ROBERT HENRI
RAY ON THE BEST OF ROBERT HENRI
Enjoyment
“
Pretend you are dancing or
singing a picture. A worker or
painter should enjoy his work,
else the observer will not enjoy
it. It is not good to wear lace that
was a drudgery to someone to
make. The lace, as well as the
picture, should be made in joy. His
works are full of the beauty of his
enthusiastic interest in life. All real
works of art look as though they
were done in joy.”When I fi rst read this some years ago, it had a
big impact on me. It highlighted the fact that
technique without feeling offers little more than
a temporary attraction. True success means
appreciating and relishing the creative process,
following your own path, at your own pace, and
staying true to your vision. You cannot control
whether or not the market place embraces your
work, but you can certainly control your enjoyment
of creating it, which shows in the fi nished work.There is much truth in Henri’s words. Drawing is fi rst
and foremost about awareness – letting your hand
draw what you see, what you think and what you feel.
I found sketching the landscape in monochrome with
pens and charcoal helped sort out vital priorities such
as tonal values and composition. But I also found it a
thoroughly enjoyable practice. There is no pressure to
produce a masterpiece. It is, after all, only a sketch!There is much truth in Henri’s words. Drawing is fi rst
and foremost about awareness – letting your hand
draw what you see, what you think and what you feel.
I found sketching the landscape in monochrome with
pens and charcoal helped sort out vital priorities such
as tonal values and composition. But I also found it aSketching
“
People say, ‘It is only a sketch’. It
takes the genius of a real artist to
make a good sketch – to express
the most important things in life- the fairness of a face – to represent
air and light and to do it all with such
simple shorthand means... Pictures
that have had months of labour
expended on them may be more
incomplete than a sketch.”
>30 Ray Balkwill.indd 31 12/05/2016 10:15