How many times have I heard that disclaimer, “I’m not an artist, BUT…”?
The ‘BUT’ is key to redemption.
It wants to change your mind. ‘BUT’ is as central as the Principal’s Office at the ‘FANBOYS School of Conjunctions’ (for, and, nor, BUT, or, yet, so). In other words, it negates what comes first.
‘BUT’ sets up contrast…a choice.
‘I’m not an artist, BUT…’ tells the listener there is an option that tilts t’ward positivity.
We are artful beings, open to the four artful elements: COLOUR, FORM, LINE & SPACE.
To be clear, there are seven visual art elements.
For simplicity, I list the main four and enfold the other three: Value, Shape and Texture.
Firstly, COLOUR
Colour has dark and light Value. Even black and white have gradients. Notice this next time you’re choosing a white paint chip (150,000 variations at one count). The spectrum contains a rainbow of colours (ROYGBIV) from warm hues (red, orange, yellow) to cool compliments (green, blue, indigo, violet).
Secondly, FORM
FORM is 3-dimensional and can be as geometric as a pyramid, a cube or a cone…and as zany as a blob. Two-dimensional Shape is Form‘s flat 2-D cousin: triangle, square, rectangle, circle…and organic outline. Forms have Texture, (hard or soft, rough or smooth); Shape has flatness that can simulate form, especially when shape overlaps or is positioned to create perspective. Shapes imply textural forms when they are built up with layers of paint, clay or found materials.
Thirdly, LINE
The point of a LINE is that it’s on the move. Lines emote depending on the impression they make. They outline shapes. Line is the distance we’ve gone. Line implies a direction we’re going.
Finally, SPACE
SPACE is the surround between objects or within an objet d’Art which draws the viewer’s eye to a focal point. Space swirls all around us. It is positive in its objective (positive space identifies the object). It is negative in its spaciousness (negative space is the eye’s go-between).
I’ll show and tell where I’ve found my elements as the seasons pass.
As an illustration, here’s how the last month of 2024 emerged elementally:
‘Hawaiian Prelude to 2025’
COLOUR
Clouds cavort dark, darker, darkest
on a dance-floor
backlit in blue, windswept
FORM
fronds on palms drum
the air, each to their own beat
we, lone leaflets
We are those leaflets--attached yet free to move.
LINE
blade along Hawaii-
an shores…a known way implic-
ably drawn to spray
SPACE
wave-awakened
flight, taken in
a spritzer of gold
“I’m not an artist, BUT…” states that the elements of Art are there to behold.
Let them fill your 3D-world with Colour,
Fill up your Form. Add new dimension to your life.
Fill in your Lines (delineate and inform you). Leave a mark, an imprint, in order to…
Lead you along the right path through, with and in Space.
Above all, Colour, Form, Line and Space are calliing to you.
Pick up, pick up. PICK UP.
Believe you me, there are
No BUTs about it.