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uniqueness and acceptance

Four digital paintings for art prints - Dan Beck 1999 - 2005

Since I can, I thought I would write about a subject which has been on my mind. It has to do with following one’s creative path and the balance with being received.

When is unique too unique? Is there such a thing?

The truth is most people like what they are familiar with - people seek out bands which play all songs they know.

Art in a geographic area typically looks a lot like other art in the area - is it because that is what sells? Or is it communal influence. And after all, we expect beach paintings at the beach…

None of us lives in a vacuum - creativity is always influenced - but sometimes I wonder whether we have evolved enough to not starve Van Gogh.

See Also

• National Gallery of Art - Van Gogh’s Van Goghs: Exhibition Brochure
  Sounds definative - not the starving artist - so much for that example
• Van Gogh Art Prints
  another source saying the same - not accepted widely but not starving
• Salinas Valley 1
  gallery page of second piece above - click to enlarge - art print availability top right “buy” logo

visual clues, size, depth, shadows, and pizazz

The trees and shrubs have now been defined better and the fields in front now have a deeper color with some more imaginative tones in the green fields - perhaps hidden in normal viewing, perhaps imagined - such as we might have seen from Van Gogh, Cezanne, or Monet to name a few.

This is the last image before the final finished piece.  A number of things have been added to give the piece more of the "mmph" I was looking for and more of the sense of space.

First off, there is a tractor added. Its size gives the mountains and everything else a greater sense of space and grandeur. There is also a rather large shadowed area in the crease of the hills as well as the forefront of the left hill. My feeling is that this creates some movement within what is generally a pretty peaceful and still scene. The shadow enhances the depth and promotes eye movement around the piece.

See Also

• Alazraki Fine Art
  Quick and excellent example of imaginative color tones
• Ohio State University Theatre: Art Through Technology
  Interesting aside on how different color tones and textures evoke different moods
• Vincent Van Gogh Gallery
  See many works by the master
• Cezanne Gallery - Mont-Saint_Victoire
  Wesleyan College Teaching Gallery - works 1885-87
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  Ask excellent collection of Monet, online as well - leads to painting search