undiscoveredartist

Yesterday, we spent the day at Reed Lake in Michigan. The water was so clear I could see all the way to the bottom. I was struck by the incredible beauty. The surface was rippling, not in blue; but in gold like it had captured the sandy bottom and turned it into molten gold on the surface. I have seen a lot of books dealing with how to handle reflections, but it still amazes me that we as artists attempt such things. How do you duplicate perfection? Shouldn’t we just throw in the towel?

As a painter, I have long known that we will never capture nature in all it’s perfection. If you can, you are usually the type that has to go inch by inch on a painting. As Brian my painting instructor would say, “Take a photo”.

I believe that we are totally capable of creating beauty. What might occur on the canvas is my interpretation of that beautiful lake. Would it be a duplicate? No, but my version may be more stable. Nature is the best artist of all. She mixes her pallette all year round in different ways. Would the result be what I am inspired to create? Absolutely. Does that make it any less because I made it? No. Can my creation based on that golden lake inspire others? Yes it can and it does.

The moral: Just because nature overwhelms us in it’s beauty, doesn’t mean we can’t take a slice of that fleeting beauty and put it on the wall for everyone to enjoy (hopefully) forever.

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