of contradictions.
Look for the yin and yang: hard and soft, dark and
light, red and green. Relating and juxtaposing "opposites"
helps to achieve balance. They are the building blocks
of structure.
God is not a mechanical
being. Nature presents a certain complexity that we
are challenged to express. Drawing is about honoring
the specific randomness of form. Avoid repetitive
patterns.
On the other hand, there
are lines that are not drawn, but visualized, that
connect forms to one another. It's amazing how many
of these linear relationships there are in the seeming
chaos of nature. These "imaginary" lines
hold all the complexities together.
Sad as it may be, most people
will never make the effort to understand art. Without
some understanding of the language of art they will
likely never learn to appreciate it. We must not let
this stop us.
You may want to fool around
with that drawing or you might just want to let it
happen in the paint. It's up to you.
Start with the overall value.
Get the mass shapes and then break them up into darks
and lights. Find the largest shapes first. Don't be
afraid to continually return to what's most important:
the large masses.
What is your style, your
vision? Style has everything to do with your particular
choices. What will you include and what will you exclude
from your visual realm? What is most essential to
the painting? Paint what's most important to you.
This is your style.
When painting, think of
forms as solid masses abutting one another rather
than as a series of lines. Use visualized lines to
relate forms to one another but paint the masses.
There are perfectly balanced
compositions, which are sometimes so perfect they're
boring. And then there are those compositions that
intentionally force the viewer into another place,
another view, an uncomfortable place. It is a bit
more eccentric perhaps. It says something about the
subject, something about the painter. It makes us
think.
Does one really have to
be in the mood to do what he/she loves? Absolutely.
Getting in the mood is an skill in itself. One's ability
to create the proper mood is what separates the novice
from the professional.
Representational painting
is about values. When you can master increments of
value like a musician masters scales, then you can
paint anything you see.
After solid painting skills,
a love of people is a prerequisite for doing portraits.
It's really a matter of
reconciling our left and right brains. We need to
find a healthy balance.
Whether you are painting
realistically or not, it is beneficial to begin to
see shapes and patterns abstractly.
It's all about learning
how to see and interpret nature in a way that allows
us to paint expressively. It's a different way of
seeing. It's more objective than subjective. It depends
more upon choosing from what we actually see rather
than what we think we see or should be seeing. The
premise is simple: sight leads to insight.
In direct sunlight or under
a modeling light, black in the light is the same value
as white in the shadow.
The fact that black in the
light is the same as white in the shadow might say
something about race relations. I'm not sure what.
God was very good to artists,
creating forms in nature, which are related so beautifully
one to another. Our job is to unwrap these mysteries
like a child opening a birthday present - ripping
and tearing with the urgency of a child discovering
the next toy.
I can't tell you how many
artists have walked through my gallery door, their
eyes staring at the floor, arms full of their work,
bragging that they've never looked at anyone else's
work, that their work is completely original. My point
is this: work created in a vacuum tends to be lacking
a connection to humanity. It's rarely ever original.
If you like what you are reading,
you may be interested in owning a copy of my new book,
"Point of Art," where you will find many
more morsels like these. Now available!
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Point
of Art is the journey of an artist. It
is a collection of ideas and meditations, intended
to provide access to the creative process. Robert
presents insights ranging from his practical system
on drawing and painting to making it as a professional
artist. He explores the relevance of self-expression
in our daily lives as well as strategies for bringing
arts and culture into our communities. Robert
has created a generous resource, filled with valuable
information for any artist or art lover.
Get your autographed copy
at the author's pre-release discount: $14.95 +
$5.00 shipping'handling |
Though his creative muse has
taken many forms over the years Robert has discovered
a common thread which connects them all. Point
of Art speaks to the basic need each of us
share to communicate aesthetically. It is an inspiring
conversation about the powerful life-affirming force
that comes out of the desire to contribute something
meaningful to humanity.
What people are saying about
Point of Art:
"Robert calls upon his vast experience and
offers fascinating and intimate insights into his
approach to the creative process. One can just pick
a page and find an inspirational nugget for the day."
Cynthia Daniel - A Stroke of Genius Online Portrait
Gallery
"Rob Maniscalco lives
and works in the spiritual house of art, and I am
personally inspired by his development as an artist
and as a thinker. Point of Art is both aid
and challenge to all of us who are attempting to find
our way to better painting." John de la Vega
"Many times amusing,
yet always insightful, Maniscalco's essays and musings
recall brilliantly the approach taken by Robert Henri
in The Art Spirit." James W. Tottis
- Associate Curator of American Art, Detroit Institute
of Arts
"I can't begin to tell
you how inspired I am by your writing. I feel like
I am being pulled into the world of painting. You
use terms that I don't know, and yet I feel like I
know them. You assume that I have your knowledge and
I feel my intelligence is respected. I am put in a
position of being one of your long-time students and
I benefit as if I had been in the classes all those
years. I like that. You respect my intelligence as
a non-painter and don't try to explain the rudiments
of painting. Instead, you skip the instruction and
get to the conceptual wisdom. Your life observations
as they relate to painting are so relevant to my work
as an actor. I feel this book is essential for any
type of artist or performer." Don Harvey
Since 1980, Robert Maniscalco's
exquisite commissioned
portraits and
fine art have become part of over 750 distinguished
private and public collections throughout North America.
Robert operated the Maniscalco Gallery in Detroit
for eight years, showcasing many local and international
talents. As host of
"Art Beat," the critically acclaimed
PBS series on Detroit Public Television, he explored
the creative process with his celebrated guests. He
has created two DVDs
on painting portraits, called "The Power
of Positive Painting" and published a novel,
"The Fishfly."
Robert currently lives in South Carolina where he
continues his work and where he lives with his two
wonderful children,
Danny and Mary.
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