Hello Friends:
"Painting is the expression of ideas in their permanent form. It is the giving of evidence. It is the study of our lives, our environment. The American who is useful as an artist is one who studies his own life and records his experiences; in this way he gives evidence. If a man has something to say he will find a way of saying it." Robert Henri, The Art Spirit
Well, I'm not a man, but I do try to study and record the people and events in my life. This painting of my husband, sons, and nephew is a record of one of many long days of body surfing which came to an end with the setting of the sun. Even though they were painted in shadow, their forms make them instantly recognizable. Small areas of warmth from the sun are all that are needed to give them a bit of life. Exhaustion from the beating waves makes their forms relaxed and happy. I hope you can pick that up too.
As an aside to my artist friends, I'd like to tell you how much I've been enjoying reading and rereading The Art Spirit by Robert Henri. An American artist and teacher who lived until 1929, his gift for verbalizing his devotion to art and creative learning is endlessly inspiring to me. I find myself picking up this book and letting it fall open where it may. I'll start reading there and find something to inspire me anew. I highly recommend this book to any artist.
