How Do Paintings Make you Feel?

This week I’ve been down in Blenheim curating and hanging the National Watercolour Exhibition “50 Year Splash” . I’m honoured be asked to take this one on and have done my utmost to find the right spot for every painting, no easy task when you have around 114 to deal with. It’s incredibly satisfying to know that every painting, big or small, is eventually hung to it’s best advantage. The exhibition is being held at the Marlborough Art Society Gallery , 204 High St from 18th April – 5th May and will be well worth a visit. Our feature artist , Hazel Soane, is coming all the way from the UK and it’ll be a treat to see her lovely watercolours.
The opening is tonight from 6pm – all welcome!
As we’ve worked away down there this week I found myself thinking about how viewers interact with paintings. Why were they painted and how do they make you feel? There were a handful that I just kept going back to… some were beautiful landscapes of familiar places. Some were gorgeous colour combos that grabbed my attention. One in particular showed expert use of tone – silvers and neutrals – which was dramatic. Several made me laugh, including a bunch of loopy puppies. I enjoy trying to figure the story behind each work. Personally I avoid grim paintings (think “The Scream”) but I can still admire the artist for getting their idea across. The Scream isn’t meant to be a comfortable painting.
When I choose a subject it’s always because something about it has stopped me in my tracks, often light or colour, and I want you to see that too.
So next time you’re at an exhibition spend some time thinking about how each painting makes you feel ….
I’m also busy finishing off work for my own exhibition in Nelson in November at the Suter. Framing has arrived and paintings are being prepped for that! We’ll be heading back to Australia for a couple of months so I want to know that the paintings are all sorted before we go.
And then there’s my exhibition in Hanmer early next year….
Easter hours at Korimako:
Good Friday open 12- 4pm, Sat/Sun/Mon 10am-4pm
If it sounds like I’m crazily busy , well, I’m not really . Life is short and there are lots of other things I enjoy doing besides painting – my family and friends, my big garden, reading, spinning. Sometimes I just sit in the sun and look at the mountains.
Keep warm, Jan 🙂