Redtree Times

Andrew Wyeth-That Gentleman

It’s all in how you arrange the thing… the careful balance of the design is the motion.

-Andrew Wyeth

I am running a bit late this morning but wanted to share the post below from several years ago, to feature the paintings of Andrew Wyeth but to also highlight the importance of balance in any work of art. I have lately been trying to reconcile the desire to have large fields of color within my work that will have instant visual impact with the need to also have balance and a sense of motion for the eye within the piece, even in pieces that depict stark stillness. It’s one of those esoteric conundrums in every piece of work with an answer that is only known after the fact– you don’t know what it is until you see it and even then, you don’t know how you got there. 

It’s something I can’t easily explain, if at all. But for this morning it serves as an excuse to look at some wonderful Wyeth pieces.

I recently read this quote from the late Andrew Wyeth then looked over a large group of his work, examining each piece with these words in mind. I could really see the importance of the placement of the elements in his work, how it was the characteristic that truly defined his work. It was this that gave his work a poetic feel.

His use of negative space is masterful, the empty areas taking on an important role in the overall feel of the work. Placing the central character, the focal point of the picture, in any in any other spot would change the whole piece, would make it feel less.

It would feel off balance, at least in the form that Wyeth defined it. That balance is his signature.

And I think that is true for many artists. This idea of balance and motion makes up the artist’s eye. Every artist has a slightly different way of seeing things which creates their own unique visual voice.

Myself, when I feel stuck or blocked or feel that I have painted myself into a creative dead end, I look back at older work. It is often the balance and motion with the composition that affect me the most. It serves as a reminder to not lose sight of this idea of balance, to not focus too  much on other parts of the painting that, while important, may not have as much effect on the overall impact of the piece.

Balance in the design creates motion. Good advice from Mr. Wyeth.

Andrew Wyeth– Spring Fed,1967