A painting is not unlike a house. When a house on the market is described as having "good bones," it usually means that the building is structurally and architecturally sound - that, although it may need some cosmetic attention, it won't require major repairs to make it a comfortable place to call home.
Like a house, an effective painting has good bones - a strong design that draws in viewers and then holds their attention. A super-sized painting can command attention, so too can a piece of art with flashy color or unflinching content, but a painting that's well-composed doesn't necessarily require any further bravado to catch - and delight - the eye. To build a solid foundation for a painting, artists have a lot of compositional tools at their disposal - among them are balance and proportion, movement and rhythm, unity and focus, all of which can contribute to the viewer's experience.
The pastelists featured in this issue may tackle very different subjects, but whether the subject is nature, as it is for Patricia Prescott Sueme (page 24); or people, as it is for Bev Lee (page 32); or still life, as it is for Marie Tippets (page 40); composition plays a major role in their creative processes. For Prescott Sueme, this focus is a natural extension of an aesthetic she has been developing since working for decades as a graphic designer. For Lee, it was an aha moment early in her career that offered illumination. "My work was technically very good, but it lacked movement," she told writer, Christine Proskow. "That started my quest to figure out how to make more mature and intelligent compositions."
I hope that you'll discover plenty of inspiration - maybe even experience some aha moments of your own - as you engage the work of the many pastel talents featured in this issue. When it comes to constructing a harmonious arrangement of visual elements, I'm sure you'll agree there are some mighty fine builders at work here. PJ
