Beautiful Large Spaces

“Insist then, on the beauty of form and color to be obtained from the composition of the largest masses, the four or five large masses which cover your canvas. Let these above all things have fine shapes, have fine colors. Let them be as meaningful of your subject as they possibly can be. It is wonderful how much real finish can be obtained through them, how much of gesture and modeling can be obtained through their contours, what satisfactions can be obtained from their fine measures in area, color and value. Most … painters rush over this; they are in a hurry to get on to other matters, minor matters.” ~ Robert Henri

My best paintings seem to be those that are even simple in their masses with only three to five large masses. Does not simplicity compel us do our very best work as we are forced to focus on a narrower path to beauty, thereby causing us to give more and better attention to that which matters most? Surely focus on a few parts is way more valuable than on a multitude of details. Is a diamond easier to find in a haystack or a jewelry box?

Shouldn’t we always ask before designing a painting, “What are the three main shapes that I want to use to depict my subject” And then, “How can I draw these shapes in a most beautiful way?”

Find ways to tell stories with a few simple shapes. Learn to see the whole simply. When you look at a horse in a pasture, ask yourself, “What would the medium value be of all its tone values?”

It is not the “minor matters” but the large shapes that sets great art apart.

Thank you for stopping by Boyd Greene Fine Art’s blog on rhythmic realism.