Jaw-Dropper

"Play, Paint, Pointe" © 2014 J Travis Duncan

When my wife and I prayed about me moving into the realm of art, we knew that whatever opportunities arose, I would need to be diligent in taking advantage of any and all of them. When a few friends, Nicole B. and Sarah H., as well as my wife Candace, saw the Applaud the Artist cover contest for the local newspaper, The Augusta Chronicle, they were very quick to encourage me to submit an entry. I didn't have any reason not to, but I had many reasons to give it a shot. Seriously, here I am, just starting out, and it never hurts to try even if you don't hit the target the first go round. So, I decided to start thinking about what I would paint and in what medium.

Being that the subject was Arts in Augusta, I knew that I could paint many things. The arts community here in the Augusta area is quite robust and is constantly expanding. It is definitely a wonderful time to be an artist or just someone who enjoys the arts. Being someone who loves to play music and paint, I knew two of the elements that I wanted to incorporate into the painting. Though my musical skills have been limited to the piano (which I have practically forgotten everything I learned many years ago) and the guitar, I felt that the Augusta Symphony needed a nice nod. That is why I decided to incorporate a cello into the painting. The cello is one of my favorite stringed instruments because I simply love the sounds that a skilled musician can coax out of it with just a bow. Yet this was only the first element that I wanted to use when deciding the composition.

The second was a set of pointe shoes. Why? Well, ballet is quite a beautiful art to watch. It's usually quite colorful and the dances are usually set to classical music, which reminded me again of symphonies. At this point (not pointe), I just had to have those pointe shoes in honor of the Augusta Ballet. There is an elegance to the dancers and the dance itself. Just like music, there is a lovely composition to be found in each performance.

The third, and final, element was a paintbrush. Considering that I am a painter and that the piece was of the visual type, I felt that the brush would be the perfect element to wrap up the piece. Augusta's Artist Row is a highlight for those who love paintings, sculptures, etc. For those who picked up Thursday's edition of The Augusta Chronicle, you might have read the interview they had with me about the piece. I truly love the arts and I see a beautiful cohesiveness when you bring them all about. Each one, in my own experience, has inspired the other. I paint to music. I get ideas to paint from seeing performances. The arts work together and are unified. In order to show this, I had the brush playing the cello while painting a ribbon of one of the pointe shoes. Finally, one of the ribbons is becoming a f-hole (sound hole) on the cello.

That's a very brief explanation of how I decided on the composition for "Play, Paint, Pointe". I would encourage everyone to head downtown and experience the many aspects of the arts that are in Augusta. We have a wonderful community that works together who would be thrilled to have each of you take part in or just enjoy what they have been working on.

As for "Play, Paint, Pointe", it was the winning entry in the 3rd Annual Applaud the Artist cover contest. To say that my jaw dropped when I heard the news would be lightly stating my reaction. It is still surreal to me. It has also taught me a great lesson: work diligently, keep pursuing all opportunities, and above all, trust God with the outcome, no matter if it is the one you desired or not. To see the article of the piece and a brief interview with me, click here.

The Art of J Travis Duncan

Sketchy

Bass (Continuous Line) © 2014 J Travis Duncan

Before I ever held a paintbrush in my hands, graphite and ink were the only mediums that I ever used. As a little kid around 7 or 8 years old, I remember seeing drawings that some of the older elementary school children had created. I was completely blown away by how detailed the pencil drawings were. It was something that piqued and interest in me. I know I've been drawing longer than I can remember, but I do remember making it a focus. Later as I progressed through school, everyone had to cover their books with brown paper bags and tape. Some of you are old enough to not only remember the book covers but when grocery stores carried paper bags instead of the thin plastic that breaks due to overloading. Sorry, a pet peeve slipped out. Memories of the amazing art on these homemade book covers are still fresh in my head. From logos of famous brands, bands, cartoon characters, and cable networks (think MTV logo), it was always exciting to me to see what each student had done with their canvas. All-in-all, almost everyone had become an artist of some sort.

As for myself, I had maintained a regimen of sketching for years. With in the past few years, I had let that constant disappear from my life. Now that my little boy is about to be 4 years old, he has had me drawing all kinds of amazing things. We started to create a little board game and he wanted cards to add to it like Sorry! or Monopoly have for certain places on the board. I drew a litany of fruits and vegetables, plant life, animal life, and items that little boys would love to play with. When coloring these items in with a crayon I longed for watercolors. With watercolors, one usually creates a sketch before adding washes. So, I started on watercolors.

