Thank you Kristi

http://paintprovencewithtess.com/painting-tips/ With the help of my friend Alice I have started a tip page with videos of me talking about my painting tips!

Gosh, I have had more viewers today than ever before thanks to my dear friend Kristi and all you splendid people who have clicked on my site I came away from Kristi’s inspired to make my blog more interesting. I have kept it very simple upto now. But it is important to share my love of art and where it came from my struggles and break throughs, my inspiration and my mentors.

Art Students League of New York

My mum of course was the source of most of teaching when I was only a very young child. She introduced me to the Fresco’s from Florence, to Rodin, Pollock, Riley all by the time I was 12. By the time I went to Art School, Pollack, Hoffman, Matisse, Rothko. I think though at the time Hofman was my absolute hero I dreamed his art and his colours, but wasn’t courageous enough to let myself go, I am still not that courageous, but I am also not a genius. But I did love and do love abstraction.

This painting is called ‘I love you’ painted 20 years ago.

This one ‘In the air’ painted 18 years ago.

Anyway I digress from my thought and from my writing. For many years every Spring and every Fall I cooked for a great couple in New York and cooked for three days and painted for three days. For $25 I become a student at the Art Students League on 57th Street, what an extra-ordinary institution this is. Most american greats have either taught there or been a student there or both. Of course Pollock studied there and Hofman taught there. I learned water colours and studied nudes. But what an extra-ordinary chance of a life time to be able to just walk down the road from where I worked and feel the incredible energy that the Arts Students League has.

Jackson Pollock was a supreme artist beleagured by alcoholism and manic depression he struggled with his demons. He became fascinated with Mythology  and in his New York apartment his painting started an amazing journey from canvas to the walls and then finally in his barn in the country a huge canvas stretched out on the ground. His barn was freezing but still in a trance like state he would let the paint take control and paint his impelling, arresting and fascinating art.

“When I am in my painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. It is only after a sort of ‘get acquainted’ period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.”

I really believe that the only way to paint is to let go and let the painting paint itself, but that is so much easier said than done, when there is inhibition, self doubt, fear of risk taking and a controlling mind fighting to take the upper hand! Still who cares I LOVE PAINTING!