Talking about it

Dear Robert, It is amazing how often your letters coincide with exactly what is happening with my works. Years ago, I was told by someone much wiser than me, that I should cry my tears in my work. I was also told that my career would be beyond my wildest dreams. Both seem to have come true. Recently, a dear old friend of mine became a new client and commissioned a painting of her city. This “city” I happen to have spent my formative teenage years in…Calgary. It was a difficult time, I was gay, had the last name Ferrie, it was 1980 in a city where riding bulls and steers was a recreation. I was bullied and teased and it was some of the most horrid years of my life. I like that now there is this whole campaign “It Gets Better”. But all I recall back then was wondering “What about Monday”. One a good day, I would only be called “HOMO” or tripped in the hallway twice a day. On a bad day, they would spray paint “FAGGOT” on my locker (that stayed there for three months) and I was pelted with rocks on my way home. Since I have gained some notoriety, I occasionally get a call from someone who lived along side me in that battlefield. One girl asked me once if I “saw any of the old gang?” I was like “what one gang? I was swigging kahlua out of a thermos with the janitor after school till the crowd dispersed”. So, I agreed to paint a painting of the city I once loathed. It is 32 years later and I could not get over how sophisticated Calgary had become. As I sketched out what I wanted to communicate, I realized what I had become and I was no longer that pimply faced awkward young boy. I had now travelled the world and not only developed a new self esteem, but a whole new armour. I began to recall several friendships I had with people who are still my friends today. There were many warm wonderful nights and when Calgary had a snow storm, it became a winter wonderland. I wanted this painting to be beautiful and as I knew it would be viewed by Calgarians, the most loyal and loving citizens, this painting was born. The best thing I did was forgive the past and let go of any demands. It is said that when you hate, you are the only person involved. I began a new found love affair with Calgary and realized as I had a roll to play back then, that everyone was probably just as scared and insecure as I was. For the first time in my life I painted something new…forgiveness. John Ferrie

Throughout my life I have been a visual type person. Whether I participated in various sports like baseball, basketball, or golf I had to be shown, visually, how to play the game. The same is true in the arts. I fail to learn much about painting by reading about it or discussing it. I have to be shown or perform the act of painting myself. Trial and error is the norm for me. Self-talk or thinking about what I am doing will result in disaster. Any talking or verbalizing should be done while making a thumbnail sketch or plan prior to starting a work. I’ve gone to a number of workshops or demos where the instructor discusses what they are doing during pauses. I seldom see them paint and talk at the same time.

Purposely engaging both sides of my brain allows my studio time to continue uninterrupted. After preparing my paints and after preliminary sketching-both of which require concentration-I can paint with books on tape (cd’s and downloads preferred) while I use my brushes, my right brain paints and left brain is transported to the book’s locale and characters. I can ignore phone and food and complete large blocks of time in the studio. Funny part is, I have to stop one activity at a time, turning off the literature and art at the same time puts my head in a quandary, I need to ease out of the zone! Often part of the book enters the painting, even if it is just a phrase or the title “borrowed” for my title.

Talk it out, Jeanette. For some of us the talking- getting it out of our brains and into the room where we can hear it ourselves- is EXACTLY how our brains work. So don’t listen to anybody tell you otherwise.

Congrats John, on your growth experience.

I agree that verbalizing out loud is less helpful than making quiet mental notes… I have two walls in our living room covered with nails, where I hang work in progress. It is an ever changing parade of eclectic works that I can look up and see from time to time, whilst reading, watching TV or chatting to my husband, and almost as a subconscious process, immediately spot the flaws and solutions. As I understand it, this has to do with left brain/ right brain function. Thinking analytically in order to verbalize solutions is a left brain function, but our best art comes when we are using our intuitive creative right brain function.

I’ve been to critique sessions and I find that the ‘know it all’s’ who love the sound of their own voices will cruelly critique and that turns artists off. I like to hear from the quiet ones who start off their ‘suggestions’ by stating, “in my opinion, or I might try……etc.” Lots more helpful!

How do I know what I think until I hear what I say?

