Jona8than Green Art and Other Things

I have recently gotten some instructional videos for a variety of subjects. Mostly for woodworking like cutting dovetails, planing wood, furniture making, etc. Also one on Painting by Daniel Greene.

Daniel Greene is a pastel and oil painter in America. I have known about his work for a while from some art magazines. Very realistic academic painting, mostly portraiture. I like the work for what it is, and definitely think he is a proficient painter.

Funny enough I used to scorn these videos years ago. Thought they are overcharging and just aren't that useful to the beginner. Most beginners will get one expecting to watch the videos and get instant results. They are fairly expensive as well. They can be quite helpful in some cases and I feel one can use them to good effect. Especially if one has had some art training and can process the information the way they want to.

So why did I get this video?

I want to get back in to painting. I did a fair bit of painting in art school but have yet to do any painting since leaving school. Not a big deal as I have been doing my drawings and printmaking, achieving some success with it. There are some things I am unable to achieve with intaglio, I could possibly do it with lithography-but I don't like to suffer.

I learned a lot about painting in Grenfell, good instructors. The type of painting was classified as modern, perhaps under the term of alla prima. I would of liked to learn some more traditional types, more academic painting. It just didn't happen.

Not that I want to be creating highly realistic or academic paintings, but rather I want to use some of these techniques. I really enjoy the paintings of Ian Francis. British artist, very interesting paintings. Interplay between abstraction and figurative work. I feel my work is realistic and flirts with semi abstract elements in my work. I want to push this but I need to hone both – figurative and abstract.

Thus the video. Then of course, the practice.

I have always been caught between dualities. I like very minimal architeture and design but also very cluttered vernacular Newfoundland architecture, sleek fashion but then also plaid. I want an old wooden desk and only my Mac on it. Instead of fighting these dualities I figure I should stride both of them.

Going to try this painting video out. I'll post whatever results I create here later on.

The woodworking videos I have watched already, just waiting on getting a new saw and as well as a space to start attempting some dovetails.