From watercolors to acrylic paintings, I have tried to do various styles. But I had still forsaken my first artistic love: sketching. Armed with graphite pencils and ink pens of various sizes, I decided to start back on sketching. I try to do 1 or 2 pieces daily. It's a great habit that is relaxing and helps me to think about the layout of future artwork. I maintain a lot of my sketches on Instagram (@jtravisduncan for those who want to follow me). However, I want to post some to this page as well.

I might start a separate page on this blog in order to share them without bombarding this front page. I hope that each of you enjoy them. If you have any comments, share them with me. I'm pretty thick-skinned and I truly accept constructive criticism with open arms. One can only get better as they continue to practice and listen to sound advice. Now go find a paper bag, wrap a book, and grab a Sharpie and colored markers. Everyone's an artist!

The Art of J Travis Duncan

Misty Appalachia

"Misty Appalachia" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

I had posted previously about trying to paint daily, or at least 5 times a week until I reached a total of 30 paintings. The key word was "try". None of us truly know what the next day brings, much less the next hour. Life outside of painting has had a slight of a shocker for me and my family; my father had a heart attack, was eventually released from the hospital, and then had to go back when his kidney (he's a transplant recipient) wouldn't function properly. Thankfully, he is back home, but he seems worse off now than before he went in for the second stay at the hospital. Now, I'm not looking for pity. However, I will gladly accept prayer for my family. I thank you in advance for those prayers.

Getting back into my groove, I haven't had time to procrastinate. Slowly, but surely, I am starting to get some commissioned work. This is a major answer to prayer. One of the pieces needed to be completely soon in order to be shipped off to Florida. It is a palette knife acrylic painting on a 16x20 canvas panel. My client wanted a painting of the Appalachian Mountains, which I believe are some of the most beautiful examples of God's creation. I figured I would create a misty morning with some pale purple and blue mountains in the background with rolling foothills covered in beautiful autumn colored trees in the foreground. I had a lot of fun with this piece. It is very loose, but I feel that it represented the subject matter in a great way. I'm looking forward to this getting to its destination.

The Art of J Travis Duncan

Do You See What I See?

I base most of my artwork off of photographs. Other times, I use what's in my head to produce something on the canvas or paper. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the photographs are my own. The remaining 1% are mainly those from friends (Ryon Collins and Leigh Ann Pratt I'm looking at you both). My eyes are constantly looking at the world through an artist's eye. This has caused a heightened awareness of all things that are around me. I count this as a blessing.

Our daily routines are numbing. We wake, get ready, eat our breakfast, and we go out into the world. Usually, we just reverse the previous steps in order to end the day in bed asleep, prepared to repeat the cycle. Typing this fact simply bores me. Have we become so caught up in the routine that we have forgotten to live?

"Turtle" (sketch) - © 2014 J Travis Duncan

We've been blessed with these amazing things called senses. There's always the case of those who are born without some senses, others lose some as they progress through life, and sadly, some of us take the ones we have for granted and never use them. It really is a shame that some of the greatest gifts we have are never opened and used.

When is the last time you went outside and just quietly observed your surroundings? What does the sky look like today? Which direction is the wind coming from? Did you see the butterfly and dragonfly chasing one another around the tall grass? Did you smell the rain before it made its way to your location? Who knew that the petals on this Gerber Daisy felt so silky? How'd the summer fruit you just bought from a local grower taste? Was it sweeter than that in the store? Was it's color more vibrant? Each of these are just a few questions that beg for more awareness in life.

Every single one of us have been blessed with some gift or gifts. Each of those things brings us to a heightened awareness of some aspect of life. For myself, art has allowed me to see the lines and patterns on a turtle's shell, the way colors in nature complement one another, and an abundance of other astonishing details that I might have otherwise overlooked or ignored. For those without an artist's eye, think about your own gift and how it has heightened a sense, or senses, in you. Whatever you do, don't squander the gift you've been given!

The Art of J Travis Duncan

Unstable, Yet Contained

"Sunflowers" by Vincent van Gogh

Most recently, I've been trying to give some background information on my artwork. I know I've seen a lot of artists "let the art speak for itself", but I don't want to be just a face that uses various tools to create artwork that needs to be deciphered. However, I do think that there is something intrinsic to letting a work speak differently to each person. Looking inside, I know that I am more inclined to have a stronger reaction to different subject matter than flowers, a still life, or landscape. However, there is an exception when such subjects are painted or illustrated in a style outside of realism. It's just what I tend to favor, with some exceptions.

