One way to give clarity to a problem we might encounter in our painting is to turn the painting upside down, then describe what we are seeing by using Haiku.
Traditional Haiku is a three line verse created with attention to syllables. There are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the
second and 5 in the third. Here is one way I might use Haiku to take an objective look at the small study below. First, I turn it upside down.
To give me focus, I go through the visual elements first--line, shape,
value, color, texture, size, direction. I take them one or two at a time and do a haiku describing what the are doing in the study upside down.
It's important not to judge what's happening, but simply describe it, using the Haiku form. It doesn't have to be profound, just descriptive. It can even be silly or lame.
Here's a Haiku that describes what I see the color doing:
Cool violets and blues (5 syllables)
dominate the painting's space (7 syllables)
meeting greens and orange. (5 syllables)
Here's another describing what the direction and value are doing:
Dark clings strong to top (5 syllables)
gently curving side to side (7 syllables)
lights repeat the curve (5 syllables)
HOW IT WORKS, WHY IT WORKS
Often we can't see what's happening because we continue to repeat the way we are looking at it. Turning the painting upside down helps
change our viewpoint. Then, by changing the way we describe WHAT we are seeing to a form other than our usual way of speaking, we break down the barrier of "brain chatter" by having to rearrange the vocabulary we use.
If you use your fingers to count the Haiku syllables, you can use your brain to find the right words to describe what you are seeing within
that syllable count.
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If making shadows look real and alive is a challenge for you, our upcoming Workshop on Wednesday (February 27), might be
just the answer. Spaces are limited to 10 takers, but we still have a few openings. We also have a wait list for those who miss out on the first 10 spaces or who might be interested in taking the same Workshop later on.
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