oil paintings inspired by nature Nicole Lamothe Final...
Transcript of oil paintings inspired by nature Nicole Lamothe Final...
Seascapesoil paintings inspired by nature
Nicole LamotheFinal Review, April 30th, 2012
© 2012. Nicole Lamothe retains sole copyright to all images and text contained within this book.
Cover image: Array, 42x36, oil on canvas, 2011
This is a brief excerpt from his teachings, including his diagram of
Nature-Artist-Creation.
TERMS:
NATURE:
the source of all inspiration.
Whether the artist works directly from nature, from memory, or
from fantasy, nature is always the source of his creative impulses.
THE ARTIST:
an agent in whose mind mature is transformed into a new creation.
The artist approaches hes problems from a metaphysical standpoint.
His intuitive faculty of sensing the inherent qualities of things
dominates his creative instinct.
CREATION:
a synthesis, from the artist's standpoint of matter, space and color.
Creation is not a reproduction of observed fact.
ON THE AIM AND NATURE OF ART
The aim of art, so far as one can speak of an aim at all, has always been
the same; the blending of experience gained in life with the natural qualities of the art medium. Artistic
intuition is the basis for confidence of the spirit. Art is a reflection of the spirit, a result of introspection,
which finds expression in the nature of the art medium.
A work of art is a world in itself reflecting senses and emotions of the artist's world.
Seascapes
Shoreline, was the first finished piece in this series. As the waves continually meet the shore, an explosion of color
takes place. It is in the reflections and shadows of the moving water and waves that inspired this painting. I had to open my
eyes to color. As soon as I saw the orange color of sunset reflected in the fragmented bits left behind by the ocean waves, I
new there had to violet; there was. I started recording this color information and began composing the sketch for my first
piece. I worked in this manner outlining the composition for Aggregate and Emergence. As the day progressed into night,
shifts in color began to happen. The water became darker, the color reflections more vibrant in comparison. I welcomed this
wealth information.
I wanted to produce a
different feeling with the paintings
Setting Point and Rhythm.
Spaciousness was my first
intention. Secondly, calm and
introspection. As I painted Setting
Point, I focused on combining the
endless horizon, with the vertical
effects of light. Rhythm, embodies
movement, with its horizontal
orientation and the calm, slow
rolling waves.
Sun Shower is a representation of
movement. The falling water being pulled
back to earth after the crushing impact
against the rocks, pier and land.
In Luminous Shift, I created a sense of passing time, from left to right, day to night,
as the sun dips below the horizon. The blue-violet is the shift our eyes experience
looking away from the orange cast of the sun. To me, the overwhelming aspect of the
coastal environment invokes a feeling of how small we are. In comparison to the natural
world, humans can't affect the cycles and rhythms of nature. These cycles are ceaseless.
I worked with balance and
movement while creating shifting
points of view to create mystery in
Between Tides. Movement is
alluded to through the suggestion
of time, between tides. Mystery is
suggested because it is difficult to
pinpoint the moment at which the
tides change. The red-orange is
symbolic of the sun, as it moves
below the horizon.
Contrast within the space of the canvas is another important aspect of my work.
Distant Morning illustrates several contrasts: light and dark, distance, spaciousness and
compression, while alluding to the horizontal nature of landscape. Array, communicates
distance and perspective. An arrangement of colorful organic shapes, creating depth and
space.
Array, 2011 oil on canvas 42x36 inches
Distant Morning, 2011 oil on canvas 24x48 inches
Between Tides, 2011 oil on canvas 56x48 inches
Aggregate, 2011 oil on canvas 28x48 inches
Luminous Shift, 2011 oil on canvas 30x50 inches
Shoreline, 2011 oil on canvas 32x60 inches
Rhythm, 2011 oil on canvas 36x54 inches
Setting Point, 2011 oil on canvas 50x40 inches
Emergence, 2011 oil on canvas 30x54 inches
Sun Shower, 2011 oil on canvas 60x50 inches