"Sunflower" by Georgia O'Keeffe

Before anyone starts thinking that I hate realism, know that I'm not saying that it leaves me numb, but rather the emotional response I have is short-lived, limited, and not very concentrated. A good example of this is when I look at two paintings by two well-known artists; "Sunflowers" by van Gogh and "Sunflower" by Georgia O'Keeffe.

Neither painting is leaning heavy towards realism, but are somewhat close to it. Both use the same subject, yet the differing styles and colors spark a tiny flicker inside of me. To me, they are wonderful paintings that deserve recognition, but it would be easy to turn to the next page if they were in an art magazine. I could be an anomaly, but I doubt it. On the other hand, there are others that could wax all day about each piece.

"Sunflowers" by Ginette Callaway

I've written about styles before. I am constantly looking at the art of others. It is not because I want to see what I am competing against, but I love to see how each has their own style(s). Though there are art competitions, I don't believe that's a fair word for a show that is judged subjectively. However, can one truly judge artwork objectively? It is not a race, which has a defined winner based on where they completed the event. If I were to choose one of the three sunflower paintings, I would not deliberate for even a brief moment. Ginette Callaway would take the prize based on the style she used to paint the subject.

The abstract way in which Callaway paints sunflowers is electrifying. I can just picture the physical motion in which she applied the watercolors and ink to produce this painting, whereas with van Gogh and O'Keeffe's works, I imagine they were sitting down in a quiet room with steady hands and calm spirits. Also, the colors that are used affects me as well. O'Keeffe and van Gogh use different color palettes. O'Keeffe paints an early morning or late afternoon sunflower growing in the sun, separate from any other flower or growth. Van Gogh's sunflowers have been clipped and sits in a vase to be enjoyed inside with less intense light.  Both are very static. Yet, Callaway does things a bit differently. She opts to use a more varied color palette and does not show any fear in using any of them. In her painting, the sunflowers are growing outside in the wild and the sun has illuminated the sky and clouds in red and yellow tones. The whole painting seems full of motion and unstable, but contained like a wild horse that has been corralled.

Think of a subject. Find a few pieces of that subject that vary. I would enjoy seeing how different each of us view art, express art, and are stirred up by art.

Self-Implosion or Ignition

"Lift Off Into The Black" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

When painting semi-abstract art, one tries to give enough visual information in order to make the subject recognizable, yet somewhat sensational enough to warrant the word "abstract" in the moniker "semi-abstract". It definitely is a balancing act that requires a deft touch and a deep mode of concentration. Semi-abstract can be a lot of fun, very frustrating, or an amalgam of both for the artist.

For "Lift Off Into The Black", it was my mood that helped me visualize what type of painting I wanted to create. It was Saturday, my family was with me, and they were having a good time playing in a pool while I was off to the side with a makeshift easel ready to "sling paint". I was happy and filled with an air of excitement. My iPod was playing Anberlin's "Godspeed", which is a really driving song about drugs being the downfall of many rock n' roll artists through the years. You know, the common tale of self-implosion. That's a road I never want to go down, but each of us are quite capable of self-imploding with the help of other means besides drugs. The opposite of self-implosion would be self-explosion. However, I would rather think of the explosion as an ignition. This is where the thought of what subject I would paint began.

The Space Shuttle program has been a really exciting time for not only the United States, but the rest of the world. Just take a look at all the accomplishments that have been made by the program. I can remember watching the different shuttles launching from Cape Canaveral and the thrill of seeing a man-made vessel heading into space. The preparations of each launch wasn't something that happened overnight, but took time. There was a constant reevaluation to make sure that things were moving in the correct direction in order to assure a successful mission. Does this not sound very similar to the Christian life?

As a Christian, we should constantly scrutinize our lives. Everything we do should be tested. Isn't it our mission to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as our self? If something is broken or missing, this is impossible. If my relationship with Jesus is broken or missing, the mission is in vain. Just as the space shuttle needs ignition to break from it's platform, we also need ignition to move and act Christ-minded. Where do we Christians get this horizontal lift? Philippians 2:13 states, "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." The Creator of the universe works in us. What more could one ask for?

