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The art and books of Ian de W. Semple

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(posted on 19 Feb 2023)

In the creation of a painting, intent, based on a planned idea is normally the overt intention of the artist. For all but the novice yet to create a first painting, however, those transparent ambitions are often underlain by the subliminal undercurrents of trepidation and hope.

“I find that as I get into a painting I have high hopes, then little by little I begin to see that it is not going to be the masterpiece I thought it would be, and I start putting my hopes into the next work.” (Robert Genn; Canadian artist).

So it is with this artist.

To quote the renowned Canadian artist, Emily Carr, “you always feel when you look it straight in the eye that you could have put more into it, could have let yourself go and dug harder.”

Should a painting that has failed in an artist’s eyes be thrown away, and a “redo” started from scratch? Or is there an alternative?

“It takes more time to rework a painting than it takes to fill in the canvas in the first place. I wish I could get them all right with the first coat like many of the old masters could, but I seem destined to have to rework to make them even passable.” (E. J. Hughes; Canadian artist).

I could not have said it better! So be it; which explains the contents of this website studio. Some of these paintings may merit many more coats. Or the trash!

“If I feel a painting I'm working on doesn't have imagery or emotion, I paint it out and work over it, until it does.” (Franz Kline; American artist).

Such I have tried to do with “A Second Coat.”

“I do not repudiate any of my paintings, but there is not one of them that I would not redo differently.” (Henri Matisse; French artist).

Indeed!