A Rising Peace– At Principle Gallery
A new moon teaches gradualness
and deliberation and how one gives birth
to oneself slowly. Patience with small details
makes perfect a large work, like the universe.
What nine months of attention does for an embryo
forty early mornings will do for your gradually growing wholeness
–Rumi
I wrote about a very early piece yesterday, commenting on a couple of details in it that intrigued me. They were small things–an edge of mixing color, a loose run of paint, the exposed layers of glazed colors. Not things that carry the narrative (if there is one) or define the piece to the casual viewer but small things that give it life.
Looking at that piece made me think about the importance of these small details in my work and process. My personal judgement of my paintings is often based on these small details and my reaction to them. A fleck of underlying color that barely shows, a brush bristle in the paint, exposed ridges of the gessoed surface’s texture, a partial swirl of a thumbprint, and so many other little details that are easily overlooked add layers of depth to the painting for me. They have little to do with the perceived subject of the painting but often carry as much emotional weight and meaning.
I have often talked and written about how one of the challenges in the studio is to not become bored with what I do, to continually find and create excitement in the work for myself. These details are fine examples of how that excitement comes about in the process of creating a painting. It can sometimes be a long and boring process, especially on larger paintings, with periods where the life and excitement of the piece evaporates. The whole thing feels flat and dull at these times.
But having one of small edge of paint come to life or the texture underneath suddenly pop creates small bursts of excitement. These small bursts build on one another and carry through to the whole of the painting. A good painting, at least to my eye, is filled with these small details.
It’s much like the Rumi line at the top: Patience with small details makes perfect a large work, like the universe.
Let me be clear, they are not details for the sake of having details. I have tried to create paintings filled with detail and have failed spectacularly, creating boring and cluttered messes. No, these are details that almost all unintentional in their origin. They come from the work and the process.
That is when most work is best, when it comes organically and is not contrived by the mind.
That’s my opinion, anyway. Now get out of here– I have to work on one of those forty early mornings that Rumi mentioned. Looking for that wholeness…
Redtree Times 