A Great Lesson!

My first commissioned piece in the “Impressionist” style was Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. I had no clue how important this piece would become in my growth as a fiber artist! What a great lesson!

You see, my brain works very differently than those that create impressionist art. Van Gogh was a master at this form! When we view his works we know that the blob of color is a tree or trees, bridge or bridges, or that a face has more detail than is actually present. Why? Because our brains are hard-wired to fill in the gaps. It’s why we often see things that aren’t really there!

Take for example if you will, staring at clouds, floor or ceiling tiles, etc. You might see a bunny, a shark, a face, etc. It’s from where the term “The Man On The Moon” came from although I have a hard time seeing it! In one room in my house, I have a floor tile that has a Great White spy hopping with its mouth agape. I have textured walls and in another room and in the lower left corner there is a Clown Fish - “Hi, Nemo!” - I found you! On that same wall is the perfect shape of California! I could paint either of them out in a flash and they would be instantly recognizable.

So, in creating Starry Night, I had to pay close mind to my mind! I desperately wanted to make the trees detailed and look like real trees! I wanted to make the village scene more realistic. None of this loosey-goosey stuff! LOL. Throughout the project, I noticed things that I had never noticed before in his painting - a field, a chimney, what I think is a small lake and a building that I still don’t know what the heck it’s supposed to be! Too big for a house! Could be a barn? Heck, I don’t know, but I had to put it in there though my mind struggled because I wanted it to be something I “knew”.

What a really cool lesson. I now feel I can do more impressionist art pieces with much less struggle. Admittedly, though, the struggle was part of the fun!