When is a Painting Done?

Abstract painting, particularly the type without any imagery, causes one to wonder how the artist knows the picture is finished. The short answer is a quote from Picasso (or at least a paraphrase), which is something to the effect that "a work of art is never finished, it is simply abandoned."

The word "abandoned" is a bit harsh, as it has a negative connotation, but it is close. Obviously, it is not possible to say that a painting with no imagery, or imagery that is a loose representation of a thing, is ever "finshed." I can say your portrait is finished. I can say the painting of an apple is finished. But how can I say that a painting that consists of only a series of lines, circles and masses of color is finished?

When I start to paint I generally have no plan at all. At best, I may have a vague notion of what I hope to achieve, but there are no plans or sketches. I allow the painting to sort of take its own path. I put on some black, swish it around and see what happens. I add some white, and maybe some color, and see where these things take me.

There comes a time when I wonder if there is anything else I can or should do. One can over work a picture. Just as a lawyer needs to know when to shut up, the artist needs to know when to leave the picture alone. This point in development of the painting is not always clear. There often comes a point when I look at the painting and don't know what to do next. That is a good time to stop, at least for a while. I then put the painting to the side for maybe several weeks, and look at it later.

At that point, one of three things will happen. 1) I like it the way it is and decide to quit; 2) I don't like it, and I see what else might be done to it; or 3) I paint over some or all of it. This may go on for several rounds. I continue with the "unfinished" picture until I like the way it looks, or I give up and paint over it.

In the end, there should be some feeling of satisfaction I get from looking at it, at which time I try not to ruin it putting more paint on it.

Visit my website at www.MichaelHendersonGallery.com

What Next for Art and the Artist?

The Development of Painting: What Next?

The question of what direction painting should take next has been gnawing at me. As a painter, I am not satisfied with learning a set of skills and simply applying them to make a pretty picture; this is easily done. I am concerned with making a contribution to the development of art, and with moving it in some direction. But these days that is not easy, and may not be possible, and it may not even be relevant. Painting has gone from realism to total abstraction and back. Is there a “direction” in which painting can be taken, or is it simply a matter of finding a unique and interesting style?

Western painting over the centuries before the impressionists was concerned with trying to make accurate representations of things and people. This is understandable, as there were no cameras, and such things needed to be drawn or painted to preserve their images. Some artists varied the way that was done, such as el Greco and Caravagio, and some artists did it better than others, but the point was still to create a recognizable image.

The impressionists used a looser painting style to manipulate light, which bordered on the abstract, but which always had the goal of producing an image. These painters broke from the tradition and opened a door to Picasso and his contemporaries to move on and try other things. Picasso, who, by the way, could paint and draw like the old masters from the time he was a child, worked for years to develop painting beyond what the impressionists had done. His early works reflect an impressionist influence, but quickly moved to a distinct style in the blue and rose periods. If Picasso had continued in this style, he would have been looked at as mere extension of the impressionists. He did not, and with Les Mademoiselles d’Avignon (1907), he single-handedly marked the beginning of cubism.

Picasso’s paintings, and all that came after (with one or two exceptions) were still intended to represent something. At the same time Picasso was working, other artists were making paintings ranging from those with abstract imagery, to those with no imagery. I do not know when all imagery was first taken from painting, but the most notable event was the invention of the “all over” paintings and the drip paintings of Jackson Pollock.

Pollock’s paintings are interesting to look at, and I like them, including those made before the drip paintings. He only made the drip paintings for a short time, and then went on to try and find something else, a quest that was largely unsuccessful before he died. But with the drip paintings he set painters free. There were no longer any rules of composition, and it was the act of painting that was important. The only resemblance these works have to anything that came before is that they consisted of paint on canvas. He only used a brush to cause the paint to drip, and painted on the floor, rather than an easel.

What is really important about the painters from the impressionists through Pollock, is that they were consciously working to find something new. Not just a unique style, but a new way to represent things and light, and a new direction for painting. Can we do that today, that conscious searching for a new direction, or are we reduced to simply finding a unique signature style and sticking with it?

