Forget that we've spent the last two months painting objects on a table. Nothing about life is still. It is in constant motion even if the movement is barely perceptible. (Those flowers in a vase don't stay perfect do they?) Nonetheless, we try to stop the motion of life in art and hold onto a beautiful or poignant moment forever.
The month of May brings with it inspiration from Gustav Klimt whose lavishly patterned figures in some ways resemble well appointed still life. The figures are almost posed like fruit and vases and bowls on the table, there to be admired for their curving lines and the light bouncing off the turning shapes. While drawing and painting figures can seem a daunting proposition, there is something in the simplicity of Klimt's portraits that suggests we can do it too. Reduce our subject to its basic elements then add back in our own details and symbols to characterize the subjects as we understand them. Such a fine opportunity for story...
