RIVER RE-VISION.

On Monday, January 26, 2015, Martin Law <martin.rainbowmaker@gmail.com> wrote:

Reflecting on the slow flow and undertow of a river in autumn in full flood. First phase impressions coalesced, calling for further sessions in density and depth. Pulled into play by the possibility of re-visioning.

Deciding, the ‘River in Autumn’ was ripe for an infusion of transformative enhancement. So that the painted substance speaks of the living liquid essence of wild water. That the community of trees blend and bond among themselves. The air itself all pervasive as in a lucid dream, of moss drenched in riverine fertility, archaic arboreal rusticity, the slow surge and ionic breath of mountain water.

Subsequently, over the next few days, drawn into long sessions from evening till dawn, meditatively mixing and modifying tones of pigment on a cardboard palette. Sleeping, only to pick up the thread where i left off. Working to densify and saturate, reintegrate, illuminate, consolidate, sleep late and wake late

Diverging from a daunting complexity of intricate branches, to follow the flow of feeling, immersed in the poetic particulars of paint. Returning again to soften subtle anomalies as they reveal themselves, till all is homogenized within itself.

A rhythm of random nuance ensues, entrained in silent light trance. Mindful manifestations of a spontaneous fluid brush, at one with the fluency of fingers.

Distinctly familiar layers of instinctual procedure, tentative touches enriching the invisible organically discerned underlying blueprint. Each stroke has meaning, relative to context. Anything but the limitations of any preconceived style. The only ‘style’ being the consistency of uncontrived naturalness.

There are no words for the subtleties of substance, and the mark says more than language in the muse of meditative mind. An infusion of feeling flows from fluency in the fingers, having a mind of their own. Receptivity and incremental improvisation along familiar secret paths with no name.

There are no instructions for the free flow of imagination, visualization being already free outside the box. Yet the balance is precise as a tightrope or surfing a wave. To coalesce and enhance, weave and reintegrate the dance, of that which wishes to emerge as if by chance.

Popular opinion only imagines a mere parody of the painting process, its true nature naturally elusive beyond logic. With constant awareness there is no need to think. Long sustained pre-verbal absorption often self-reflects, realizing momentarily, the peripheral context of being in a room, a specific place, has vanished, the still focus all that remains. So much for time and space.

Attentively, intuitively scanning, in accord with an unnameable angle of vision until all is in place. With inevitable idiosyncratic quirks interwoven and tucked into a tapestry of wholeness with loose ends blended. Some may remain but let them be.

This is a serious form of play. Until it’s time to pack the paints away, and see how it looks in the light of day. Just as it is will have to do. ‘River in Autumn, number 2.’ ~

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Martin Rainbowmaker.

RIVER IN AUTUMN.

On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, Martin Law <martin.rainbowmaker@gmail.com> wrote:

Talking of rambles in the wood along the river in autumn and the process of the painting of the same name.

The meandering serpentine long intestine of artistic assimilation of nature’s nutritious

impressions, photographically captured, compared, and contemplated to a refined mulch.

Imagination blending celtic autumn realms with overtones of Sung dynasty landscape scrolls evocative of profound integrity refined, and wild abundance of woods and thickets in the mist somehow weaves through archetypal images along the riverbank.

Being the epitome of the opposite of all brash trash, leaving only calm naturalness just as it is.

Enlarging photos on a screen to skim the rippled water with an urge for soft pencil on pure primed white wove dot grain texture of taut canvas.

Two attempts in a row to freely draw two different things, both duly erased for being not yet it.

Yet somehow organically the scene i’d seen emerged from the leeway of memory and actually manifesting optical perspective.

Thereby spontaneously immersed for two evenings until dawn, carefully coaxing on to canvas with a lean pencil point slantwise.

Pencils are important, mightier than a Mars probe and better for drawing. The pencil is a versatile tool, it does what you want it to do, doesn’t require recharging and doesn’t eavesdrop or intrude in your drawing room.

And more, the un-camouflaged and unedited loose tangle of hair-like windblown lines and soft graphite shading can then be turned to tone, or stone, with just the faintest wish of a wash of a fine soft water filled brush.

Lightly illuminating spaces between forms contained, leaves a web-work tracery like mosaics of stained glass. Linear contour of rock and root mutate in a weave of webbed lines soft as a whisper at first, serving to bring into relief what emerges from smudged anomalies.

Forms following their own uncontrived authenticity either gel, or transmute accordingly. Anomalous brush marks randomly hint arboreal runes of entrance to portals and dimensions.

And like a river in late autumn going with the flow, foibles, failings, fables, and all. Playful and guided by true imagination

A muse, an amusing but somehow unassuming word to use. In respect of cultured discipline, frugal refinement of pine wood smoke ink dilutions, and minimal colour on soft white.

RIVER IN AUTUMN, is a monochrome with muted minimal colour fresh off the brush. Being both painting, and by contrast, drawing, reflecting elemental water wisdom in swirls and spirals.

A pencil has potential and you don’t need stencils, move out of that groove. First we were assaulted by a civilization of boxes only to be bombarded with sacred geometry

So, pause and gaze at the world of all that flows, specific foam shapes swirl in vortices defying rigours and rules, arbitrary structure, gracing the floating world with outrageous circles and cycles of free form flow.

Think of this panel as a portion of pencil poetry in process. Imagine it as being a primal piece of pagan patchwork embroidery. With a blend of hanging bamboo landscape scrolls and Sung dynasty elementals of literary ink. This product is free of all anti-occidents.~

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Martin Rainbowmaker.