Watercolour, diluted Indian ink, and pencil, on A3 paper, Jan 20 2020
Decided, in the end, to scribble in some pencil outline-ish marks and rather than paint over the bare paper scrawled out a paragraph of writing from a book.
I’m thinking that this need I feel to cover the entire paper or canvas with paint is somehow irrational. (Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing!) But there is no real reason for it. It’s almost like packaging a product.
The Japanese and the Chinese artists didn’t seem to see the necessity. Indeed I believe they saw blank white or unpainted areas as resting places for the eyes. I suppose it depends upon what they were adorning.
Moreover, they frequently mixed or combined writing, calligraphic written characters, with painted images. It seems that both had / have their places to play.
peter robinson fine art 