Observation and Perception

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Observation and perception are two of the most important skills for visual artists to develop. Yes, these are skills that can be developed. I won’t buy into the belief that you are born with them, and even if you do you need to exercise in order to get better at it. It is the same with every talent. If you don’t seek to develop the talent and rely only on the natural-born talent I might be dubious if there is passion involved. Those who are passionate for what they do and love are in constant pursue to get better at it. Talent development requires practice, effort, experimentation, and lots of work.

Observation requires much more than just looking. Observing requires deeper attention. Through observation we can notice things that will challenge logic and sense. In research language the observation process is a way to collect data. It provokes a detailed examination of the phenomena under analysis. This examination goes beyond looking and transfers to all senses.

Perception is like adding another sense; a sixth sense if you will. Perception creates a mental impression from which observations can be understood and interpreted. It is this conception or notion of reality that facilitates making sense of the information we receive. Perception can interpret external and internal information simultaneously and provides meaning to the observations.

In art these two elements are combined for the artist to make sense of the creation process adding meaning to the artwork. I try to mentally document how through observation and perception the elements acquire visual correlation in one cohesive sculpture or painting. I observe where a curve is not complete or following an angle with fluidity and through perception I can define where to fix it to make visual logic within the intention of the piece.

Discarded Artwork

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I am constantly sculpting or painting. I take a break from time to time but I try to sculpt or paint, or at least draw several times per week. I focus on one piece at a time while thinking about two or three more I want to create right after. At times I alternate between a sculpture and a painting working a little here and a little there. By the time I decide what my next show is about and how many pieces to present I probably have three times the amount of pieces ready. Only a certain amount make it to the exhibit. What happens to the other pieces? The discarded artwork might get rejected way before selection. Here are a few things that happen regularly in my little studio.

Let’s start with paintings. That’s the easier one since I don’t show that many paintings. If I like the painting in the first place it goes for sale almost immediately. If I’m not sure if I like it I hang it on a wall where I can look at it from time to time. I take pictures of it and pot them in social media. After sometime I might move it to the website for sale or I just set it aside to paint over it something different. When people talk about the mysteries of Leonardo’s multiple layers paintings I just laugh inside. If the painting falls under the theme or concept of the exhibit then I put it aside as part of the selection. In the event that it is sold before the show I send it to the new home unless the buyer wants me to show it. There are other possible destinations for a painting like donations or gifts. Technically no painting is discarded, just recycled.

Sculptures go to a slightly different process depending on the stage and medium used. Let’s begin with clay sculptures. First let me tell you about the stages of clay sculpting. I prepare the armature which is often just a simple wood stick on a wood board covered with newspaper. I sculpt and if I make it to the end without destroying it and starting over I let it dry. At that point I know I want to give the finishing touches and put it on a base. Again, if I really like it the piece goes for sale, if not it will be at the studio until I shatter it into pieces and throw it way. The piece if selected for an exhibit if it fits the theme, or it goes to group shows.

When sculpting with modeling clay the process is slightly different. I can start over the piece as many times as I want, as it happens many times. Once I’m done with the model I can still make changes or start all over again or simply develop the idea in a different direction. I’ve had ‘finished’ pieces in the studio for a year or more before moving on into creating a mold and casting the piece. Anything can happen during that time. I try to create a mold and cast only those I really like that either be part of the solo exhibit, go for sale, or being bought before casting as it had happened several times before. It is very unlikely that I go through the casting process of a piece I don’t really like. If any of those is discarded it remains at home.

The Idea Takes Shape as I Go

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Walkers are your footprints
the way and nothing more ;
Walker, there is no path,
is made by walking.
By walking the path becomes,
and looking back one sees the path
one would never walked again.
Walker, there is no path,
but wakes in the sea.

– Antonio Machado –

Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino y nada más;
Caminante, no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar.
Al andar se hace el camino,
y al volver la vista atrás
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante no hay camino
sino estelas en la mar.

The sculpting process is often for me like the words of this poem. I might have a vague idea of the direction where I’m going but I let the idea guide me. I just need to start sculpting. Each steps reveals the path to follow. It makes sculpting more fun while turning a project into a learning and discovery process. The sculpture becomes what it wants to become. The idea takes shape as I go.

taking shapeThe most important decision to make when we allow the process to guide us is to begin. If we don’t start it is not going to happen. As I learned from one of my professors, “Art doesn’t happen. You have to make it happen”. By walking, or in this case sculpting, painting or drawing (or whatever applies) a path opens to receive us into that new adventure in creativity. This week I received several messages from different individuals who have a desire to begin sculpting. My advice for them, as for you, is to start doing it. Don’t worry about the destination. Just walk and by walking the path becomes.

The Female Figure

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WaterfallIt is no mystery that my work is inspired by the human figure. I believe that the human experience is understood by humans. We understand nature by the relationship we have with nature. Our interpretations of everything surrounding us and beyond in based on a human perspective and it has been like this since humans existed. People ask if I sculpt anything else or paint anything else. I could but nothing inspires me like the human figure. One question that I get often is: ‘Why do you concentrate your work more in the female figure?’

I prefer the female figure because I find in the female figure the power to portray strength and sensibility at the same time. The softness of the lines also inspires me. The lines of the female figure go well with the organic shapes of nature and the whiplash of art nouveau which is my most influential style before I knew what it was. Through the female figure I can explore emotions that are a deep part of who we are but freely expressed by women. The physical aspects are also interesting to me. The female figure is beautiful.

Lady Fixing Her HairDetails of the female body posses a special kind of visual interest. The expression of the eyes, the hair, the muscles of the back, the foldings of the skin when the torso twists, and so on. On the other hand, I avoid parts of the body that are not visually attractive to me. As I say, I’m not that kind of doctor. Nevertheless,  it is possible to read the mood of a woman by how she carries her body without a need to look at the face. The body tells about her insecurities even when hidden by attitudes that try to portray otherwise. The opposite is also true. One can tell a woman is secure and comfortable in her own skin by how she conducts herself.

The emotional aspect of art is often better understood by women. I can only speak from my experience. I am not saying that men can’t appreciate the messages my art intends to communicate, but women find a deeper connection with my art. Men are mostly interested in the commercial value. Again, that is just my experience.

Freedom and Flexibility

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plan life

The wind blows and some trees seem to dance with it. The trees don’t stay rigid trying to fight the strength of the wind choosing to adapt instead. Freedom and flexibility are the result of a very important aspect: the roots. The deeper the roots the greater the capacity of a tree to remain standing. Because of the foundation there is freedom and flexibility to adapt to the situation. Bruce Lee in his martial arts teachings reinforced the idea using the example of water:

“Don’t get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee

In fine arts as in martial arts, flexibility is one virtue artists should cultivate. There are some ideas we visualize in our heads that when translated to a tangible concrete world might not work. We can discard the idea completely or we can adapt the idea to the reality it is facing. We can fight against the strength of the wind or we can dance with it.  We can let our art be water. If we get to know our craft and dedicate time to find roots from which we can draw freedom and flexibility we can find new aways to present our ideas and vision.

Life itself is not one straight line for use to reach our goals and desires. We need to plan and be prepared but we need to learn how to be flexible. If we are too rigid we might snap. It all depends on the roots. Our values and beliefs, the knowledge and education we work hard for, and the passion fueling our every move provide the capacity for adapting freely to a situation at hand. Trees that grow to fast without a deep foundation are destined to fall. Trees that pretend to be stronger than the wind are destined to split. Let’s take time to examine our roots and grow them stronger. Let’s be free and flexible. Let our ideas be water.