Life by Art: Part One
Jesse Hulse
What’s a good starting point?
And, why would anyone care anyway, other than the fact that maybe we might all be looking for an outlet of sorts to pass some time?
Before I go any further however, I need to mention this upfront.
Fortunately for all of us, a small contingency of folks are still working hard out there, by necessity more than anything else. Many putting themselves in harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe, or supplied with groceries, or preparing takeout, or delivering the mail, to name only a few. So, let me start there, with a big thank you to those that help provide a little sanity to the insanity that surrounds us at the moment. It’s important to recognize and appreciate all of those folks on the front lines.
For many of us, there are still those who are able to work from home, as in my case. Even though I have the ability to do so, my clients have decided to put a lot of their marketing and advertising needs on hold. It’s a tough call really, because when this all passes, and it will at some point, how do you rationalize to those clients to keep spending money now, to keep marketing, to just keep on keeping on? And they need to in all honesty, just so they don’t get caught playing catchup later on. They really should be trying to stay ahead of the curve so they’re prepared to hit the ground running when all of this craziness breaks. But, it’s hard to convince some folks otherwise, at least at the moment.
So, here I wait. Like the rest of us. For all this to quickly be in our past. The good news is my mulching is done early this year and the lawn looks great. So, there’s that anyway.
Which brings me back to art. And life.
I started my art career back in high school. My art teacher at the time, Larry Kuzmin, a Chester County artist in his own rights, was instrumental in providing the mentorship I needed to focus on a future in art. Maybe more than even he thought at the time. But, his guidance greatly impacted my future, along with many fellow students, in such a way that we would, or should, be eternally grateful.
He taught watercolor. That was his medium of choice, which ultimately became mine, as well. Sadly, as I recall, he was criticized by the administration for his teaching methods. You see, he taught by example — by actually painting in class, by leading not lecturing, much to the chagrin of the administration who wanted him, I guess, to follow a more structured format. I can’t say for sure what lesson plans he did or didn’t follow, but I do think he liked to torment the administrators to a certain extent. Or, a select few of them anyway. He was an art rebel by any other name. Maybe that explains, to my wife, a lot about me not wanting to follow rules either. That, and my sarcastic anecdotal wisdom, a trait Larry also bestowed upon many of his students. But I digress…
So, we learned to paint by emulating the techniques that Mr. Kuzmin used. We watched him wash in cerulean blue skies and by adding a stroke of alizarin crimson how it would change the entire mood. He’d detail burnt umber and raw sienna stonework, dry brush scrub and weeds, use an ink eraser to add highlights to watery surfaces after everything dried. And because watercolors are well, water and transparent colors, they’re painted in layers, lightest to darkest. So, he taught us patience in the process. His favorite expression, and I’ll paraphrase, “you can’t paint the trees before the sky.”
So, with watercolors, as with life, there’s a process that needs to be followed for just about everything we do. There is always a beginning, a middle, and an end. It’s also a practice I embraced later on in my design career, as well. Every project, regardless of its simplicity or complexity, always had a proper sequence in which to complete and it wasn’t advisable to cut corners. You just can’t jump to the end without running the due course. It’s just the way it is. Watercolors taught me that. A life lesson, perhaps.
Relatable and funny story, and I’ll be quick. I was the art director in a local ad agency a bunch of years back when this recent design graduate came in to show me his portfolio. He was proud of his school assignments and even though his work looked like all the others coming from the same school, I gave him compliments when appropriate and constructive criticism where needed, hoping not to squash his dreams, but being as honest as I could. I asked him what he wanted to do, if we were to hire him. He promptly, and without hesitation, said he wanted to start as an art director. Which was basically, my job, right? So, I asked him what gave him the right to assume that, without starting first at the bottom as a junior designer, or being at the very least, directed by someone else first? His reply was, he had studied art direction in college. And, he was ready to jump to the head of line without paying his dues first. I told him to pack up his stuff and not to let the door hit him on the way out. I had little patience for arrogance back then. Still do, I think.
You see, you can’t do the trees until you’ve painted the sky first. It’s a process. I probably should have said that to him in hindsight, instead of kicking him to the curb. My bad, I guess.
So, take a watercolor moment. Everything that is going on right now is a process that needs to run its due course. Let’s not cut any corners or try and jump to the front of the line. Be safe out there. And patient.
Thanks, Larry.
Whispering Walls by Larry Kuzmin
® 1986 Larry Kuzmin. All rights reserved.