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!
[image_with_animation image_url=”8958″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] In the April 13, 2018 V. Note, I was Looking Closely at JS Sargent’s Portrait of Henry James. In the post I got all up in that portrait, and guessed at Sargent’s palette, his brushes, and his process. Everything seemed to make sense except for a diagonal stroke of blue …
I was thankful for the break after the end of 30 days straight in January! I’m restarting the posts now, picking up where I left off with 30SAL Challenge Day 14: Make a transcription of Nicholas Poussin’s The Triumph of Pan. In the original post I mention how Poussin didn’t make detailed sketches of his figures …
[image_with_animation image_url=”7110″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Monotypes are one of a kind prints made from an unetched plate. Ink is applied to the plate, and then additive or subtractive processes with ink form an image. For my monotypes, I used a rag, a soft brush, a stencil, a makeup sponge, and a pencil shaped dowel …
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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Related Posts
Sargent’s Portrait Butchered
[image_with_animation image_url=”8958″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] In the April 13, 2018 V. Note, I was Looking Closely at JS Sargent’s Portrait of Henry James. In the post I got all up in that portrait, and guessed at Sargent’s palette, his brushes, and his process. Everything seemed to make sense except for a diagonal stroke of blue …
#30SAL Faves: The Triumph of Pan
I was thankful for the break after the end of 30 days straight in January! I’m restarting the posts now, picking up where I left off with 30SAL Challenge Day 14: Make a transcription of Nicholas Poussin’s The Triumph of Pan. In the original post I mention how Poussin didn’t make detailed sketches of his figures …
Monotypes, “and now… and now… and now…”
[image_with_animation image_url=”7110″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Monotypes are one of a kind prints made from an unetched plate. Ink is applied to the plate, and then additive or subtractive processes with ink form an image. For my monotypes, I used a rag, a soft brush, a stencil, a makeup sponge, and a pencil shaped dowel …
Ben Shahn
Ben Shahn’s “Memories of Many Nights of Love” Seattle Artist League: art school, art classes, painting classes, figure drawing