Evening Light on Long Lake (pastel) by Polly Castor“I think there is a tendency to pressure our paintings and try to make them do too much. Your paintings don’t have to say everything about the landscape. They can be about one simple idea, a color, a shape, or even how you feel about it. If each painting can say one simple thing, then a group of paintings can express multiple things. It’s another good reason for working in a series.
A great example of this is Monet and his many series of paintings– Haystacks or Water Lilies. Such simple ideas, but expressed in multiple different ways. They’re not big complicated themes, but they contain a huge amount of emotion and are as much about the wonder of existence as they are the subject.
So keep it simple, enjoy your painting, and don’t fight with it. You don’t have to change the world, just change your brush!”
Lewis Noble
Monhegan Seaweed (pastel) by Polly Castor
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5 Comments
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I like your long lake painting, the way it leads you on up the shore….
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Love this!…
“You don’t have to change the world, just change your brush!” ❤️ -
Great quote!
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That’s a good reminder. Thank you. I also like the idea that when we paint, it’s about being curious, discovering, learning. Takes the pressure off.
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Wonderful seaweed!
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