ArtistsNetwork.com 53one has to give a painting a chance.
Especially at the start, I find that I
just have to develop it more to see
where it’s going. In this case, as the
painting progressed, I began thinking
about formalist elements in Richard
Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park series, in
which he used geometric shapes of
rectangles and triangles along with
open areas of very subtle color. That’s
what I wanted in this painting. I’m
very glad I persevered and didn’t
paint over this image!”
Sensitively and meticulously ren-
dered drawings also espouse Swan’s
formalist inclinations. Commenting
about Coffee Package No. 2 and Coffee
Package No. 3 (both opposite), he says,
“I can see a world of visual possibilities
in the creases and folds of a coffee
package. I’ll scout for interesting
packages in the markets. I’ll buy candy
solely for its packaging, keeping the
wrappers but discarding the chocolate.
I think of my subjects as small, beauti-
ful, ephemeral sculptures that I want
to preserve with pencil and paper.
In respect to some earlier drawings,
I think these two are more sucessful
in terms of the quantity and quality
of the open space that surrounds the
object. Also, I find the subtlety in the
transition of value from left to right
very appealing in that it references
both surface and light source.”
Swan prefers to create more than
one work of art on a given subject.
He also has a penchant for single-
object compositions. “I think there’s
so much happening visually within
just one object that it demands my
entire attention,” he says. “One object
and all that’s happening inside it is
enough to contemplate and enjoy, and
that’s what I want to share with some-
one who is looking at my art.”THE JOY OF SEEING
A strong believer in the old adage
“art comes from art,” Swan finds
that exploring art collections in des-
tinations near and far remains an
important and favorite pastime. “Art
can be appreciated in catalogs, but
there’s something invaluable about
experiencing an original work; its
scale, surface, texture and color can-
not be reproduced in print,” he says.Hostess Cupcake No. 2
oil on canvas, 30x38 (detail at bottom)
detailSCRUMPTIOUS COLOR
AND TEXTURE
Swan prefers to mix all grays and browns from a palette consisting of a wide
variety of warm and cool primaries plus cadmium orange, naphthol scarlet,
titanium and radiant white. For example, for Hostess Cupcake No. 2 (below)
he initially mixed three values of brown, varying in temperature from a cool
dark (mixed with blue), to a warmer middle value, to a rich, warm light
brown containing more red. “I like this painting’s minimalist use of color—
just browns and grays,” says Swan.
“For greater impact,” he continues, “it’s important to find the scale that
works best for a particular object. In terms of handling paint, I find a larger
scale makes the process easier. Working in larger spaces, I have a lot more
freedom to create gradual tones and transitions, and more room to be painterly.
Although the image looks photorealistic, up close one sees heavier textures
in the cake and the white icing [see the detail, at bottom]. It’s not perfectly
flat like a photograph. I really enjoy being both very precise and quite
painterly in the same work.”