By Chris Hagie
I am unashamedly a lifelong learner. That is, I take classes periodically when I want to learn new ideas and concepts about abstract art and/or when I realize a need to be around other artists and to receive some feedback or critique. Maybe it is because I was an educator for over 40 years, but I also always enjoy a classroom environment, and probably will continue to take art classes forever. This was probably even more important during the last two years of periods of quarantine.
Over the 20 years I have taken art classes, I periodically take a class that requires intense examination of a "master" in art or an artist who is truly outstanding, and at times copy or create something influenced by the master. Recently, I participated in a class on Zoom about painting like the Abstract Expressionists; it provided fantastic insight into the techniques used by these amazing artists, and gave me a whole lot of new ideas. I love Abstract Expressionist art and often look at the work in my many art books and in person whenever I can.
The first artist we tackled in class was Jackson Pollack. The paintings he created in about 1947 to 1950 in New York utilized a "drip" method of painting, the first time any artist had thought to do such a thing. He must have had to learn about the properties of all kinds of paints and paint additives to discover the ones that drip or can be flung the best. It was definitely more difficult than I thought to do this, but was a lot of fun and the experience provided some good ideas.
Richard Diebenkorn was associated with the Abstract Expressionists and his abstract paintings are filled with calm colors and dramatic lines and marks. I did not realize that he painted sometimes from aerial photos he had taken of the landscape below. I have always loved looking out the window from a plane to see the various shapes and lines that define a particular landscape. The Bay area represents a beautiful abstract from the air that includes the ocean, bridges and our coastline. I realize that I observe nature, buildings, gardens and the ocean as a series of shapes, line, color and textures. When the plane takes off and when it lands, I see these foundations of art.
Finally, I learned about Hans Hofmann, a German-born painter who Moved to New York and taught many of the Abstract Expressionists artists. I really enjoyed the experience of painting with Hans Hofmann in mind.
I would love to hear from you with feedback or comments about my work or the ideas in this newsletter. Feel free to share this with friends who might be interested. You can see some of my on my website, chrishagie.com or in person at Edgewater Gallery in Fort Bragg, CA, open every day from 11am to 5pm.