#60 - Select Items from Normandy, with People and Simplicity

                                                     "Amblie at a Distance"

                                                       "Pres d'Amblie"

                                                     "La Digue a Saint Aubin"

Fellow Art Lovers:

Here, I hope without any pretention, are some select items I’ve been working on, just to give you an idea of how I’m spending my time. I was going to start with some humorous statements, but I decided to just be straightforward. Just show you my work, and then ask for your input.

The first item, “Amblie at a Distance,” is almost the same scene I’ve painted quite a bit. But the other day, while driving toward the village of Amblie, I noticed that the fields in front of it, as I approached it, were just so rich and splendid. Could I capture some of those colors and textures, and especially the Normandy sky? Well, I’ll let you be the judge.

The next one, number two, “Pres d’Amblie,” was a scene just past Amblie, on a highway I’ve taken so many times, Departmentale 35.  I just let the car follow its nose. I hadn’t noticed this scene before, but it was so simple and direct. The scene needed to be painted in a very simple and direct manner. I hope I captured something.

And the largest work of this series, “La Digue a Saint Aubin,” is different from my usual landscapes because it has a lot of people. “The digue” in this sense is like a boardwalk, a walkway made of paving stones overlooking the beach and the sea, where people on this sunny afternoon walked back and forth to see and – often – be seen.  I tried to show the brightness and the sunny spirit of it all.

As always, thanks for your time and support, and – if you have a minute – thanks for your comments.

Best,

Bill

# 59 - The Skies Over Normandy

                                               "Normandy Sky at Douvres"

                                                "Basilica at Douvres"

                                                   ""Beach at Saint Aubin"

Fellow Art Lovers:

The skies over Normandy are the art lovers’ dream. For both the painter and the viewer, what else offers such unbelievable beauty in so many species and types and in so many brilliant and subtle colors, all changing and moving into constantly new forms that give our imaginations so much raw material for day dreams and flights of fancy? And that present the painter with such challenges to capture some of the beauty and emotion?

I want to talk just about some of my ideas on the subject and show you some paintings that just scratch the surface of what true masters have done and what the possibilities are. One of the painters whose skies I admire is Eugene Boudin, perhaps the pre-eminent Normandy painter.

The three paintings I want to show you are above, but – if you’ve been reading my blog for a while – you know that I’ve loved these skies for a long, long time. “Normandy Sky at Douvres” is a testament to how a very simple scene can make me feel very, very good. Just a field, a few houses and a sky, and I feel great. “Basilica at Douvres” shows the Basilica at Douvres-la-Delivrande, which has real religious significance; that aside, again I was motivated to try to express some of the beauty I see in the texture of the fields, the forms of the spires reaching toward the sky, and the spender of the clouds. And  in “The Beach at Saint Aubin,” I love the colors in the ocean, the complexity of the beach, with the tide, the seaweed, the forms of the surf, in the pattern of the buildings against the sun along the boardwalk, and again the splendor of the sky.

One thing that’s interesting, all of these scenes are just a few kilometers from each other.

I do have one regret concerning Normandy’s skies: The area where I paint – the countryside and the coast near the city of Caen – has absolutely stunning sunsets. As the sun descends toward that vague line at the horizon, you can see a range of pinks moving toward red playing off the clouds and the surface of the ocean. You say to yourself “This can’t be real because the colors are so bright.” But they are, and it is. Well, some day I will paint this and begin to show its beauty. And you know what? People will look at the painting, and they will say, ”This can’t be real.” And I will answer,  “But it is.” Maybe it’s hard for us to believe in this pure beauty and the emotions it can raise in us.

Thanks for listening. And for your support, and, if you have time, for your comments.

Best,

Bill

# 58 - Talking about Impressions

                                                      "Through the Trees at Saint Aubin"
 

                                                         "Chapel at Douvres III"

                                                       "Sky Over Tailleville"

Fellow art Lovers:

I’ve been here in Normandy for a few weeks now, and I’ve kept painting as much as I can. I want to talk to you just a little about what keeps me painting and the ideas and emotions that I try to get across to you in three paintings.

Since I’ve been talking so much about the beauty here, it’ll come as no surprise that it’s the beauty and the feelings it gives me that make me want to paint. Just imagine standing in a field or by the side of a country road and seeing scenes that knock you off your feet. You set up your easel, canvas and paints, and you want to get going. Well, I usually put it off for just a few minutes to do a quick sketch of the scene; I’ve found that this one step helps me understand what I want to do, how I want the painting to look, and what’s the best way to get my ideas across. Really often, I look at the sketch, and I tell myself that I’m so glad I did this, because I see that I may not need this or that, or I should focus on this smaller part of the entire scene.

