"To make art you need; the hand, the eye and the heart."
From Chinese artists
It’s all about finding balance. For if you only use one of your senses your work becomes lopsided. A great artist intergrates all the senses and intellect into one.
Its really easy to wow a viewer, what is harder is to capture their attention and keep it. This is what I am aiming for though. Not just the wow factor. I don’t want that one hit wonder either. I am after intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging art that just speaks of Len Metcalf.
The Chinese artists have this so right. It requires so much more than just a good eye, or technical competence or visual emotional intelligence. It’s finding a balance between connecting them all together.
While we are developing and learning our craft it is wise to segregate them and work on each individually. But don’t forget that is only an exercise in development. Practicing the combination of them all is the most important thing to do. You may ask how to do this? You work on finishing and resolving your work. Working on portfolios rather than individual images. Sets. You take your work through til it is framed and hanging on your wall. Something so good you are aching to live with it.
Palowena Forest At Richmond. Taken with an ultra wide angle lens that I use so rarely it’s not even in my camera bag any more. Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2018