As a young painting student at the San Francisco Art Institute in the early 1970’s, I was once told by a dearly loved instructor [Hassle Smith] to “…just shut the hell up and paint!” . The exclamation point was Hassle’s, as always. I have tried to live by that advice ever since.

For me, painting and sculpture are meditative activities so the best thing I can do is get away from verbal thought and let my mind free to take in and create images from my own subconscious mind. As I quiet my transient thoughts and get into a meditative state, I sometimes find I am in flow, and time disappears. When that happens, I almost feel like I channel the universe. That’s when I receive my best ideas and when I create my best concepts and images. Does this happen for you? Is this a common experience?

When an artist paints something, he is painting an experience or a feeling, something akin to the ineffable. If you try to discuss it, it changes lobes in the brain. I’m sure you have said many times, when discussing the ineffable, silence is an option. If you want to go academic, go ahead and discuss, but only after completing the painting.

Apart from the odd explitetive when I come up with a feeble splidge instead of a nice rounded splodge, that’s about it for me.

I am totally agreed with you on this one; working silently and making a series of mental notes works for me. And thank you for all the insightful letters.

Usually I think your essays are right on. In this case, I disagree. An artist is in constant dialogue with a painting. If this dialogue becomes verbal, it can only make an artist’s commitment to the process that much stronger. When I am painting this conversation usually takes place in my head, but not always. Sometimes I resort to a little dance move. As a teacher it is essential that I tell my students the thought process I am going through when doing a demonstration. I don’t want them to see it as magic. It is 90% work and experience. Students benefit from knowing “Why”: Why did you set up the still life in that manner?; Why did you decide to darken an area?; Why did you add a green/gray shadow? The demonstration is not only in the painting but also in the dialogue I am having with the demo painting. If each student can learn to be immersed in his own dialogue with his own painting then he is focused, which leads to better paintings.

I am not a big fan of talking either to the painting in my studio while working or to an onlooker artist who may be painting along side in a workshop situation. On the other hand I have a constant dialog with my process while painting. I try and never be specific with this dialog. For instance when I think about color, I never name a color except in general terms or if a space is too much or too little. I also use distance to help me “see” better. What I mean is I walk away and get a cup of java or play with my dogs or anything to get me away from the problem. Many years ago when I came upon a seamingly insurmountable problem; the kind that lead to a massive headache, I would find a place to lay down and take a quick nap. Generally this would be for five to ten mintes. When I awoke, nine time out of ten; or more time than not, I had a solution. The idea is to let it go completely. When you return you will see what needs to be done. Talking about it gets in the way of the flow of instinct.

This is not just true for the visual artist. There is a woman in my writer’s group that has more than 20 versions of each of her pieces. Every time she gets feedback, she re-writes the piece according to the most recent person’s critique and even a reader who doesn’t write will get her back to revising. She can’t even decide which is the best version when she tries to submit it. I have tried to convince her that she needs to trust herself more. She needs to decide herself what her writing needs to be better. Otherwise she may be editing her own voice right out of the piece. I, myself, am quite the opposite of this woman. I have gotten pages and pages of information on how I can make my novel better, but I can only change what I eventually internalize as the best way FOR ME to tell this story. I just can’t bring myself to accept someone else’s advice no matter how much better a storyteller they are. I don’t know if you have heard of visual artists doing something like this. I would be curious to learn more about your take on this subject. There are not too many successful works of art out there that have been done by committee. Even murals have to have ONE artist who is in charge and tells the others what to do. Even Patterson has the last word on his novels despite paying others to write them.

Strangely enough I have experienced the same thing and never realized it. While working on a watercolor at home I had a former student call me on the phone to complain about what they felt was the lack of preparation that our college provided them for their chosen profession. (Graphic Design) As the student carried on, I had to continue painting since I hate stopping in the middle of a watercolor painting, especially when working in a spontaneous manner. After I completed the phone call, and the panting, I realized the the results of the painting experience were better than I had expected. Unfortunately the phone call did not produce good results, but sometimes that’s the way it goes. I will have to try using the principle of using such distractions as a way of keeping the painting spontaneous and less mechanical or contrived.