Once I feel more confident about what I’m doing, I let loose. The palette knife slides across the canvas. I put this part in, and then add a few elements in another part of the canvas, and then go back to another area and add some more detail. Honestly, I’m not thinking out each little step. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I just let my hand and arm do their job. I can’t say I’ve trained them well, because they know better than I do. Then comes the critical point for most artists: When do you stop. One more stroke can add an essential element, or damage what you’ve already done. If you’re wondering what I do, I’d tell you I usually try and stop, and tell myself I can always add another touch later.

Now the paintings, starting from the top:

“Through the Trees at Saint Aubin” – I’ve painted at this exact spot (just outside the village of Saint Aubin-sur-Mer) many times before, but here I’m trying to capture something different. It was a beautiful day, but there were dark clouds in the distance. That means I had more reason to move fast, because those clouds might bring rain. But what I was looking at were the trees and their branches loaded with lush leaves, shifting and moving and blinking at me in the light breeze, and on and off they would catch beams of sunlight, and they would flash and shine as they moved. And all the time, I could see through them into the background.  

“Chapel at Douvres III” – Here also, I’ve painted this scene before. This is a different view of the church I showed you in my last blog posting. The scene is just outside the city of Douvres-la- Delivrande, and this time I moved to another view so I could include the field in front and the roofs of the houses nestled between the field and the foliage behind. The scene gave me a feeling of the coziness’ of those homes. I tried to get that idea across, and at the same time show the power of the sky and the simple beauty of an open, grassy field.

“Sky Over Tailleville” – Talking about the skies in Normandy, they are beautiful, constantly changing and surprising. Tailleville is a very small village surrounded by farms that grow a lot of different crops, perhaps mainly wheat. The fields are rich because, when you study them, they contain such a play of different colors, with reds, oranges, greens and sometimes reds mixed into the range of yellows or lighter greens. But we’re talking about the skies, right?  They can change fast. Sometimes, heavy clouds will move in, and before you know it, you’re in the middle of a shower. And at other times, the day will look cloudy and glum, but suddenly there’ll be breaks in the clouds, and the sunlight will glow through those breaks, and those breaks will expand, and you have a new kind of day.

Here, I tried to catch that moment when pillars of sunlight break through and they make their way down to the land to make the foliage glow.    

As always, thanks for your interest and support. And if you have time, thanks for your comments.

Best,

Bill

  

#57 - The Beauty of Normandy

                                                              "Douvres Chapel I"

                                                             "Tierceville Field"

 Fellow Art Lovers:

There’s no doubt that the countryside in Normandy is beautiful. As you know, I’ve been coming here for a long time, but this year, even though I’m seeing many of the same of the fields, trees, skies, chapels – all of it – the sites I’ve enjoyed and painted in the past look even more beautiful.  

I’m not going to be long-winded about this. I’m feeling great, and I just want to show you a few examples of what I’m seeing and painting. The top painting,  “Chapel in Douvres I,” seems simple – just a church steeple behind a stone wall and a field, but as soon as I saw it, it appealed to me. Actually, I know this spot: It’s just north of the town of Douvres-la-Delivrande, and just off a country road, so you could drive right by it without noticing it. A long time ago I painted a very small version of this scene. But seeing the scene this year, I decided to take it on again; the scene, in my view, is perfect. What you see here is a pretty big painting. And painting came very naturally.

The second painting is of the fields near the village of Tierceville, an area with one farm after another. I found a spot just off the road, and I set up my easel in one part of a wheat field that had just been harvested, and I could see the fields roll out from my vantage point to trees, a few roadways and a chapel. I love to paint this kind of scene: big, broad expanses, fields outlined by rows of trees, all under big skies.  I hope the painting transmits to you the feeling of beauty and calm I felt. Honestly, my hand and arm did it all on their own. I was just the robot who held the palette knife.

I’m going to keep plugging along for as long as I can, and I plan to send you a few more blog postings of my work.

As always, I’d love to hear your reactions, and, as always, thanks for your time and your support.

