Landscape Painting And Its Emotional
Connections
By Jeni Dalen
The question
"What is a landscape?" evokes various answers from five
landscape painters. The follow-up "Is there any necessary
component?" reveals some common ground. All five find a
connection between landscape and emotion and they all favor those
places away from humanity's crush.
"I think of a
landscape as being an emotional snapshot of a place," says
Stephen Henning of Minnesota. "It might be a huge overall
setting, or a more intimate focus on details." Whether by way
of an expansive horizon or a close stand of trees, Henning's
underlying wish is to engage the viewer.
"I crave open
spaces," he continues, "and want to convey the
relationships of objects that give a painting depth. I like it when
people experience the place, stand in the painting with me, relate
to the foreground and yet feel their eyes drawn off into the
distance. When I capture the atmosphere, the viewer is more likely
to want to connect with the painting."
Henning aims at
specific artistic goals. "First," he explains, "I try
to make every square inch of canvas have something interesting
happening in it. Consequently, you don't see large expanses of one
flat color, even within a big blue sky." Subtle, constant color
transitions and visible brushstrokes across the entire surface
achieve his impressionistic approach.
"Second,"
he continues, "my technique with acrylic makes the finished
work look so much like an oil, people assume that's what it is. I
love it when they ask!"
Henning's third
objective involves his color and printing choices. "I love to
paint," he reflects, "and to produce appealing art. I
consciously develop artwork for the marketplace. I listen to color
preferences, keep an eye on framing products. And I incorporate
color palettes that stay true to nature while lending themselves to
interior decor considerations."
Limited edition
gicle'es offer a better printing process, truer color reproduction,
and," his voice fills with glee, "I can go bigger! I want
to offer higher impact pieces - closer to original size and colors -
and gicle'es do that." Henning rejoices that today's print
buyer is more likely to frame and enjoy a print that stuff his
purchase under a bed and hope for a monetary return someday.