Brushstrokes of Genius

How do you handle criticism? Did you know the paintings of Joseph Mallard William Turner (1775-1851) were often criticized? This painter of the sublime and dramatic in nature left the world with dazzling sunsets, menacing storms as well as misty sunrises. His most important element was light. He produced an incredible number of paintings, perhaps more than any other artist. His vision was romantic which may explain the self-criticism. So what’s wrong with romance — in painting or life in general? He started painting at the age of twelve and later studied at the Royal Academy, copying from the masters which he felt was an important tool in learning. Fearing poverty, he worked at a frenetic pace to acquire income to support his art. At times, he practiced being elusive, adopted assumed names, and stayed at secret places with his true identity unknown. His struggles paid off as he was elected for life in the Royal Academy, founded by King George III, and amassed a fortune. He never criticised other artists but was obsessed with improving his own work.

Turner spent hours studying skies, clouds, and other subjects of fascination. To paint “Snowstorm at Sea” at the age of 67, he strapped himself to the mast of the ship in stormy waters. He survived the four hours and later painted realistic accounts of what he saw and experienced.  Memory training played an important role in his creative process. He believed that memory and imagination were closely linked.

One wonders, in light of the above, if perfectionism and obsession to avoid criticism made him a better painter or contributed to frustration and self-doubt. It sems to me he was his own worst critic, which perhaps lessened his true joy of painting. Regardless, he left us with one more example of genius. Few of us would struggle to that extent; I certainly wouldn’t strap myself to a boat in a raging storm. In all probability, neither will I ever be considered a genius. However, I can relate to his drive for perfectionism; when a painting is finished, I always think I could have done better. Neither time nor struggle has taken away my joy of the painting process. Like a chronic disease, once the virus of creativity enters our psyche, it’s there to stay.

Turner was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London along with Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Thomas Lawrence. He couldn’t have better company.

 To learn more about his painting technique, e-mail me and I’ll cover that in another blog. Until next time.   Marie

This entry was posted on 15. June 2009 at 22:13 and is filed under art postings, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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