I disagree, but not completely. With regard to intuition and creativity, I was a purist once, but now admit that structure is the other half of the process, and process is as valuable as the product; sometimes more. Since only one out of many attempts may be successful, reflecting on and translating each experience into words helps us to become more aware, learn and grow. Talking and writing are entirely different than producing it, and although challenging, anything at all that helps us see our work in a different light is beneficial. Most importantly, if we intend to go public as professionals, we need to be confident, clear about ourselves as artists; what we’re doing, why and how we do it. Galleries and potential clients expect us to know what we’re talking about. Even though our first language is visual, others may look to us for a more logical explanation of what they are seeing and feeling. Knowing a few technical terms to describe our work is essential. Our ability to put words to something so subjective may even help to sell it. I never want to get cat caught again stuttering and sputtering at gallery openings, where most critics may not be practicing artists. Those who would buy expect us to know what we’re doing, and superficial as it may seem to us, that may require us to dissect and describe. Over-thinking – or worse, trying to please others – can be a distraction, but in order to learn and improve, honesty and criticism are necessary, whether from self or others. Others’ opinions are extremely valuable, even if they seem to disagree with everything we think we’re about. Inevitably, confidence comes from questioning, reevealuation and revision, which includes not only practice of our craft, but talking about it and writing about it. I’ve learned so much by having a blog; more like a journal now, and even though it can take days or weeks to articulate a concept, the challenge and experience guides me forward more quickly than if I had not ventured there.

I really responded to your comments about the tongue and the brain. I agree, it is hard to verbalize while painting, and words can stifle, a little. I find that listening to audio books or podcasts works for me. Seattle

The acts of painting and sculpting are a little mysterious…semi-automatic, and intuitive. Words get in the way; they confuse and obfuscate the creative process.

I talk to myself, I always have and they have not locked me up yet. I carry on 2-3 voices conversations. But when I am working on a problem I usually keep my talking to questions, “What if…., How about….? Can I try this….?” It beats down the pat answers. When I walk I keep a pocket notebook and scribble notes. I used to run, I would talk, even scream at myself and hope that the surf downed me out. El Loco, Prague

One of my mentors, Robert Hoffman, taught me to make a “punch list” as I’m finishing a painting. He makes a rough sketch of his painting and then makes notes about what he needs to do. He works around the painting in a sort of clockwise fashion and makes notes on his sketch as he goes. I’ve found that since I’m a visual vs a verbal person, this can help me work out problems.

Just because large amounts of people use a certain method, like talking with their friends about what to do next, doesn’t mean its a good practice. Many folks think they need cigarettes to think with, for example. The great painters learn to be loners, and while they may talk to themselves, like Sargent, they do it privately and discretely.

In your recent letter about purging I would like to disagree. A famous artist told me long ago that every piece of art that you do should never be thrown out. It is special, even if it is not “professional”. It is part of you, regardless of its technical skill. I still believe this and feel it is another way of learning and seeing progression. A Student Forever, LC

On purging, I would agree somewhat with Lynn. I have thrown away a lot of my art when I was younger that I wish I had to show my grandkids. My advice is to find something you like about a piece and perhaps tear it up and use it for collage, background for new artwork, or put it in a blender and use the pulp for something else!

Ms. Oblink is not alone. More important, she is not wrong, although your reply suggested that. Many people find talking aloud (T.A.) puts things in better perspective. T.A .may also increase short-term memory. Look at a 10 figure number, walk out the front door and back in. Can you remember the number? Say the number aloud twice. Go to door… etc. Many remember the number! But like all else T.A. must be used sensibly, Maybe jot down ideas, conclusions, then revise. As to Frank Tyger:- “There is no evidence that the tongue is connected to the brain”, this very funny but trite, and TOTALLY INCORRECT. There is a lot of evidence, with the exception of politics. Lastly, I really enjoy your letters, please do not stop sending them as a punishment (!) for disagreeing with you. I know you would not, because if you did I would call and seriously TALK ABOUT IT ! ! ! Vermilion, Alberta.