Consider that in painting anything goes. We can paint (and sell) photo realistic work. We can paint (and sell) minimalist work. We can do the same thing with work in an impressionist style, and work that is purely abstract. So what is the challenge for the artist? The challenge is to find a unique style that is identified only with that painter, while not being an imitation of others. This is all we can do.

Interior Designers and Decorators

My paintings would add interest and color to any room, would be a valuable resource for interior designers.

I welcome inquiries from interior designers and decorators, and will be glad to work out a price and commission schedule that compensates us both fairly.

If your clients are interested in decorating with abstract art, but they need something with a size or color scheme different than the paintings on the site, I would be happy to discuss it with you and try to come up with a custom solution.

My goal is to make the purchase of one of my paintings as easy and pleasant of an experience as possible, whether you are purchasing one already completed, or a custom project.

Please fell free to contact at any time.

Mike Henderson

TheArtist@MichaelHendersonGallery.com

"Three Figures" - A Triptych

This group of three paintings, which I expect to be kept together as a triptych (although not totally necessary) are my most recent completed works. They seem to be astronomical figures, but there is no secret symbolism or meaning to any of the elements. They are not meant to actually represent anything. They are all the same size, 40 x 50 cm, and all oil on canvas.

As any painter knows, particularly an abstract painter, once you start painting the work takes on a life of its own. It's as though the act of putting the first dab of paint on the surface brings something alive that was dead before, or did not exist at all. But once the paint is on, it lives, and what happens to the painting is, to a large extent, due to what the picture wants to do, not what the artist wants.

This is a strange notion, but I have done several paintings where I tried to make the picture do what I wanted it to do. It resisted me. There was bad energy coming from it. When this happens the picture is most unsatisfactory. Then some or all of it is painted over. When I finally realize that this must be done, and then give in to the will of the picture, the result is much better, the painting satisfies me, and good energy is all round.

I am not a new age freak, I do not believe in all this spirituality, but there is definitely a vibe coming from the canvas once the pain is put on.

This is perhaps an element to abstract painting that makes it so appealing to both the artist and the viewer. Look at an abstract painting in museum, where you can see it up close, in its original size, and see the true colors. You will either sense that the artist surrendered to what the painting wanted to do, or that the artist continued to struggle against the painting, imposed his will, and then quit. The result may be a work that is satisfactory to look at, in general, but there will be something not quite right - something negative coming from it.

www.MichaelHendersonGallery.com

Cy Twombly

The other day I was in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection here in Venice and for the first time actually noticed a painting by Cy Twombly. It's possible that the painting was not there before, or that my state of mind at the time caused me to ignore it. But now I was looking for some inspiration, as I have not painted anything for a few weeks, and did not have the inclination to do so. Since the visit I have not painted, either, but I bought two canvases.

I had heard of Cy, but I had not lent any importance to him until now. I did a little research when I got home and discovered that he is still living, and lives and works in Rome. I looked at other of his paintings on the internet. I do not like all of them, and I think the best work was done in the 50's, but he is still going at it, although he is 80. This gives me hope.

My research came up with an article relating to his recent exhibition at the Tate Modern. There were tidbits from an interview with him, and the most interesting part was his observation that he looked in books dealing with modern art, and the abstract expressionists or gesturalists, of which he is clearly one, but his name does not appear. His works are in important museums all over the world, but he is still only a blip on the radar. Is this because he is still alive?

His paintings, even the more recent stuff, are sort of the antithesis of mine. I generally cover the whole canvas (but not always) and that part of the canvas that is covered is full of color and activity. His paintings, particularly the older ones, are much more sparse. You may see more of this effect in my paintings in the future; I like the effect. Actually, it had occurred to me to make sparse paintings with pencil marks and drawings, but I have not been able to bring myself to stop painting before the canvas is covered.

See my art at www.MichaelHendersonGallery.com