Art History Archives - Page 11 of 11 - Donald S. Kolberg Visual Artist and Sculptor

This past week I had the opportunity to speak at OHC, the Okefenokee Heritage Center. The Art Guild there is extremely active and incredibly receptive to the ideas that surround being an artist. One of the subjects I spoke about was developing a commitment to being an artist. I thought that an article I wrote recently might help to visualize the ideas I presented.

Success in an Artist’s Mind – Concepts to Live By

Once you’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and become the sculptor or painter you knew you could be there are a few things you should remember to become successful. And no, I am not going to rehash what you have probably read a dozen times concerning carrying a sketch pad, viewing art or any of the other tried and true top ten methods. I am going to explain the three most important concepts that you need to know and need to repeat over and over again.

First Concept

Do not beat yourself up over what you think you should be doing. This means that you will make mistakes, find yourself creating art that is not as good as something you saw in a book and generally feel that your work isn’t up to par with your peers. So what, it’s your work and you put the time into its creation. Even if you hate it you will have understood why it’s going in the trash. This leads us to the second important idea.

Second Concept

Throw things away. Yes it is true that not everything you do should be seen by the world. I know you want to keep it for reference for the next piece. But the truth is if it’s going to be part of a later painting you already have the idea in your mind. Besides, you didn’t like the first piece you did anyway.

Third Concept

Forgive yourself. This is the most important thing to remember. You need to do this because you will ignore concept number one and beat yourself up on a regular basis. Then once you forgive yourself for not remembering the first concept, forgive yourself for not adhering to the second concept. You and I both know you will never let go of that doodle you did in a coffee shop that you know is the beginning of your greatest piece of art.

So there you have it. Success in your mind is the most important component to success in the field of art. Remember this is straight talk from an artist who regularly beats himself up about how poorly his ideas have translated into his art. And, who has masterpieces created years ago in a high school drawing class hidden away, waiting to be used in that defining masterpiece. But who also knows that the joy of creating his art has become more important and satisfying each day of his life.

Donald Kolberg is a successful sculptor,painter and art coach and marketer. He maintains an open dialogue with fellow artists through his website and free international newsletter ART CORE which can be read at http://donaldkolberg.com/art_core.htm

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Success-in-an-Artists-Mind—Concepts-to-Live-By&id=2978109] Success in an Artist’s Mind – Concepts to Live By

by Donald Kolberg

The variety of mediums used to create sculpture has expanded in the last century. Yet the traditional methods of reduction and addition still dominate the creative process. This includes carving, modeling, welding, casting and collage. Within the art community there is a new process confined to the manipulation of the surface of the medium of steel mesh. This modern medium is being used to capture the form and movement of subjects through the interpretation of its unique open surface and elastic properties.

Steel mesh is being bent, pressed, stretched and twisted into forms that ignore the typical mass found in most sculpture while still maintaining the visual sense of volume. Its open surface texture is filled with an air and softness creating a sense of weightlessness. While the interaction of the mesh with light develops depth, the resulting shadow creates a play between the two images that enhances the sculpture’s movement. The hard steel surface of the sculpture becomes pliable. The shadow becomes a sharp edged drawing reflecting the original form.

Many artists using this medium are continuing to work within the frame of traditional figurative art. They employ the use of a model and create gestural sculptures that define the form in new relationships to the space they occupy. Masses associated with the traditional proportions of the figure are exploited in ways that blend the sculpture into planes that enhance the anatomical structure.

Because of the open mesh they are able to explore the underlying tension of muscles and movement in relation to the implied mass of the figure. Shadows created by these sculptures appear three dimensional, complementing the original structure of the art. Viewed together they are a dance of form and movement that has not been seen in traditional carving or modeling.

Abstract forms created in steel mesh have opened visual planes typically lost in the observation of traditional sculpture. The inherent open nature of the material allows us to see the back and front of pieces from a single point of view. As we move around the sculpture we maintain an almost cubist perception of the spatial elements. Planes of form move from background to foreground and back again, creating a movement along the surface and through the mass of the sculpture.

Steel mesh allows the artist to play with the spatial elements in ways that move visual form from stationary to dynamic concepts. No longer tied to the bulk of the medium, concepts of light and shadow are integrated within surface properties in ways that provide the viewer a fresh and exciting exploration of this contemporary form of sculpture.

Donald Kolberg is a successful sculptor and painter. He maintains an open dialouge with fellow artists through his website and free monthly newsletter Art Core which can be read at http://donaldkolberg.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Kolberg

via Steel Mesh Sculpture.