So, though the painting "Lift Off Into The Black" is a semi-abstract of a Space Shuttle night launch, it is a visual reminder to me that Christ is continually preparing His people to be Heaven bound. All systems are being checked and those things that are missing or broken are being added or fixed. One day, the countdown will happen. We will have lift off. What a ride that will be!

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

In-Flight Refueling

"In-Flight Refueling" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

Nobody is perfect. We've heard it time and again and, if we are honest with ourselves, we will agree that this is true about ourselves. Since there is only One who wouldn't be painted with this statement, and I am definitely not He, I will give an example of what an artist can do if he/she messes up on an acrylic painting.

"Indian Leaf Butterfly on Butterfly Bush" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

I decided to paint an Indian-Leaf Butterfly on a Butterfly Bush the other day. Things were turning out quite well, in my opinion. Yet as I progressed, I became more and more dissatisfied with the production. I'm not sure if it was the thickness of the paint or that I didn't quite enjoy the color composition. Either way, let's just say that I felt it was a disaster. Either you clean up a disaster or you find a way to destroy the wreck. I opted for a clean up.

The thick acrylics were not yet quite dry. This allowed me to grab one of my palette knifes and begin to scrape horizontal and diagonal lines in the painting itself. I was careful to only remove paint and not to damage the canvas panel. I also wanted it to be more abstract and made sure that the lines were not straight but quickly removed. 

The second round consisted of changing some of the colors and laying down bigger swaths of those colors in the background. Once I was satisfied with this step, I had to take some time to stare and study the painting because I would need a new subject. It was like an epiphany; a ruby-throated hummingbird it would be. Finally, it needed a name. "In-Flight Refueling" fit perfectly.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan 

Abalone Cove Shoreline

"Abalone Cove Shoreline" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

My desire to paint daily is still there, but time isn't always available. However, this has not caused me to put the brakes on my attempt, but rather paint when I can and try to piecemeal a painting in little moments.

Today's entry into the 30 paintings series is "Abalone Cove Shoreline". It is another palette knife painting (except for the tiny lighthouse on the hill). The photograph of reference was provided once again by my friend, Ryon Collins. If, or should I say "when", he gets an online gallery of his photography, I will be sure to share it with everyone.

Ryon's photograph of the shoreline of Abalone Cove was perfect for one of my small canvas daily paintings. The shot was taken from a really great place. In the foreground was high grasses, which helped in creating distance. Dare I forget the lighthouse that sits afar on the hilltop. These two elements made it easier to give the illusion that the crashing waves were as low and distant as they are in the painting. When painting from a photograph, you tend to study the subject a little more. With each glance at the photo, I wanted to see Abalone Cove for myself. Maybe one day.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

You Make The Call

Barn In The Field © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

I'm trying to paint at least five (5) small paintings a week until I reach a total of 30. Today, I was having some trouble thinking of what to paint. Don't get me wrong, I have some ideas for a few pieces, but I wasn't ready to start on them. So, I did what most people do in a jam; I asked for advice.

I had a few ideas thrown at me, but didn't know where to start them as well. However, when I spoke to my friend, Ryon Collins, he reminded me that, over a month ago, he had sent me a picture to paint. It was one of those "Oh yeah" moments. From there, I grabbed the palette knife, set my son up with some paints of his own and the two of us went to work on our little canvases. From the looks of his painting table, he went a little heavier on the impasto than I did, but I'll keep that photo for my own personal collection.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

Capturing The Moment

"Today's Catch" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

There are many mediums we can use to capture a moment: video, photography, audio recording, the written word, sculpture, and painting. I thoroughly enjoy each of these distinctive mediums. When Dumas wrote about Edmond's imprisonment and escape from Château d'If, in what I consider one of the best works of literary fiction, "The Count of Monte Cristo", I could not find any other medium that would trump his words. I own the 2002 film adaptation and, though great in it's own way, it can capture the outer dealings that Edmond is dealing with, but much is missing of the struggle as a whole. By the way, I highly recommend the book and the movie. Read the book first!

