The Joy Of Painting

[naomi24]

The joy of painting

This is an old programme but one I’ve just happened upon. For anyone who would like to have a go at painting - or even for those who already paint - it offers a lot of great techniques and advice - and it’s enjoyable. Just a little recommendation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joy_of_Painting

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000hjkv

[Vagus]

Art, to me, is very personal. I hate people looking at my paintings and trying to find something in them, that’s not the point. It just gives me pleasure to paint them, and my other half pleasure to have them hanging on the walls in our house.
It’s very subjective.
I wish I could paint portraits, I’m considering doing a course, not to be able to paint fine detail but just to be able to paint something a tad recognisable, in my own style.

[Atheist]

Vagus, I'm not an artist, but I have managed to paint a few portraits and pictures of petanque players and village friends in action or repose, all based on photos, which please me enough to hang them up in our little house, and one or two commissioned or requested and for which I accepted small amounts of cash (or eau-de-vie). I have now become side-tracked by writing. I'd love to write and paint, but at my age it all becomes rather exhausting, so I am focussing on the novel, which I think is more likely to have merit than the paintings. Good luck.

[Ellipsis]

If your mountains are passable then paint bigger mountains ...

[Atheist]

Naomi, have you ever tried painting or drawing? In the olden days it was one of the things that people were taught and encouraged to do. Before 'Art' became over-precious, it was a valuable skill, as in sketching the enemies' lines and gun positions. It wasn't venerated, just considered a useful skill. Of course, the Masters stuck out a mile, but even they were never paid huge bucks; for the most part they would have been working for the really wealthy patrons like Popes. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm not keen on the people who demand huge riches for simply expressing themselves. I mean, who cares what Emin expresses?

[tonyav]

Bob 'heres a happy little tree' Ross. I find his programmes interesting.

[naomi24]

Atheist, I do paint. Landscapes.

[Sam1960]

I enjoy watching his shows on sky when they are on.
Does anyone remember paint along with Nancy from the 70's !!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Kominsky

[Mamyalynne]

I used to be glued to Paint along with Nancy.

Without doubt, if any of these programmes and the myriad of tutorials on the internet encourage people to have a go at expressing themselves. who cares if some are a bit formulaic.

[Atheist]

Naomi; what medium do you use?

[naomi24]

Acrylic and sometimes water colour.

[Sam1960]

Me too Mamya, think she was on tv round about lunchtime. Loved her programme so I did.

[naomi24]

I’ve never heard of that lady, Sam, but I do think it’s good to have programmes like this that encourage people who perhaps never considered it to have a go, and speak to them without feeling the need to blind them with technicalities or the kind of snobbery so often attached to the arts. You never know what you can do until you try.

[rowanwitch]

I have painted all my life or rather created pictures because I use different media as the mood takes me including but not exclusively pencil, pastel, watercolour, gouache, acrylics, oils, textiles, and glass paints. Sold a lot of pieces over the years but had to cut back drastically due to the pain in my hands. I don't claim to be an authority but I do think it's better that people learn to create from something inside rather than following a formula.
My family on both sides included a number of creative types so I grew up in a home where being creative was accepted and encouraged, and to some extent valued

If in the programmes Bob Ross taught his techniques as a way for people to observe and reproduce what they see,in the real world rather that reproducing American fantasy landscapes I would be all for it, but I don't watch him any more because having seen a couple of programmes by about the fifth of sixth I felt I wanted to hang myself from his main tree ( always to the side and usually a big old pine tree)
It reminds me of something I heard once "a cook follows a recipe book, a chef can write one ". It's the same as the difference between a painter and an artist.

[Khandro]

If you enjoy painting what you are doing is probably not very good.

[naomi24]

Why does that matter, Khandro? Coming from you I'm disappointed in that response.

[Khandro]

OK, comment withdrawn

[naomi24]

Don't withdraw it. I really would like to know why you think it matters.

[Khandro]

It doesn't matter & I'm being snobbish.

[naomi24]

Thanks for that admission, khandro. There's no place for snobbery in art - whoever it comes from. Art is in the eye of ... and all that ... and it doesn't matter how you get there, or what medium or tools you use. If you're pleased with the result your efforts have been worthwhile. I would actually like to see some of the efforts of the detractors here. I wonder if they're as good as they seem to think they are?

[Atheist]

Here's one of mine. A portrait of the mum of a dear friend (a lovely boules mate) who is now deceased. I sold this picture and a portrait of the son to the family after his death. Did it just in time, before he died. I am a bit proud of it, but regard it as a token of my affection for them rather than a work of art.

https://ibb.co/J25HpkV