Henri Matisse once said, “What I dream of is an art of
balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject
matter.” We can give two thumbs up to his dream but the real world is full of
the stresses of things and events that keep us off track and we question where
all the beauty has gone. Yes, I am talking about the evening news and all the
human drama.
As artists we can’t live in a pure and unspoiled world. Some
of the most profound art has been created in the some of the most troubling of
times. The true test of the creative soul is challenged to the max but great
art can and must continue to keep the human spirit alive and looking to a
higher level of the human experience.
When we artists step into our studio or the great outdoor
studio of nature we have tricks to push the troubling or depressing subject
matters out of our creative environment. For me pleasant music or the perfect
tea flavor help to keep the depressing subject at bay.
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| Lascaux Nights, 36x48 acrylic, by Joel F. Ellis "I imagined these cave artists working with limited use of tools and light to impress expressions of their life then, exhausted, coming out into the vast starry night." |
Keeping the creative juices flowing has always been a
challenge to artists. Think about the cave dwellers of the Lascaux region in
France. The massive painting surface was the home of cave bears that could not
have been too happy about the invading dweller/artist living in their former
home. That kind of commotion could
really provide the stress of their times, an angry mad bear at the artist’s
door.
Let’s hope we can
keep the angry mad bear away from our studio door and create art that has
balance, purity and serenity in this New Year.
Best to you,
Joel
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