My newest piece, "Today's Catch", is an homage to my father-in-law's great catch he made a few months back while fishing Lake Thurmond (Clark's Hill Lake). Moments like these are fun to paint. It was not just another still life that's been set up for artistic purposes, but rather one that I happened into like a young boy in an orchard who's come face to face with a ripe fruit dangling within reach. I had to reach out and pluck it. I apologize that I could only share a visual presentation of the day's bounty. If there were some way, I would have also stimulated the olfactory sense as well, but I digress.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

Local Flavor

Sacred Heart - Augusta © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

There's a theme in my paintings. My wife has seen the theme. She has even asked that I would move from that theme to something else. I have a hard time doing something other than flowers. It is not because I feel that I am incapable of doing a different subject, but that they are so fun to paint. So, I did what any good husband would do. I said, "Yes, dear!"

What subject would adorn the canvas of my newest painting? Before I could ask myself this question, my wife had some ideas. Specifically, she felt that I should paint a local landmark that is recognizable by anyone who lives around our city of Augusta, Georgia. My first thought was The Augusta National Golf Club, specifically a hole from Amen Corner. Yet, her thought was a little different from my own. She wanted me to paint a former church turned cultural center that is in the middle of downtown Augusta.

The building of reference is Sacred Heart Cultural Center. It is a building I know very well, for I saw the double spires of this former Roman Catholic church almost everyday as a child. Architecturally, it's a very beautiful building. I didn't even have to give a second thought on if this would be my next painting. Still wanting to play with a palette knife versus brushes, I looked forward towards the task of trying to capture those two spires and the doorway to the church.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

Tempering The Mettle

"Fire and the Sky" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

Have you ever realized that most painters continue to paint until the end of their lives or are physically unable to do so? They never stop. They never quit trying new techniques. There is a continuous metamorphosis of what they do and how they do it. Daily, they are doing something with art; sketching, painting, photographing, or trying to find new subject matter or reference material.

Painters try new things and sometimes they gravitate towards something that others might not find aesthetically pleasing. Picasso is a fine example. Most people only remember him for his works in cubism and surrealism. A lot of people do not like either style. Yet, many have no idea that he was well versed in realism earlier in his life. You read that right, he could paint realistically. He handled the brush quite well if you want my opinion. However, being an artist, he didn't want to stop there, he sought out a way to express himself on the canvas in different ways. He is not alone. Others before and after him have done, do, or will do the same thing.

In order to find that new means of expression, an artist not only has to take a chance, but has to do it on a rather regular basis. No one becomes great at color theory overnight. Most of us know the complementary colors, but do we truly KNOW the complementary colors? Can we grab any tool of the trade, and even some we've created ourselves, and paint? We can and we will, but it is vital that we work at it as often as possible. That is what I want to do.

I want to try to paint one (1) painting a day for 30 days for the sake of advancement, becoming focused, and better stewardship of not just my artwork, but every aspect of my life. Internally, I believe that with any worthwhile endeavor, more than new knowledge can be gained. Deficiencies can be uncovered and dealt with, fears can be overcome, skills can be strengthened, and the whole being benefits from walking such a singular path. Proverbs 14:23 states, "In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty." I pray I follow through.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

First Solo Attempt

"First Solo Attempt" © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

This was inspired by a photograph I took of my son trying to swim last summer. I know I'm impartial, but he truly was the cutest little boy, decked out in his swimming trunks, shirt, and matching hat. The yellow of the swimmies (water wings) broke up the blues in the picture. I even had to have the water noodle in the painting as well!

Constraint Versus Restraint

Bed of Red Day Lilies © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

Quick vocabulary lesson. According to Webster's, a constraint is something that limits or restricts someone or something and a restraint is a way of limiting, controlling, or stopping something.

I know my limits. I'm not a gymnast. I'm not a surgeon. I'm not a mason. There are many things I am not. Yet, there are times when we look at what we do or don't do and in that moment, we subconsciously turn a restraint into a constraint. To put it another way, we tie our own hands behind our back.

For my artwork, details have always been paramount. Be it an illustration of a comic book hero or a barn, the lines had to be correct or my satisfaction would be absent. Thinking back, I wonder where such a thought would come from, for my taste in art is quite diverse. The art movements that have come and gone are delightful in their own way.

Since brushes allow me to paint even the smallest details, what could I do to break from my self-imposed restraint with my art? The answer is simple; I imposed another restraint upon myself: a palette knife. No longer tied to detail-oriented tools, I was forced to paint unimpeded. "Bed of Red Day Lilies" is an acrylic on canvas panel with a palette knife. A slight impasto technique was used with the acrylics. It is liberating to loosen the weak knot I placed upon my own hands. The greatest shame is how long I've imprisoned myself. Lesson learned.

