In the practitioners of landscape as an
art form and especially in watercolour media, there are two types of
painters. No, I am not talking here of other classifications, we have
discussed before. Like, amateur and a professional . But those who
are at home with landscape and watercolour; those who paint in this
genre all the time. And those who paint this as a thing to paint, as
a study; to continue what they learnt and enjoyed once.
The first type of painters of landscape
are usually clear about their aims and needs. They may be utterly
confused about techniques and materials, like all painters are in
some way. But there is clarity and sense of purpose in their
painting, They may be painting to sell, but they are clear about it!
The other type is one which I am
curious about. Why they go and paint on locale landscapes. Yes. This
kind of painter usually insists on on locale work. The full time
landscape painter has usually no qualms about traditions. Many are
quite at home while painting from photos and memories. But the
painters of other representational/ contemporary art forms, when they
'return' to landscape, I personally find them confused. First mostly
they still think of landscape as a 'study',which was submission topic
in early years of art school. They still like it, but now 'maturity' has
taken them to more serious stuff. So they paint landscape , totally
split inside. Some feel like a grown up playing a kindergarten play.
And they are not to be blamed. The whole conditioning they get
towards landscape, the buck stops there!
Still some come 'back' to landscape
painting . Insisting on location tradition and age old watercolour
techniques as sacrosanct. Their 'maturity' does not make them see the
truth that those 'traditions' were okay while really 'studying' the
landscape. So I have seen what they paint is completely out of sync
not only current trends in landscape, which full timers have brought
about with their efforts, but also out of sync with their own mature
level of painting achieved in their full time genre.
And it also brings in another level of
guilt. Apart from doing 'study' work , they also find themselves
inept in comparison to others. And blame is put on lack of practice!
And in rare 'thinking' types, blame goes to the art form he practices
full time. And his usual media of choice, which is not watercolour
anymore. All that creates clouds in thinking and reasoning.
But all that is wrong blame game. It is
the 'going back to study' feeling that is the culprit. When a person
matures in real life, she matures all round. Not just in walk and
talk and eating habits but in dressing, behaviour and most
importantly thinking. A mature artist, who is a abstract painter now,
should not 'go back' while painting lad]landscape. If she goes back,
her landscapes are also doing that with her. In some measure, he
dragging himself back to his student level!
So, whats the solution?. As far as I
can see, while observing them; it is simple. Stop the 'study'!
Rather bring the understanding you have come to, in your 'major
subject', into your landscape. Bring in the sense of composition you
have gained, an abstract artist, into the landscape. Bring in the
feeling you try to capture, in portraiture, into the landscape. Bring
in the experimental streak of a contemporary artist, to your
landscapes.
All will benefit. He will as an artist,
with his 'major subject ' also getting a bit of help with these
experiments. Other full time landscape painters will be helped, while
observing a non representational artist, tackling an art form like
landscape. And finally my dear landscape, as an art form will also be
better off!
