“Occasionally, I like to select a mentor, a master, and let him guide me through a revision of one of my paintings... I try to move into his terrain, bringing my own ammunition... I do not believe... that this belittles my own personality.” TryingBelieveMovingMy OwnPaintingMastersPersonalityGuidesMentorSelectRevisionTerrainBelittleAmmunitionGuide MeMy Own Personality Author:Rico Lebrun
“I worked a great deal then, as you can only do on a set theme, absolved from the obligation to find a new fact, a new subject every day.” FactsDealsSubjectsObligationTheme Book:Rico Lebrun: Paintings and Drawings 1946-1961 Source: Rico Lebrun: Paintings and Drawings 1946-1961
“I remind myself that traveling through life as an artist requires one to distill things slowly. To be inquisitive, inventive, and patient - a lot of things get discarded along the way. It's a little like boiling sea water to get at the salt.” WayLittlesArtistWaterSeaPatientSaltDiscardedBoilingInquisitiveSea Water Author:James Nares
“I was pretty impressed during the opening of one of my shows, when the five-year-old daughter of a well-known movie actress took a running jump at one of my paintings, like she was diving into a swimming pool. I preferred to treat her impulse as a compliment rather than insult. Sadly she hurt herself more than the painting.” YearsWellsChildrenShowsRunningHurtKnownFivePaintingDaughterTreatsActressesOpeningImpulseFive YearsInsultComplimentSwimmingPoolImpressedWell KnownDivingFive Year OldsSwimming Pool Author:James Nares
“Well, this week's peeve might be... when art writers talk about an artist's 'efforts,' meaning their work. It always sounds patronizing to me, like 'I'll give you an E for effort.' How about the artist's 'effortlessnesses' instead? It's certainly something, or at least the appearance of something, that I aspire to myself.” GivingWellsArtMightArtistSoundEffortWeekAppearanceWorking ItAspirePatronizingPeeves Author:James Nares
“The real joy is in discovering that the twigs and branches of my practice are all firmly rooted in a single tree, even as time goes by and I become increasingly aware of the fleetingness of all things.” RealJoyPracticeTreeAll ThingsBranchesDiscoveringRootedTwigsTime Goes ByReal Joy Author:James Nares
“I do make my own brushes and have done so for many years. I'm constantly refining the designs, trying new materials, re-configuring other brushes - all in my never-ending quest for the perfect brush.” TryingYearsDoneMy OwnPerfectDesignMaterialsQuestsBrushesNever EndingRefining Author:James Nares
“It's true, I do sometimes suspend myself over the canvas, but mostly I work at a table when I'm making a painting. When I use 'The Rig,' my feet are firmly anchored. I lower myself horizontally just long enough to make a brush stroke - a matter of seconds - and then I'm upright again. My assistant then erases the painting quickly with a squeegee and I go for it again... until I get it right. It's like trying to hit a home run.” TryingLongSometimesMatterEnoughUseHomeRunningFeetPaintingTablesSecondsCanvasStrokesBrushesEraseAssistantsHome RunMethodologyRigsBrush Strokes Author:James Nares
“What really interests me about capturing and suspending movement is that I get to experience something invisible and inaudible, as elusive and fleeting as thought itself, and give it form... Maybe my paintings are all just little fragments of the Cosmic Dance suspended in time.” GivingLittlesFormInterestMovementPaintingInvisibleCosmicFleetingFragmentsElusiveSuspended Author:James Nares
“I don't have a favorite place to see art. I like to encounter it anywhere, museum, gallery, home, studio, street... I do prefer to see good art, when I see art, but it doesn't matter where I see it.” ArtMatterHomeStreetsStudiosEncountersMuseumsGalleryGood ArtFavorite Places Author:James Nares