Lesley Humphrey Writings

TRINITY 36×36 oil on gold canvas

My husband and I own DaVinci’s Gallery in our local downtown area, (that we used to operate but now lease to a co-operative) so we know the incredible pressures gallery owners and operators have in sucessfully marketing art.   I have been extremely well represented for my equine and sporting works by Sportsman’s Gallery Limited and Paderewski Fine Arts for over 18 years and cannot fault their business ethic in the slightest.  They know their market.  

    As I grow and change as a painter (it’s not for me to say I’m an artist - only time can tell that), I yearn to pour content and meaning into my work not necessarily having anything to do with the representative image; using the image as a sort of  icon for something more.  This painting is just such a piece.  I painted the canvas with Daniel Smith’s gold gesso before beginning (also symbolic for me) and poured out my deep intention, sometimes carving it into the background.  (I’ll leave you to guess at the meaning.)

    My main gallery did not feel this was something they could represent, probably not wanting to confuse my collectors.  I completely understand, yet the rejection hit a nerve as  I realized that my gallery was not representing me and my artistic journey, but a certain brand of image I may not forever be able to furnish.  (Probably a little deluded and narcissistic to think otherwise all these years, but there you are…) A a certain amount of soul-searching took place when I realized this truth.  I was reminded of a conversation I had with one of my teachers Alex Powers when he said "Drop your galleries and do Art".  I suppose I am at a crossroads; I suppose it’s time to choose…

    What does one do?  Lick my wounds for sure.  Buying an ice cream (oink) helped. 

    You may have experienced synchronistic events in your life, well I felt that I did on this day… I received an invitation to enter an international equestrian art competition called Ex Arte Equinus with my new pieces.  I decided to see if everyone felt the same way about new works and entered "Trinity" and other like pieces.  Trinity won first place in painting, and my Appleby Flasher won third in drawing.  Evidently I will receive some goodies, works published in a lovely book, but the real gift is the whisper from the Spirit of Art that says "Keep going….." 

You may view the competition Ex Arte Equinus at:

file:///Users/lesleyhumphrey/Desktop/http-::www.arthorsemagazine.com:art_competition.html.webloc    

Now I know this isn’t the masterpiece of the modern world (far, far from it…) but I felt something "shift" while I was doing this painting.  Like everything changed in an instant, possibly forever.  

As is often the case, when helping students, someone else understand painting, you learn so much yourself.  One of my students was having a miserable time with these constantly moving Norwejian Fjords (they must have been self-conscious of all the strange, oily-smelling predators lined up at the fence line).  I encouraged the student to relax, to paint literally ‘everything’ from the greyish hill behind, stubby trees, fence, two Fresians looking over the fence (yes….that’s what they are… Rubbish isn’t it?)  I remember saying "Yes, even the red and yellow plastic water bucket!"  And I did.  And I loved it… And I realized, from that moment on, something "clicked". 

I would never sell this little 5 min. painting.  In fact, I’ve glued it into my art sketchbook (so there).  All the funky, bright, contemporary-looking paintings that are showing up now have been because of this "shift" and the little painting journal I showed you before.  The following painting was the first on stretched canvas.  I think I did it the week I came back from Kentucky…

KINDLY OLD TEACHER.  18 x 14 acrylic on canvas.  November, 2008.

My beloved mentor, Dick Turner, in his studio smoking a cigarette.

Shawni. 16×12 acrylic.  November, 2008.  What do you do when you find yourself in a model group… They have posed the model, often in a position no human would ever sit in for 2 hours (and it often shows on their face and posture), and you’ve been there, (yawn) done that so many times before?  I have begun to find patterns in the environment just as relevant to a painting that creates a feeling within me, like this one, a two-hour sketch of a model called Shawni.  I love to feel totally connected with "All That Is" (at the risk of sounding biblical…)  when I paint and so, instead of struggling to get a likeness of the model, everything else that intrigues me becomes part of the painting.  Just in the moment, seeing everything; quite Zen really, I should imagine.  (And no… I’m not sitting cross-legged humming all day!)

HANNAH.  16×12 Oil on panel.  November, 2008

So…. I was in a model group and the model, lovely lady, was propped-up looking stunning (as usual), and my heart sank a little.  Meanwhile, whilst getting out my paints, drinking cups of tea trying to get motivated, I watched this wonderful woman called Hannah really "getting after it" across the room.  Hair and arms a-flailing, tongue poking through her cheek; her face expressing such a wide array of emotions I think she was painting a vampire one minute, and an angel the next, no vamipire… No angel.  Well… With such an interesting lady, it was no choice for me.  I was painting her, plus the doors and the air conditioning vent behind her, her bags below her, etc.  When she finally decided to walk around, about 2 (20 min.) sessions later, she walked behind me and said "Well I like that…. OH MY GOODNESS!  IT’S ME!!!"  Great for me is that she bought it, so everyone was happy.  Well worth my $5.00 model fee.

Fjord pony.  9×12 oil on canvas.  10 min. sketch 

Cold, (I mean, frigid…brrrr).  What was I thinking!  Scheduling an outdoor painting workshop on frosty mornings.  Not only were the poor students terrified (always are when painting loose horses from life), but they couldn’t concentrate with the cold.  Some just sat in my car and didn’t bother.  (You have to know, this was extremely difficult for me and my "need to please" also.)  Anyhoo…. They had to push past their fears.  The day we painted this little fellow was warmer.  By now,  I had given them so many exercises about how to get, not just a "good picture", but the gesture of the moment.  It’s always astonishing to me how afraid we are to explore and just be in the moment.  We’re so desperate to create an impressive image, yet Art is not "how the thing looked" as much as "How I felt when I was here… In this beautiful place with this magic little horse from Norway".  We can get photos of the Fjord, it’s YOU that we may never see again.  It’s YOU that we want to see all over the canvas… terrified or not!  This was done on "Yes" canvas taped to a board, with oils.  Boy, does that stuff dry fast outside!!!  Faster than acrylic… I really mean it!

