Sunday, October 17, 2010

John McNelley

John McNelley - Quarry

I started painting in 2007 december I think and I got interested in painting by watching Ken Harris on community tv. I attended one of his workshops and found it rather good. Oils tho tend to make me a little ill so I switched to acrylic paint and experimented with different combinations of applying the paint until I found a method that brought some success.

I rather like the Fauve painters Brian Simons of Canada is the current favourite of these
I enjoy Cezanne and the Impressionists and have seen a few of the originals in the various shows around Australia when I can - I would love to go to Paris to see the Louvre and the
Dorsay museum and explore the world of European art a little more. I have tried Plein aire
but have not been all that good at it, or the results have been somewhat disappointing. I
prefer the creative process to the finished product but enjoy it when a plan comes together [ more by accident than design ] to get a harmonious result in an artwork.

Currently I would like to use figures in landscape painting that are bolder than what I have been doing. Perhaps a stylized form of figure painting that might be more cartoon like than natural drawings. I enjoy Chagall in this regard who more painting free flowing emotional energy than anything like form in his work.

In painting, I might start out with a plan but it usually turns out that the plan is just a basic support for a caprice on a theme. The main aim of a painting is a harmonious outcome rather than just to paint what is in front of you wither that be a photograph or a motif out in nature.

http://web.me.com/john.mcnelley/john.mcnelley/welcome.html

When I want to try something different, I usually get to a local quarry - where no one goes, and paint the landscape in some imagined new way - as there is nothing new under the sun, the aim of any painter is to apply paint like no one else has done so. That is called "style".

I find any artist who is successful at making a living from art an inspiration even tho the
art produced might not be to my liking. Picasso I can't stand but he was the most successful artist of the last century. Pro Hart is another artist I admire for making it - he sold every
painting he ever did but some of his works leave me scratching my head as does Ken Done, the Australian Fauve painter. Still good on them, they made it.

I would like to teach painting to improve or refine how I paint. There is nothing like showing others how you paint to discover where you need some work on your technique.

I was born 1953 in Gatton Qld and worked in dozens of jobs, none of which I particularly was suited for. My current job is in an office, its driving me crazy but it keeps me in paints and canvas
and allows me the occasional trip to Sydney Melbourne or Canberra to visit the galleries if there
is an Impressionist or Post impressionist or Expressionist show on. My next trip is to Sydney Harbour to take loads of photos of the water, boats and landscape to get some more material for a few paintings.

My favourite Australian artist at the moment is Nan Peterson who reminds me so much of Renoir in how she paints. I like Colley Whisson's paintings and have seen him demonstrate how he does his work and was most impressed on how quick he can churn out an Australian
Impressionist piece.

http://web.me.com/john.mcnelley/john.mcnelley/welcome.html