Diebenkorn was an American painter. His early work is associated with abstract expressionism and the Bay Area Figurative Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. His later work were instrumental to his achievement of worldwide acclaim. Wikipedia
What I love about Diebenkorn is that his process of painting is not a straight line from start to finish. He starts a painting by making marks, he responds to those marks. He changes things. He considers the painting. He changes more things. He continues reacting to the painting in front of him until it feels finished, which could be a short time, or a long time. He just … talks to it. His brush strokes are loose so they appear to be informal, but his paintings are incredibly thoughtful. Each layer of paint he puts on does not obliterate the first, there are no “mistakes” he is trying to cover up, and through each layer you can see previous layers peeking through, showing us his process of making the painting. He plays with flat space (doesn’t try to give the illusion of depth), and lets paint be interesting as paint. It’s not important whether the glass on the table is perfectly shaped. The objects aren’t important. The painting is about the painting.
“I keep plastering it until it comes around to what I want, in terms of all I know and think about painting now, as well as in terms of the initial observation.”
– Richard Diebenkorn
My advice, if you want it: When you start a painting, try not to think that you are taking the steps to get to the final product. Think of painting as going for a walk. When you start the walk, you don’t know exactly where you are going or exactly what you will see. Explore, and react to what is in front of you. Stay engaged. See what happens. You might have more fun if you’re able to paint this way. You’ll see more, and as you see more, you’ll learn more and your work will improve. Painting (verb) is not a product, and it’s not a test. Whether it’s impressionism or realism or abstraction, painting is seeing, and seeing is a responsive process.
“I don’t go into the studio with the idea of ‘saying’ something. What I do is face the blank canvas and put a few arbitrary marks on it that start me on some sort of dialogue.”
Next on the list of Carlos San Millan’s inspiring painters: Yann Kebbi. Kebbi was born in Paris in 1987. After receiving a degree in illustration, he continued his studies in Paris, where he spent his time creating prints, monotypes, and pencil sketches. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, and …
League artist Siobhan Wilder’s work will be part of COCA’s Motherland show this month. Wilder paints mysterious scenes. She wants to give the viewer the sensation that there are messages all around us, and we might be able to clue into them with a little concentration. The scene above was one that she happened upon in real …
One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …
Recently I posted about Edward Hopper’s influences in painting and printmaking. This is part three of four (I think). Today is all about Hopper’s process. There is some of my own actual near-thinking and observation, plus a lot of internet research went into this, but I had trouble finding much for details that went beyond …
My Personal Thoughts on Diebenkorn
Died: March 30, 1993, Berkeley, CA
My advice, if you want it: When you start a painting, try not to think that you are taking the steps to get to the final product. Think of painting as going for a walk. When you start the walk, you don’t know exactly where you are going or exactly what you will see. Explore, and react to what is in front of you. Stay engaged. See what happens. You might have more fun if you’re able to paint this way. You’ll see more, and as you see more, you’ll learn more and your work will improve. Painting (verb) is not a product, and it’s not a test. Whether it’s impressionism or realism or abstraction, painting is seeing, and seeing is a responsive process.
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Yann Kebbi
Next on the list of Carlos San Millan’s inspiring painters: Yann Kebbi. Kebbi was born in Paris in 1987. After receiving a degree in illustration, he continued his studies in Paris, where he spent his time creating prints, monotypes, and pencil sketches. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, and …
Siobhan Wilder at COCA
League artist Siobhan Wilder’s work will be part of COCA’s Motherland show this month. Wilder paints mysterious scenes. She wants to give the viewer the sensation that there are messages all around us, and we might be able to clue into them with a little concentration. The scene above was one that she happened upon in real …
Online Anniversary Show; Still Life
One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …
Edward Hopper’s Process
Recently I posted about Edward Hopper’s influences in painting and printmaking. This is part three of four (I think). Today is all about Hopper’s process. There is some of my own actual near-thinking and observation, plus a lot of internet research went into this, but I had trouble finding much for details that went beyond …