Dragonflies

 

I pinned my algae pond painting on the wall and have been digesting it for a couple of weeks.

 

I know I did the painting out of a notion of trying to capture the algae infested pond in my backyard but I am also keen on playing with my alum solution and the gold speckled Xuan paper.

I know this exercise seems to have nothing to do with traditional Chinese brush but it is so liberating to be able to play and goof off like a rambunctious kid.  This painting somehow reminds me of Monet's water lilies pond.  Obviously I am not suggesting my painting here is eponymous with the great master's but I suppose I could sniff out a smidgen of that scent.

Whereas I don't have any water lilies in my pond, I do have ducks, frogs and heron.  I contemplated adding a heron to my painting but for some reason I think it might be trite.  Forget about the marquee actors.  Let me give some unknown performers a chance.

How about bees and butterflies and dragonflies.  When I think of painting insects, one painter comes readily to mind.   Chi Baishi is known for offering a platform for insignificant subjects like fish, cicada, shrimp, crab, mouse, dragonfly, moth etc.  His paintings on such topics are simple and honest and ground breaking.  Everybody else was painting the lotus flowers and peony.

I see dragonflies darting around my pond.  There are a few varieties of them, but the most prominent ones are the red ones and ones with a white body and black markings on their wings.  The black and white scheme make these dragonflies very noticeable and should stand out against my blue green background of my painting too.  I presume.  I shall paint them, they are my unknown performers.

 

I am posing this dragonfly with its body tilted upwards, revealing its underbelly.  I am going to situate this dragonfly resting on top of a twig sticking out of the water.  The straight up composition guides the viewer to or away from the painting.  It works both ways.

 

This dragonfly sits farther down the twig, showing its entire white body with wings spread.   This is the black and white effect I am looking for.

 

A dragonfly that is flying away reveals only the white abdomen.  Its wings crossed like a propeller due to the lighting conditions.  This dragonfly is made to be not entirely succinct to hint motion and also add depth to the perspective.  It is my hope that this dragonfly assumes a role of a supporting cast in the background.  It gives its presence without robbing the lime lights of the main characters.

I've painted in little blobs of algae that break off from the main patches.  I use yellow highlights and dark shadows to give them a three dimensional feel.  I treat them as if they are the fresh oregano leaves one sprinkles onto a dish when the food is presented.  They are there to decorate and to add flavor.  

 

 

This shows the composition of the 3 dragonflies.  The blobs of algae have not received their yellow highlights and shadows yet and look flat on the paper.  

  

I'm adding a fourth dragonfly to my painting.  This one is flying away from the others; its white body radiant in the sun and its wings just a blur.   I am giving this dragonfly the strongest white value despite the fact that it is apparently not the main character.  It is used to add motion; suggesting the insect is zipping around the pond and direct the viewer to imagine beyond the edges of the painting.  This is to contrast with the upward pointing dragonfly at the top of the painting.  I've also added a few specks of nondescript bright white objects around this particular dragonfly as a tease.  They could be anything, any floating debris.  I am using them like decoys to help guide the viewers to this particular dragonfly.  You may say that they are like the guiding elements on a UHF antenna.  I am hoping that the convergence and divergence of points of interest will help to add intrigue to my painting.

 

 

I am trying to avoid parallel lines, which is common in painting water, by painting an undulating, swirling  pattern with the help of algae.  I am hoping to avoid being stoic and create a sense of liveliness out of this dead body of water.

C'est la vie, it is up to us to find beauty and inspiration in something that is dull and mundane.  Whether the situation is an eyesore or poetic topic for a painting, it is our call.  

Some of my framed pieces

I forgot who was it that said, and I couldn't remember the exact words, but the sentiment was that artworks are validated by where and how they're displayed.  I personally resonate with that suggestion.  The mere fact that a piece of work is displayed in a gallery or museum, suspended with engineered harness system and illuminated by strategically placed lighting means it has gained acceptance by the establishment.  If that piece of art work can muster a roped off area with a bench placed at an appropriate viewing distance from it, then it has attained a prima donna status.   How about millions of ceramic sunflower seeds at the Tate Museum?   Would one consider that a master piece or even art if one finds that heap on a sidewalk.   How provocative is that.  Let's not be hypocrites now, how many times have we heard ourselves or others utter under our breaths "my child could have done that!"

I remember watching a clip of Joshua Bell performing incognito at the subways platform in New York and with a few exceptions most of the bridge-and-tunnel bipedals didn't even break their strides, barely casting a second glance.

One might argue that most of these folks might not be Lincoln Center patrons, and Sibelius might be just as foreign to them as Chi Baishi, but if the subway was to be transformed into Lincoln Center and people had to pay good money to watch him play, would we have witnessed a different outcome?

Schubert died at the age of 31 and left with over 1,000 pieces of un-published work, only now do we appreciate his greatness.  Doug Engelbart, a fellow Oregon Stater who invented the computer mouse pointer back in the sixties never received any accolades nor royalties from his invention that we take for granted today.  He was ahead of his time, the infra structure for personal computing had not been developed yet.

I suppose the reason that I dressed up some of my paintings with a frame is my way of validating my works, or satisfying my own narcissistic urges.  I mean, even getting a haircut during the Covid shutdown is such a big deal, so how about making some of my paintings more presentable, albeit not a haircut, for no excuses other than for my own consumption?  They are hanging on my walls nonetheless.  Museum pieces they are not, providing enjoyment they do.  They are like our children, and all our children are gems, right?

 Serene Lake  51 in x 27 in

 Pear Flower   20 in x 20 in

 Geese Fluted  50 in x 26 in

 Year of the monkey  24 in x 24 in

 Peony   20 in x 20 in

 Oblivious   33 in x 23 in

 I see the light   23 in x 33 in

 Midnight   23 in x 33 in

 Going Home   23 in x 33 in

 Year of the rat   23 in x 23 in

 Foraging in snow  33 in x 23 in

 Respite   33 in x 23 in

Canada  Geese   37 in x 22 in 

 Quorum   49 in x 22 in

 Winter   49 in x 26 in

 Pillars   23 in x 33 in

 Korean Maidens   23 in x 33 in

 Rendezvous   30 in x 16 in

  

 Year of the rooster   25 in x 25 in

 Rose   23 in x 33 in

 Beaverton Creek    26 in x 36 in

 Intrepid Travelers   30 in x 53 in

 Puppy   17.5 in x 13 in

 Silk landscape   17.5 in x 13 in

 Lonely   27 in x 21 in

Yellow mountain   37 in x 25 in

 Lotus   13 in x 37 in x 2 panes 

Korean maidens displayed on top of  an occasional table