Best,

Bill

 

#52 - Artist Raps His Creative Process in Painting to Jazz on YouTube.com

Fellow Art Lovers:

My new rap video, “A Painter’s Prayer,” is important for me. It expresses and demonstrates some ideas that I deeply believe and feel – not only every time I pick up a brush and paint – but also during all my moments thinking and reflecting and wondering about my art.

Those of you who have read my blog postings up until now, I’m sure you’ve seen how I’m constantly looking for creativity and more freedom in my painting. Frankly, I truly believe that all of us have the seeds of creativity within us. We, as human beings, if we really want to, have the power to create true works of art. Therefore, I believe that if I show and explain my creative process in just one discipline, painting, just maybe, I might stimulate others to have faith in their own creative power. And then, maybe, just a few more people will follow through with their own works of art.

I want to talk to you about Denis Vaucelle, a friend who lives in Normandy. He’s the French jazz pianist who’s the composer and performer of the composition, “Flying Alone,” which he performs in solo piano for “A Painter’s Prayer,” as well as the music for my earlier rap video “Six Foot Tall.”

Here’s what Denis says about “A Painter’s Prayer”: “As soon as I read Kosman’s text, I was touched by the truth of his message. I felt that my music could take on a deeper meaning and a more significant reality with Bill’s lyrics. I realized that rap is an extension of my music and is in line with my way of composing. In musical composition, just like a painter in front of his canvas, creativity is a strange process that can seem out of reach, where you sometimes feel blocked. But when your creative spirit takes over, you’re suddenly flooded with ideas.”

I want to talk about another person. She’s Anne Saint Peter, a friend and a fellow artist in numerous disciplines; she’s a visual artist, a photographer, and – as you see – a videographer. She’s the person who videotaped me in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park and took those creative shots of me, some of them truly in the cinéma verité style. 

By the way, I produced this rap video on my MacbookPro using iMovie with Apple technical assistance.

-0-

Here are the lyrics:

A Painter’s  Prayer ©

By William Kosman

Sometimes, the beauty of life touches me so deeply I could cry,

The Normandy countryside with its fields and trees and tall skies,

The city streets where people face tough lives but just don’t give up,

The human face that expresses so much life, emotion and soul,   

But sometimes I fear I’ll never capture that beauty bold and strong before I die.

How do I touch people’s hearts with paint from a tube smeared on canvas?

How can I pull on their feelings with colors and images molded by my mind’s eye?

How can I push back the troubling skies and dark clouds to move toward my goal?

To create a thing of beauty in a single panel that brightens the bleak spaces of life.  

Oh, help me reach into my soul and bring out the best,

Give me the strength to work without rest,

Let me use the skills I sharpened over the years of my life,

And then and then, set my spirit free,

And with paint and brush let my hand fly,

I don’t know if it’ll ever work, but I gotta try.

I start with dabs of color, choosing the elements I need, and marking their signs,

I take the plunge and let my palette and my brush and my arm work their own designs.    

I feel the strength of my strokes, the confidence in my gut, and the heat of my emotions.

My brush moves across the surface, and the shapes and colors create their own notions. 

But when the dark clouds move closer, I try to push them away,

The fog of self-doubt, the growing fatigue, the fear of irrelevance,

To feel my vision slipping, forgetting my purpose and my place in the universe,

I know the only way to break through is to keep hitting that brick wall, 

So I keep going, call it an adventure, convince myself I’m creating a miracle for all.  

Oh, help me reach into my soul and bring out the best,

Give me the strength to work without rest,

Let me use the skills I sharpened over the years of my life, 

And then and then, set my spirit free,

And with paint and brush let my hand fly,

I don’t know if it’ll ever work, but I gotta try.

I stop to judge my work, are these forms and colors bold and strong? 

No, no, I know now the canvas lacks one more bold gesture, 

I have to push myself a bit further, to make my work a bit worthier,

Do I have the strength to risk a grave error for the reward of new expression?

To move the canvas in front of me one more step toward perfection.  

Oh, help me reach into my soul and bring out the best,

Give me the strength to work without rest,

Let me use the skills I sharpened over the years of my life, 

And then and then, set my spirit free,

And with paint and brush let my hand fly,

And now I see and feel that this time at least it worked, and I don’t know why.  

“A Painter’s Prayer” © William Kosman.  “A Painter’s Prayer” © is the property of William Kosman and may not be reproduced without his written permission.

Again, thanks for your interest, thanks for listening, and thanks for your support.

Best,

Bill