 The Art of J. Travis Duncan

Subject(ive)

Red Day Lily © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

Briefly in Emotional Response, I discussed how art elicits a response, be it internal or external. In the discussion, I made no mention of the emotional catalyst: the subject. The importance of the subject can often be overlooked and, many times, the viewer might not realize that there was a process in the artist's mind and heart that beckoned he/she to choose that very subject.

Many of my paintings, be it watercolor or acrylic, have been of flowers. Why flowers? The quick answer is that they bring a smile to my face. The more detailed answer has to do with my family; preferably, my mother. The God-given gift bestowed upon my mother is a green thumb. I don't think I have ever seen anyone do the amazing things that she has with flowers, or plants in general. Her yard is full of so many different kinds of beautiful plants that blossom throughout the year. From vibrant amaryllis (pictures and nomenclature) and red day lilies, to various colors of iris and gladiolus, there is a litany of flowers I can paint. Yet, I don't paint them for the sake of just painting, but rather it brings me joy to see what she has done and I hope that I can reciprocate those same feelings when she sees me painting the very things that she joyfully toils over.

Recently, I have been overtaken by beautiful landscapes. I linked to van Gogh's "Starry Night Over The Rhone" in my last post because I find it to be one of my favorite van Gogh paintings. Impressionism is one of my favorite art movements and I can bask in one of Monet's many works for a long time. Everyone is familiar with "Water Lilies", but have you ever seen "Bathers At La Grenouillere"? As usual, I like to also share some modern works as well. Alvaro Castagnet is one of the world's prominent watercolor artists. He and Joseph Zbukvic are two of my favorites that work in watercolor. Their works are fabulous.

The subject(s) of an artist's painting is a thought-out process that starts in the heart. Even in commissioned paintings, there is value found in the subject. So before an emotion is drawn out of the viewer, know that one was brought about before the painting ever started. This can help you see what emotion or thought the artist was going through when he/she painted the piece you are examining.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

A Distinctive Appearance

Magnolia © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

Style. Every painter has a specific style. One painter might have something subtle in his/her paintings, yet another might have something so overtly different that it distinguishes itself from all other artists. Van Gogh is a perfect example of a painter with a signature style. Everyone knows "Starry Night", but even some of his other works, "Wheatfield With Crows" or "View of Arles With Irises In The Foreground", reveal their creator by their brushstrokes and color. To think of a more modern example, I would have to propose oil painter, Leonid Afremov. Working with a palette knife, he has an amazing style that he has honed and perfected. The color palette he uses is not limited, but rather seems to include every color of the spectrum. With any artist, a style tends to evolve and solidify with each painting finished.

Do I have a style? When it comes to watercolors, I like to work a loosely. Details are something that I have a hard time pushing away from due to my years of illustrating. However, I enjoy having more freedom with the brush. In other words, I rely upon the viewer to finish the details when viewing the work. This can be seen in my acrylic painting "Magnolia". I opted not to use a lot of detail on the blossoms, but rather put them in a brighter light to allow the eyes and mind to fill it in. As for a style, I guess I would say that my style is still brewing inside.

Sometimes I have to fight trying to force a style. It would be easy to mimic another painter's style, but I believe that when you try to do something that's not natural it is counter-productive. Experimenting with your art is fun and needed in order for artistic growth. It is when I try to reproduce another's style, I ruin my paintings. I love Monet's paintings. Yet, if I were to replicate him, I have done myself a disservice as well as art itself. To the artists out there, work hard, continue to experiment in your art, but never forget the person in front of the canvas is you.

The Art of J. Travis Duncan

Emotional Response

Madstract © 2014 J. Travis Duncan

I have heard artists make the statement that they paint for themselves and for no one else. As an artist, I understand this frame of mind, but how honest are they being? One can say that their art is personal, but if that were the case, it would remain locked away and hidden from any other set of eyes beyond that of the artist. Let's be honest, we want others to see our handiwork. No one has to like it, but we do covet public thought. There is something about art that demands an emotional response. Some artists paint for shock value. Others paint as a means to bring awareness to a social issue. While some, including myself, want to simply express themselves in hopes that something can be stirred up inside others. Life is about living. Art often mimics life. Yet, whether it be an impressionist painting of a city, an abstract painting of a menagerie of color, or a watercolor of a flower, an emotional response, internal, external, or both, is churned up. This is why I truly love every form of art and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Click to see the art of J. Travis Duncan