Go Figure

Van Hart "On = Art"=20 Newsletter =20 Issue 4 January 2009

Dear Art Friends,

I hope you're having a great start to the = new=20 year!

Over the last month, our family has = been super-busy=20 with moving to a new house (which was lots of work), and hosting my = family from=20 NY for the holidays (which was lots of fun). Now it's back to = painting in=20 full force.

This issue of my newsletter about Figure=20 Painting. Hope you have as much = fun reading=20 it as I had writing it.

Best wishes for a healthy and fun = 2009,

Holly

Go Figure

There's nothing more visually compelling to us = humans than=20 other humans. Whether we're in a cafe, stadium, = shopping=20 mall, or art gallery, what we look at most is other people. There = are all=20 sorts of reasons for this, but there's no denying that we keep on doing=20 it.

So it comes as no suprise that people are such a popular = subject in=20 artwork. In art-speak, a painting of a person or = people is=20 called a "Figure Painting".

Being interested in people is only part of what inspires an = artist to=20 invest many hours or weeks or even months in creating a particular = figure=20 painting. Some other passion is a critical part of the mix,=20 too.

In this newsletter, we'll look at examples of Figure Paintings = and the=20 passions that fueled them.

Figure Painting #1: "The = Scream"

"The Scream" by Edvard = Munch,=20 1893

Let's start with a figure painting = we've all seen=20 before, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch (pronounced=20 "Moonk"). What inspired Munch to paint = this=20 disturbing piece?

Munch had a passion for exploring = themes of fear=20 and death in his artwork. This was a deep, internal = passion=20 stemming in part from his sad = childhood. Munch wrote,=20 =E2=80=9CFrom (my father) I inherited the seeds of madness. = The angles of=20 fear, sorrow, and death stood by my side since the day I was=20 born.=E2=80=9D

With this painting, Munch met his = stated goal of=20 =E2=80=9Cthe study of the soul, that is to say the study of my own=20 self=E2=80=9D. You could = say that Munch=20 was a prototypical anguished = artist.

Figure=20 Painting #2: "The Dance Class"

"The Dance Class" by Edgar = Degas,=20 1874

Well, you don't have to be mad or sad to be a great figure = painter. =20 Edgar Degas (pronounced duh-GAH) was one of = the=20 best. He had a passion for capturing people's characteristic=20 movements and gestures, as evidenced in his painting "The Dance=20 Class".

Degas was amazingly creative in finding all sorts of = contemporary=20 settings and subjects to fulfill his passion - cafe scenes, = racecourse=20 scenes, women at work, female bathers, and (his favorite by far, = accounting for=20 over half his paintings) ballet dancers.

Figure Painting = #3: "Mark=20 McGwire"

"Mark McGwire" by LeRoy = Nieman,=20 1999

Another artist with a passion for people in movement is an=20 80-something American painter named LeRoy Nieman. Perhaps you've = heard of=20 him. By his own account, Nieman is "probably the most popular = artist living=20 in the United States". Nieman is inspired by athletes and sporting = events,=20 and (as you can see above) he uses brilliant colors in a = semi-abstract=20 style. His original paintings can command prices of over = $100,000;=20 this is a steep price for a living painter.

Nieman has the dubious privilege of being = called "the highest=20 paid and most belittled artist of our time". That's because the = art=20 critics have never ever taken him seriously. = Why? It seems=20 that Nieman's art is so popular that the critics don't = consider=20 it fine art. Hmmm. Go figure!

Figure = Painting #4: "Shopping"

"Shopping (Vietnamese = Woman)" by Holly=20 Van Hart, 2009

Lately I've come to have a = passion for=20 painting people in action too, and (humbly putting my work after the=20 others) "Shopping" is part of this = series. Why did=20 I choose to paint this Vietnamese woman at a=20 market?

Well, my husband Ike and I have = a great=20 passion for learning about other cultures, and we've traveled to = dozens of=20 countries over the years. This painting was inspired by a 3-week=20 trip we took to China to see the ethnic minorities in the = Yunnan=20 province, and by a photo taken by my good friend Veronique=20 Gillard. (Thank you Veronique!) For me, it is a = symbol of=20 our passion for travel.

This painting was awarded 1st = place in=20 a local art contest last week. You can read more about it on = my blog, and see = more=20 People in Action on my = website.

In closing, it takes a great passion = for people,=20 a great passion for painting, and some other significant passions = to create=20 great figure paintings (or in my case, to aspire to create great figure=20 paintings). It's been a tremendous joy for me to have the = time to=20 chase these passions, and to share them with you. Thanks so = much for=20 your interest, and I hope 2009 brings all of us plenty of time = to=20 chase our passions!

All the best,

Holly

Related links: Edvard = Munch, Edgar = Degas,=20 LeRoy Nieman, = Paintings by = Holly Van=20 Hart,
My Painting = Blog=20

Quote of the = Day: =E2=80=9CArt is not what you=20 see, but what you make others see.=E2=80=9D Edgar = Degas

Please feel free to forward = this=20 newsletter to any friends or family members who may be=20 interested.

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