It's Good to Be Negative

Since I began making art seriously a few years ago, I've sought to create focus and drama through the use of negative space.   For me, it's been a most effective tool, one that goes hand in hand with the notion that "less is more."  A prime example is this drawing of the late conductor Sir Georg Solti made in 2012.   

The Titans -- Solti

Charcoal on paper

9 x 12 

I find there is great power in this kind of presentation.

Another example is the painting below, one that incorporates the concept of ma, which can be translated from Japanese as "negative space."  For those unfamiliar with certain Asian artistic techniques, I provide the following from Wikipedia:

"Ma is not something that is created by compositional elements; it is the thing that takes place in the imagination of the human who experiences these elements. Therefore, ma can be defined as experiential place understood with emphasis on interval."

In the case of this painting, the interval is intended to extend from the present moment to infinity.  A meditating monk is the vehicle for this very Zen approach, and the negative space, the ma, the expression of the experience.

Zazen -- Beyond the Snowflake's Echo

Acrylic on canvas

11 x 14

In both the drawing and the painting, the aim is to convey an essence, whether the passion of music made under the baton of a maestro or the journey into the heart 

of . . .  being.




While you're here, I'd like to encourage you to check out my brother's debut novel.  It's a first-class thriller, why readers are giving it 5-star reviews:

"I found myself not being able to put the book down...it just got better and better."  LS, Arizona

"A wonderful read!" JC, Illinois

"This novel picks you up by the scruff of your neck and doesn't let you go until the final pages." VB. London