Art & Feelings

Van Hart "On = Art"=20 Newsletter Issue 3 = October=20 2008

Dear Friends,

Some people say the = best=20 art enables you to feel the emotions of the artist as he or = she was=20 creating that piece of art. That's the topic of this=20 latest newsletter, below.

Coming=20 from an ex-engineer (which I am), this seems like a very = touchy-feely=20 subject. But now that I am an artist and no longer in = high-tech, I=20 can write about these things. How fun!

Happy reading,
Holly=20

Art & Feelings

The 21st century art world says that one of the most important = things=20 an artist can do is give tangible form to = emotions. =20 The purpose of this newsletter is to explore this topic. I'll show = some=20 examples from art history, and then (humbly putting my = work next to=20 the others) one of my recent paintings.

If you make the time to look at an original painting (to=20 really look at it, letting go of your to-do list = and your=20 shopping list and the incoming text message and whatever other = things might be on your mind), and if you start to = feel what you=20 think the artist felt when he or she created the painting,=20 then the artist has succeeded. And you have = succeeded too,=20 because in the mad rush of daily living, it's not easy to = let go=20 of all those things to really look at a piece of art and allow yourself = to=20 connect with the artist.

Let's look at four examples.

Example #1: Does this painting capture the feelings = of young=20 children?

"Mother About to Wash Her = Sleepy Child"=20 by Mary Cassatt, 1880

For me, this painting by Mary Cassat captures exactly how = a young=20 child feels in his or her mother's arms . . . the security, trust, love, = and=20 peace. The emotion this painting evokes resonates deep within = us, as=20 all of us have been children and many of us are parents. = Were this=20 painting affordable, I think it would be a great painting to own = and to=20 hang in my home.

Example #2: How did Picasso feel about = war?

"Guernica" by Pablo = Picasso, 1937, 11'H=20 x 25'W

The Spanish government commissioned Pablo Picasso to paint a large = mural=20 for the 1937 World's Fair. In that year, an aerial = attack=20 on the Basque town of Guernica caused widespread destruction and = civilian=20 deaths. Within 15 days of the attack, Pablo Picasso began = painting=20 this mural, "Guernica".

"Guernica" epitomizes the tragedies of war and the suffering it = inflicts=20 upon people. This painting transcends the bounds of a single = time and=20 place. It's a great painting. This doesn't mean I'd like to = hang it=20 in my living room, though.

Example #3: What did Mark Rothko feel while = painting=20 "White Center"?

"White Center" by Mark = Rothko,=20 1950

This one's not so easy to answer. Rather than try to=20 interpret this painting myself, I'll quote the artist Mark = Rothko=20 directly. He said his paintings are "surfaces are expansive and = push=20 outward in all directions, or their surfaces contract and rush inward in = all=20 directions. Between these two poles you can find everything I want to=20 say."

Rothko said his interest was "only in expressing basic human = emotions=20 =E2=80=94 tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on. And the fact that a lot of = people break=20 down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I can = communicate those=20 basic human emotions . . . The people who weep before my pictures are = having the=20 same religious experience I had when I painted them. And if you, as you = say, are=20 moved only by their color relationship, then you miss the point."

Hmmm. I like this painting, and would even like to hang it in = my=20 house, were it affordable. Unfortunately it's not. In 2007 = this=20 painting broke the record selling price for any post-war painting in = public=20 auction. It sold for $73 million dollars. Someone out there=20 obviously considers this a great painting.

Example #4: How did this artist (me) feel while = painting=20 this piece?

"Having Fun" by Holly Van = Hart,=20 2008

The title of this piece, "Having = Fun", gives away=20 the answer. I could have also called it "Happy". Unlike the = other=20 paintings in this newsletter, this painting is=20 affordable. And it's hanging in my home.

Since this is a newsletter, I hope you = don't mind=20 if I share two pieces of good news . . . I learned today that I = won a=20 prize for "The=20 Kiss" in the Menlo Art League's 2008 Annual=20 Exhibit. Also, my watercolor "Two=20 Left Hands" was a finalist in the recent 2008 University Art = Open=20 competition. As other artists have said before me, = when you work alone in your studio so much of the time, = it's=20 refreshing to get some outside recognition for your work.

In closing, whatever your taste in art, I hope = you can=20 make the time to seek out at least one piece of great original = art (in=20 person), and put aside the to-do lists and text messages, and see, = really see,=20 and hopefully really feel, what the artist has to = offer. Please=20 let me know how it goes!

All the best,

Holly

Related links: Mary=20 Cassatt, Pablo=20 Picasso, Mark=20 Rothko, Paintings by Holly Van Hart, = My Blog

Quote of the Day: "A picture = lives by=20 companionship, expanding and quickening in the eyes of the sensitive=20 observer. It dies by the same token." Mark = Rothko

Holiday=20 Gift Idea: High quality note cards based on my paintings make a = unique=20 gift. The cards are hand assembled using glossy photo = images. Each=20 set of 8 cards comes with matching envelopes. The set comes = in a=20 clear resealable envelope, and is wrapped with a pretty = bow. Click here for = details and=20 examples.

Please spread the word . . . if you have friends or = family who=20 might be interested in this newsletter, feel free = to forward it=20 to them.

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