Drawing feedback with Luke Hannam. Session 3

Luke’s feedback from session 2:

It was great to get back to the tutorial process after such a lengthy gap and I felt certain that you had thoroughly explored everything we had discussed the last time we met. The exploration had clearly been worthwhile but it was interesting to discuss how these explorations had ultimately left you feeling dissatisfied and eager to find your way back to more authentic ground. Experiences like this are ultimately valuable even when they feel like a waste of time and they were pursued because at the time they appeared to provide answers to questions visible in the work.

You were right about your feelings and right to head back down the mountain to firmer ground. Interestingly the element that needed to return was skill itself, I was inspired to listen to your thoughts about this and I think you are a rare case of an artist where a truly refined skill is a genuine asset
to the work. The delicate nuances of your draughtsmanship are actually a representation of something, they are the motif not simply the articulation of it. Recognising this embodiment technique as meaning enabled us to contemplate how subject matter might be approached as a means to accentuate these dexterities. The still life drawings with their transparencies, reflective surfaces and modest forms suddenly seemed so pertinent and directional, it was obvious that this point was a good example of an appropriate subject.

I was interested to hear your thoughts about commerciality and the need to make work that had transactional value. Normally such conversations are problematic as the transactional nature of painting as product can seem very unsympathetic to the need of the painting as a foil for self-expression. In your
hands this idea of commerciality was positive and directly challenged the traditional view that such approaches are limiting, even stifling. These thoughts were challenging to my own but through our discussion, I started to develop a much deeper understanding of you and your motivations to make work. I would clarify these motivations as being deeply concerned with the artist as a member of society involved and invested in all cultural values and the need for meaningful exchange. I think we arrived at some kind of agreement about next steps and the importance of simplifying subject matter but also to
embrace common tropes such as still life in order to put the emphasis on how they are rendered and presented to the world. I look forward to seeing the work again in a few months’ time.

My notes prior to the coming session:

At the beginning of these sessions, I wanted to gain maturity as an artist. I thought it was in the technique itself, blaming my lack of time and focus spent on work for not being “perfect”. I am gradually coming to believe that understanding one’s motivations for creating is as essential in gaining artistic maturity as spending more time making art.

Stereotypes and misconceptions based on the life stories of successful artists form our ideas of how to do art and be an artist. Being grounded in one’s way of self-expression and a healthy mix of stubbornness and arrogance are essential for success. I tend to beat myself over the head about getting distracted by life. However, your last feedback helped me see that this is part of my art process. It is a huge relief. Thank you for the insight!

So, what I conclude:

1. Meandering through days, finding distractions, then gravitating back to work, finding ordinary things around to draw or paint, finding subtle points of interest in the ordinary objects, finding stories to convey through artwork based on my life occurrences – it is all fine!
2. Within that framework, what makes an artwork magical is finding an exciting point of interest to explore, whatever it may be. It can be a technical element or a client’s brief. I always knew to seek an interest to find a meaning.However, I felt insecure about the legitimacy of commercial motivations, even though I always felt comfortable taking a client’s brief or a popular subject as a starting point for a piece and expressing my version of a given idea. It can indeed become illustrative, yet it can go beyond. Maybe the elusiveness of the distinction is the game?
3. Another false premise of mine is in assessing my technique against the techniques of other artists. I come to realise now that: a) technique is secondary to the idea one expresses; b) technique necessary for a work is often gained in the process of making the work. That’s why an outright rejection of technique in art is a fallacy. In the contemporary context of immense art pluralism, the technique is anything one proclaims it to be. Important point – they proclaim it postfactum after having developed it through years of creating the work. The traditional skill set is vital in the case of my work, thus providing precedents and landmarks. Yet, I develop my own as I create each piece, whatever that may be, and however I do it. Work in progress and all that. I simply must allow myself to follow my halting, meandering, and a bit square path with calm and confidence.

So, Keep Calm and Carry On, or as one book titled reads: SUMO wrestlers motto – Shut Up and Move On!

The last few weeks were spent in meandering yet again. Despite your advice and my intention, I painted from photos, although the watercolours and drawings were from life. Yet another myth from my collection of myths is being relegated – the shame of using still images as an aid. The end justifies the means, AND the means are an end in itself. And a quote of my own – An artist cannot have principles. Principle is an antonym for creativity.