Artful Admiration will be a new post on the RiceInk blog. As an artist who has been painting nearly every day for the last 20 years I have inevitably developed a list of artists who I admire. Georgia O’Keefe, for me, is the quintessential artist. As a young painter myself I recall pouring over 100 Flowers, marveling at each juicy floral. In college O’ Keeffe’s Light Iris and many others graced my dorm room walls.
What I admire most about O’Keeffe is her interpretations of subject matter. To put it quite simply, she painted the flower as it made her feel. Through examination of brush stroke, color and texture O’Keeffe brought each bloom to life while infusing her personality and perspective.
Now please note, I do not presume to compare my watercolor invitations to an O’Keeffe painting, really. I do however approach my subjects for painting in a similar fashion. When I set out to paint a bloom or landscape or whatever it may be, I find something that excites me. Instead of reproducing the exact reality that I see, I instead infuse my vision into the painting. More intense color, small dots or flourishes here and there, an exaggeration of shadow all capture a sense of excitement and life that I see in the subject matter I paint.
What artist do you admire?
