When I first started to paint, I was taking classes and I was really confused by all the advice I was getting. I remember asking the instructor: %92what makes a good painting?%92. Well, wasn%92t that the mother question of all time.

Yes, what makes a good painting?

At this point, you are probably asking yourself %92who is she to answer such a question?%92. Trust me, I am asking myself that question. All I can do is tell you %92what makes a good painting FOR ME%92.

After years of painting, taking classes, talking to people, looking at art, I have come to a place where I can look at a painting and know why I either like it, or not, or what I think is missing, what could be done better, what would give that painting the wow factor.

Here are some of the elements of a good painting: (I%92m sure there are many more....)

First would be technical proficiency and an interesting subject, with a strong focal point where most of the contrast is located. It should have good balance, movement, unity and colour harmony. It should have a feeling of freshness and not appear overworked. And finally, it should have an element of surprise. Suzanne Northcott told us, in a workshop that I took with her, that a painting should have a surprise. It%92s like the cherry on the sundae.

So now, whenever I am approaching the final stages of a painting, I ask myself %92where%92s the surprise?%92. It can be an unexpected shape, or colour, or element, but it should catch and please your eye.

Now, knowing all this, wouldn%92t you think it would be really easy to produce a masterpiece? Yeah, right...

Share your thoughts on the subject by clicking on %92Comments%92 below.

Suzette

"If the painting process is to be successful, we need to be able to apply paint expressively, to compose originally, and to maximize color as well as design." (Stephen Quiller)

There are many forms of art. We are surrounded by art all the time, more so than we realize on a day-to-day basis. Every jingle on television, every cereal box in our cupboard contains art work. There is music and drama, paintings, sculpture, etc. etc. There is also installation art. Some examples of installation art: an exhibit of dresses made out of raw meat, an exhibit of used sneakers, or worse yet, an exhibit of used tampons (yes, I%92m not kidding...).

So my question today is %92what makes it art?%92 Is the art in the execution, the use of skills learned and practiced over a long period of time; is it about originality, doing something that is new; is it about timing, something that is considered art today would not have been art 100 years ago; is it about the concept, the idea, like installation art; is it about beauty or lack thereof; is it about creating a reaction, positive or negative; is it about feeling, the power to move someone, to touch them in a meaningful way; is it about novelty, %92oh look, a dog has painted this one%92. Here%92s another idea: is it art (or not) because the masses like it; or is it art because the %92experts%92 say it is.

What makes it art? Is it in the doing, or is it in the thinking? Is it the difficulty of execution that makes it art, or is it the idea, the concept behind it? Is execution secondary to concept, or is concept more important than execution? Does a great concept, poorly executed, still make it as art; does a beautiful painting, with no real concept behind it, still qualify as art?

There is art out there that I don%92t think is art at all; and there is art that doesn%92t get recognized as art. And maybe it%92s all subjective after all. For my money, it%92s art to me if it%92s beautiful, if it speaks to me, if it moves me in some way. And yes, I did say %92beautiful%92 (although by beautiful I don%92t mean %92pretty%92), because for me, it%92s not art if it%92s ugly or if it just provokes a reaction, or bad feelings; it%92s a statement then, not necessarily art. Art should be uplifting, make us feel better about ourselves and our world. What%92s the point otherwise?

“Why shouldn%92t art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world.”     (Pierre-Auguste Renoir)

Share your views by clicking on %92Comment%92 below.

Suzette

Visual artists (painters, sculptors, etc.) usually work in isolation. The road we need to travel to create our art usually must be travelled alone. Sure, some of us belong to art clubs and they provide much needed companionship and feedback. We take workshops, we participate in group shows, visit galleries and museums with friends. But when it comes down to creating, most of us do that alone. I occasionally get together with friends to paint; that is fun but doesn%92t usually result in any serious work. Serious work needs more concentration, more personal effort, more gnawing and gnashing of teeth and pouring of blood, sweat and tears. It can be a lonely road.

Some believe that the group experience (when creating) can diminish creativity, resulting in a watered down effort, a middle-of-the-road kind of result, possibly even (heaven forbid) mediocrity.

It%92s probably different for everyone. I for one really enjoy being involved with different groups. I love the friendships I have made. I love the support and encouragement I have received. And while I enjoy the occasional %92group%92 painting session, I do most of my work alone. I believe in balance in all things, and that balance of alone time and group time seems to work for me.

What about you? How do you create your best works? Share your experience by clicking on %92Comments%92 below.

Suzette

"What I do, I do alone. Doing art is a very isolated task. No voice is raised with mine and no one can pull with me. I have with me always the voices and knowledge of those who go before me, and those who breathe alongside me and cheer me on. But realistically, I pull this anchor in alone." (Jane Kley)