Looking on a cold morning.

This morning. Part 2 of the Habitual Rules of Drawing.

The mountains lie quite naturally in the distance. Blue atmospheric perspectives.

 Blowing and bone cold.  Sun and air rising tints from the ground in cold recessive colours. Sharp cold flame and shots of sunlight across watering eyes.

A cry of the first hunting bird. Above, an impatient Emperor in an arch of tertiary blues.

Crack and crisp walking, hoar frosted old ghost snow drifting and the night time remaining dead.

See what it is my love. Watch as we walk.

Witch tree silhouettes broken against the water crystal prisms whispers from stuttering streams. How can you catch that?

Everything else but the moving, unfrozen water.

Paint the positive toned rock against the faster white negative streamed light.

Paint the earth, paint the sky, paint the dark undercurrents slipping away into legend made caverns.

Paint the tussocked foot catching grass punctuating a morning pallid colourless field.

Pin in your other language the black marked written birds in shouted fast flocks across a blank white blue paper sky.

Lay on the sun rising light water washes until the rich tone required is finally achieved in soft brush accidents.

Let no dark detail escape until the sun has risen fully. Until your face is shining wet. Until your eyes are wide awake to the landscape and look.

Until you turn the next page in your book and life moves into sharper pen perspectives. And detailed thoughts are written when I wasn’t there and you wondered my love.

Author's Note

One way to paint white water is to paint everything else but the white water. To see both the postive and the negative shapes as essential to the drawing.The painting is mine and is one of hundred watercolour Waterfalls in Britain. This one is Betwys Y Coed in Wales

Reviews

[roarke]

I've always been envious of those artists that wielded water color. It's exactly like you explain only you forgot to mention the deft magic of it as is evident in your painting. I'm a big fan of Edward Hopper, and he had his own way with watercolor.

I like how this writing graduates from the physical sensory impressions to a claiming of a personal effect, impression toward an emotional presence.

You could even go a notch farther in this direction, bringing it more concrete, giving a direct owning, a personal action, a solid less etheric form.

I know of few who can handle graphic art and literary art as you do Ken.

[Ken Simm.]

What an incredible thing to say. I am humbled. I too love Hoppers work. I say that as by the by, by the way.

[Ken Simm.]

It is so beautiful to watch through the eyes, of a painter, and a different painter. For every vision, a painter sees, is unique. And this is literary also so good. A holistic person you are. Sheer brilliance .

- Elisa

[Ken Simm.]

That is so nice of you to say so Elisa. I am flattered.

[Augustus]

You are an artist on two fronts, and each art of yours seems to feed off the other. I could immediately connect the poem to the painting or vice-versa. It is an interesting technique, enhancing the periphery to make the central portion stand out. You give a lovely demonstration of how to capture beauty with words as well as brush strokes. My favourite line here was:
"Witch tree silhouettes broken against the water crystal prisms whispers from stuttering streams."
I also liked the transition that you make towards the end, from a descriptive tone to a more reflective one. Well penned! Thank you. :)

[Ken Simm.]

As I say in the write it is realising that the positive and the negative are equally important to the work and of course allowing the white ground to work for me with the water. Thank you so much once again my friend for being so insightful.

[emmajoy]

' Witch tree silhouettes broken against the water crystal prisms whispers from stuttering streams. How can you catch that? ~~ Everything else but the moving, unfrozen water.'

Have visited and felt the spray, have always wanted to return but, now I don't have to. You, with words and painting, have presented it not just for me to see but anyone wanting to feel the magic of the place and the process of re.creating it in wonderful language and on a fully prepared canvas. To display your emotions and keen awareness is, in itself, an artform from both brain and heart.

[Ken Simm.]

You obviously see what I see Emma. Thank you so much for all the support.

[emmajoy]

You're welcome.

[Emily B]

darkness and light, so many think that we can have one without the other :)

[Ken Simm.]

Or positive and negative. A shape cannot exist without both. Both are fundamental to our seeing the world. Without one there is no other and therefore no sight. Thank you so much dear friend.

[Emily B]

much love to you, Ken

[Frieda P]

Your words are so stunning Ken, I actually felt a cool breeze on my face. I took this journey with you, I wish I could capture what you do, I've dabbled in oil paints but nothing as spectacular as the scene you've painted here. Simply lovely.

[Ken Simm.]

You are probably sitting in a draft Frieda. Don't get cold.
Would like to see some of your oils. Meantime thank you so much for reading me and all the support.

[Tree]

Words for not only the painter to live by but for anyone, willing to look a little harder; or feel a little bit more. Thank you for sharing these insights with us Ken. An excellent follow up to the Habitual Rules of Drawing.

Diego

[Ken Simm.]

Sorry about the delay Diego. So many thanks for all the support and encouragement.

[Pete Langley]

I have the slate I brought back from Betwys Y Coed as a short path in my garden - and as the grave markers of two of my old cats. It`s apt that this is Welsh in origin, because your beautiful word chains are so reminiscent of Dylan Thomas, Ken( one of my idols). This is a major piece, mate. P.

[Ken Simm.]

Now that is going to far Pete. To put mention the master in a review of my scribble. I am honoured and now cannot get out of the door becaue of the size of my head.

[Leslie Philibert]

and here Ken continues the excellent work of the first part, which I liked too.And some fine use of words here too, like blowing and bone cold, or tussocks, pallid , or in the middle part the repeat of paint that increases the tempo of the text, then I like the last clever thoughts of abscence. Every careful reader will find lots to like here !

[Ken Simm.]

Glad you like both the framework and the content Leslie. As always you go straight to the nub of the write and encourage me greatly. Thank you.