Painting as a Spiritual Practice
Guest Writer: Ken Fellows
Watercolor Painting
Before I took up watercolor painting, I was a radiologist who spent decades contemplating black/white images. My grayscale discrimination is pretty good, and perhaps that’s why my paintings feature light and shadow. A doctor colleague observed at one of my shows, “Well, I see you’re still dealing in shadows.”
Interpreting X-ray images also requires subconsciously rejecting what’s unimportant or extraneous and focusing on the unusual, the variant, and the arresting. The same holds true for watercolor art. When I paint, I do the same thing: I try to extract the essential and defining elements of a scene and leave out those that are mundane or distracting. Art teachers stress that what’s left out of a painting is as important as what is included. Sometimes, deciding that can be difficult; it complicates the start of every painting.
Dewitt Hardy was my best teacher. He painted locally and was known nationally as a master of watercolors. His early criticism of my own work was that my paintings were “too photographic.” Other people have observed, not always admiringly, that “your work looks like a photo.” I offer no defense, unintentional as ‘the look’ may be.
I often use personal photos as a reference for painting, but I usually study and sketch the scene on-site before attempting a final rendition. Photos taken on-site help me recall the ambient light and shadows when I return to my studio. Everything else –the objects, shapes, proportions, and colors –are all candidates for change and innovation.
Whatever viewers think about my work, if it’s in a show, it has already passed my severest critics— my artist/wife Kristin, photographer/daughter Hannah, and young granddaughter Ella (who always recommends, “Grandpa, there’s not enough color”). They have discerning eyes and good judgment. If they disapprove, the painting is never on display. My paintings have been selected for approximately 65 shows over the past 22 years. I’ve been fortunate to have the support and encouragement of my family, and to have found this ‘2nd act’ in life.
In any case, I paint for pleasure, not for critical approval. I see more things I want to paint than I can ever accomplish. I choose what I like and paint what I see. There’s no message in my work –no karmic meaning, no philosophical intent. When a painting pleases me enough to hang on a wall, and my in-house jury approves, I dare to exhibit it publicly. I am satisfied if anyone else finds the effort either pleasing or interesting.
“I’ve been drawing all my life, just as a hobby, without really having shows or anything. It’s just an agreeable thing to do, and I recommend it to everybody. I always say to people, practice an art, no matter how well or badly, because then you have the experience of becoming, and it makes your soul grow.”—Kurt Vonnegut
Ken Fellows
Joanna joannaseibert.com
