In the interview below, you’ll also see mention of “Ekphrasis.” In the days where each Thursday painter gave a brief presentation to the class, Skillman inspired us all with her presentation about ekphrastic poetry – a poem based on a work of art. In an ekphrastic poem, the writer describes the work of art, and may extend into the work’s underlying story or significance. One of the earliest examples is in the Iliad, when Homer describes Achilles’ shield. Another is John Keats’ poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” Some day I hope to post a V. Note on ekphrastic poetry, but today I most wanted to share this book and her interview.
Interview: Judith Skillman and Carol Smallwood on Ragazine
Smallwood:In Premise of Light you dedicate the collection to your mentor in art and your first poem mentions a famous artist. Please expand on your art study and the cover you did for this collection:
Skillman: I began taking art classes in fall 2014 at the Pratt in Seattle, and stumbled into Ruthie V., a wonderful teacher. Because my first major was visual art, the study of painting has been a gift. Ruthie V. is a talented painter and an excellent teacher. She is thoroughly versed in art history. I found I could employ Ekphrasis while learning about Lucien Freud, Édouard Vuillard, Emil Nolde and the myriad other artists who came alive through a mere skim of their lives, subject matters, and techniques.
The cover art comes from a small oil painting I did as an attempt emulate the work of an artist I love—Joan Eardley. This piece was a pass at her “Seeded Grasses and Daisies, September“. In visual art the student is encouraged to copy, unlike poetry, where both teachers and students consider it plagiarism to imitate another writer.
To me this disparity seems flawed, as the act of copying or modeling one’s work after an artist or a writer one admires may be one of the best ways to learn craft. That said, I did not in any way capture the essence of Eardley’s painting. What happened was more like translation, in which a different version appeared, barely recognizable as the original.
Wallace Stevens’ essay The Relations Between Poetry andPainting, printed in pamphlet form after his talk at Museum of Modern Art in 1951, reinforces the similarities between writing a poem and painting a picture. Both require composition and execution. Neither writing nor art ‘happens’ from inspiration alone. Both require forethought, planning, and then abandonment to the creative process—followed of course by revision.
Read the full interview here: https://www.ragazine.cc/2019/03/carol-smallwood-interviews-judith-skillman/
If you’re looking for a painting class with solid techniques balanced with 1:1 direction to help you develop your own personal style, take Thursdays. No one paints the same way in Thursday class. We’ve got 2 Thursday shorties for spring, and a coupon. Join us!
In recent posts, we talked about Cezanne’s process. In particular, we talked about the process seen in Cezanne’s drawings. Yesterday, in figure drawing class, we looked at how Cezanne tends to make short marks when he draws. Those short marks accumulate into longer contours and form descriptions, but they don’t trap or the whole object …
Ever wondered about the big names in the tiny world of European miniature paintings? This post is a quick spotlight on three famous artists who painted little portraits of big important people. From the royal courts of Renaissance France with François Clouet to the elaborate details in Nicholas Hilliard’s works for Queen Elizabeth I, and …
My favorite painting to paint was Mud Festival Peonies. It’s large and bright, all happiness and play. This painting was a breakthrough into abstraction for me, something I’ve been wanting for a long time. It was also incredibly fun to paint! I stayed up a few nights to finish it, and I smiled all through …
I’m sending this stuff because I’m watching this stuff, and I’m watching this stuff because I want to do this stuff. I’m gonna make some heads in clay! Sounds like fun, and if they work, they’ll be good subjects for drawings and paintings when live models aren’t available. The wonderful secondary benefit is that studying …
Judith Skillman; interview on poetry, painting, and the League
Poetry and painting by Judith Skillman
In the interview below, you’ll also see mention of “Ekphrasis.” In the days where each Thursday painter gave a brief presentation to the class, Skillman inspired us all with her presentation about ekphrastic poetry – a poem based on a work of art. In an ekphrastic poem, the writer describes the work of art, and may extend into the work’s underlying story or significance. One of the earliest examples is in the Iliad, when Homer describes Achilles’ shield. Another is John Keats’ poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” Some day I hope to post a V. Note on ekphrastic poetry, but today I most wanted to share this book and her interview.
Interview: Judith Skillman and Carol Smallwood on Ragazine
Smallwood: In Premise of Light you dedicate the collection to your mentor in art and your first poem mentions a famous artist. Please expand on your art study and the cover you did for this collection:
Skillman: I began taking art classes in fall 2014 at the Pratt in Seattle, and stumbled into Ruthie V., a wonderful teacher. Because my first major was visual art, the study of painting has been a gift. Ruthie V. is a talented painter and an excellent teacher. She is thoroughly versed in art history. I found I could employ Ekphrasis while learning about Lucien Freud, Édouard Vuillard, Emil Nolde and the myriad other artists who came alive through a mere skim of their lives, subject matters, and techniques.
The cover art comes from a small oil painting I did as an attempt emulate the work of an artist I love—Joan Eardley. This piece was a pass at her “Seeded Grasses and Daisies, September“. In visual art the student is encouraged to copy, unlike poetry, where both teachers and students consider it plagiarism to imitate another writer.
To me this disparity seems flawed, as the act of copying or modeling one’s work after an artist or a writer one admires may be one of the best ways to learn craft. That said, I did not in any way capture the essence of Eardley’s painting. What happened was more like translation, in which a different version appeared, barely recognizable as the original.
Wallace Stevens’ essay The Relations Between Poetry and Painting, printed in pamphlet form after his talk at Museum of Modern Art in 1951, reinforces the similarities between writing a poem and painting a picture. Both require composition and execution. Neither writing nor art ‘happens’ from inspiration alone. Both require forethought, planning, and then abandonment to the creative process—followed of course by revision.
Read the full interview here: https://www.ragazine.cc/2019/03/carol-smallwood-interviews-judith-skillman/
See more of Judith Skillman’s poetry: http://www.judithskillman.com/
Don’t you just want to eat this painting?
Thursday Class
If you’re looking for a painting class with solid techniques balanced with 1:1 direction to help you develop your own personal style, take Thursdays. No one paints the same way in Thursday class. We’ve got 2 Thursday shorties for spring, and a coupon. Join us!
PAINTING FROM LIFE OR IMAGINATION
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ABSTRACTING FROM AN IMAGE
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I’m sending this stuff because I’m watching this stuff, and I’m watching this stuff because I want to do this stuff. I’m gonna make some heads in clay! Sounds like fun, and if they work, they’ll be good subjects for drawings and paintings when live models aren’t available. The wonderful secondary benefit is that studying …