The Art of Charles Spratt
  • Home
  • gallery
  • About
  • Charlie's Blog
  • ART NEWS
  • MAA Plein Air
  • Contact

Choices

3/3/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Charlie giving an outdoor demo

How often do we pass up an opportunity simply because we are stuck in our own patterns? I have been guilty too often myself. As a child I was open to all ideas including fantasy and make believe. Now, as I grow older, I know that I have adopted certain perspectives on life in general and art in particular that aren’t easy to change. I watch my seven-year old granddaughter, lying on the floor with a colouring book, carefully applying colours totally different from reality (a red cow, green sky). I ask myself, why not? Getting too old for imagination? I hope not.

Whenever I am asked to comment on an artist’s work or a group of artist’s paintings at a meeting, for example, I listen carefully. I start in by asking questions, hoping to determine what advice might be helpful. When I hear defensive walls going up such as “but, it’s not finished yet” or “that’s the way it was” my impulse is to be polite and move on. But when an artist asks, “How would you handle this subject?” or “I think I need help with design, don’t you?” my instincts tell me that they are looking for some fresh choices and I am pleased to be asked - especially when I feel that the artist is sincerely interested in my take. Quite often a simple question, turns into an interesting discussion.

Art is so personal. Relying on years of teaching and painting experience, I explain how I would approach the painting, offering possibilities to correct problem areas, perhaps suggesting ideas for a more dramatic approach by tweaking the composition – all in the form of choices for discussion. Even if the artist decides to reject any or all suggestions, in the end, they are farther ahead having seen their work through the practiced eye of another artist. Simply by asking.

It’s a two-way street of course. I get a lot of enjoyment from organizing the Manotick Art Association Plein Air program for example and dealing with the occasional request from a struggling artist. Each time we paint together I get to observe different painting approaches, I check out the latest art gizmos, and I try to understand how the others make time for their art with their busy lifestyles and commitments. It’s amazing.

Happy painting and exciting new choices,
Charlie Spratt
March 2020
0 Comments

    C. Spratt

    The Art of Charles Spratt

    Archives

    April 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed


​HOME

​​

GALLERY

ABOUT

BLOG
​ART NEWS
MAA PlEIN AIR
CONTACT


©2021 - Charles Spratt Art  |  All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • gallery
  • About
  • Charlie's Blog
  • ART NEWS
  • MAA Plein Air
  • Contact