In this concluding issue of my Language of Painting series, let's look at what makes this language work. If you'd like to review the series'
previous discussions, here are the links: Color --Value -- Shape -- Texture -- Size -- Line and Direction
THE ENGINE OF THE VISUAL LANGUAGE
A car sitting in your driveway will not take you anywhere without its engine, the thing that causes all its transporting parts to work. In the same way, a language will not work without an "engine". Each part
of that engine has its own function as we saw in our previous discussions. Color, value, shape, texture, size, line, and direction are the painter's engine parts, each having its own function.
Study carefully these two paintings, one abstract and the other realistic.
Taken from Richard Schmid's website
Each of these paintings has all the parts working top-notch, yet they are significantly different from each other. That difference doesn't make one better than the other. It's just using the same
language to create a different expression, even though each of the parts is playing its role.
THE PAINTER'S TOOLS FOR USING THE PARTS
The painter's tools are more than just materials. They also include the ability to see, the ability to feel, the ability to think, the knowledge of the language, the knowledge of how to make the
language work, and the skills necessary to do use these abilities.
The language functions the same way as nature does--by principles. These principles are not rules, rather generators that cause things to happen. There is nothing the painter has to memorize, only methods of
working he and she learns by doing.
Stop right now and go HERE to see all the synonyms the Thesaurus lists for the word generate. We are doing most of these
things when we create a painting. That's why I like the word generator to talk about principles. It is how we use these to compose our paintings that makes the painting work.
In my book, Finding Freedom to Create, I say "composing is the heartbeat of expression." All that goes
into the composing process determines the painting's journey, makes its totally expression. And that's the journey I will be taking you on in the coming weeks.
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