I thought about how sturdy those little baby books were… You know, the ones that you read to your kids when they were 2 or 3?  Chipboard construction, I think it is… Anyway, I sanded the pages, gessoed them, and painted them with acrylics so that they would already have fun, exciting backgrounds.  This one is about 5×6".  Like miniature canvases…. So portable and sturdy.  All you need is this, three tubes of acrylic, plus white, one or two brushes, and you’re good to go…. As my kids will tell you, I have a thing for "mack" ladies…As in "mackintosh-wearing old ladies that trundle around the streets and shops of the northwest of England, usually with a shopping back, a sensible pair of shoes, a scarf and a plastic hood over the perm, if it’s raining.  (They get extra marks for a short-legged dog of unknown origin).  I will unashamedly pose one of my children close to them and take photos of them going about their business.  This is one of my daughter (on the left, looks a bit like a pole dancer in ski jacket) and winter shoppers on Lord Street, Southport.  

When you can find mack ladies sitting having a sandwich, like on Blackpool Pier, you can draw them from life if you’re discreet.  I have found that, when people are eating, they literally "zone out".  That’s why I do most of my figure drawing from life at Macaroni Grill, drawing on the table cloth with crayons!   

The Question:  Is the artist (being juried) entitled to the judges’ full comments on his/her work?  

My response:  Gail, first, thank you for even wanting to know my opinion.  Clearly you do not take judging lightly, and for this I am grateful, as so many so-called "experts" tromp rough shod over often budding talent.

I was not there; I did not see the work; I do not know the organization you judged for…. However, I can tell you that I always try to do what is best to ensure the positive progression of the artist and their art.  As a judge, I should be completely comfortable with the fact I have given the art and the artist the respect the entry deserves.  Also, I always ask myself the question in such circumstances "Am I serving the ego (i.e., hierarchy, establishment, sales, power, fear, etc.,) or am I serving the highest Art?"  I always want to serve Art and give 150% toward encouraging those aspects that serve this purpose.  If this means staying behind, meeting an up-and-comer who is sincerely interested in knowing more about his/her work from "experts", or giving them extra critique, then absolutely, I will.  Otherwise, why jury at all? 

The prizes and awards given speak for themselves.  It’s those that didn’t get the prizes that need our help.  I hope this helps, and I wish you all the very best with jurying shows in the future.  My warmest regards to you.

Can you imagine having a friend who visited your sister for 8 solid years in a nursing home, every Monday, come rain or shine?  Marjorie’s own sister, Janet, became ill with a mysterious disease, and Marjorie, true to form, never left her side even for a day.  I wondered…. What could I possibly do to show I care?  I asked myself, what do two sisters need in such crises?  The answer was…. their mother….

16 x 12 oil on panel.  2008.  "MAGGIE & PIT BROW LASSES"

Knowing what a "Lancashire lass" I am at heart; knowing I come from a family of Wigan coal miners, some years ago Marjorie gave me an old, blurred photo of her Mum "Maggie" (middle),  a pit-brow lass of the Wigan coalfield way back when.  She said if I ever wanted to paint a pit-brow lass, would I consider painting Maggie?  I painted this for her while I was in Wigan, in September.  I thought Marjorie would faint when I gave it to her!  All she could say was "Oh Lesley!"  She then hauled it around as if it were a wallet photo for the next few days.  I heard Maggie even went to Bingo and met Marjorie’s friends there!  I LOVED doing this painting.  I LOVE Marjorie (and Sam); cherished, beautiful people in my family’s life from way back when.  A good use for Art!  

No…..I wasn’t doing my Cecilia Bartolli impersonation!  It’s me getting excited about painting a pony at Penny Hill Farm, Blackpool…. The site of my 2008 workshop for the horse painters of Lancashire (some from the Northwest Society of Equestrian Artists and others from Absolutely Animal.)  There’s Zoe in the background with my model.

We started off with a charcoal/erase method first to learn to identify the planes quickly….

 Then  we rapidly sought shapes in shadow and light…

Continuing on….

De- derrr.  These some of the smashing studies the students did from life.  Each painting was about 30-45 minutes.  We had a fabulous ex-police horse that stood for us; a massive bay.  (I can’t believe how much I express with my hands!) 

 CRYSTAL:  18×14 oil on linen.  2-hour sketch, 2008.

A group of local art friends and I, (Howie Doyle, Dawn McKelvy, Liz Hill, Marty Hatcher, Fred Hulser and Susan Sheets) meet at least every two weeks to paint the model from life.  It’s a vital component to painting competently, even if you paint horses!  This week was the lovely Crystal G., a lovely, exotic young lady I found at Sephora!  You have to be careful how you approach beautiful women, but generally it helps when you’re female, like make-up shops (I bought some bronzer from Crystal), and go in with a lovely daughter.  Now Fred and Howie are a little shy about asking (and so they should be!  Two middle-aged guys, one with a beard, both looking like artists a.k.a. scruffy most of the time.  I’d be leary…very leary..)  Not to say Howie hasn’t managed to find us younger models, it’s where he finds them that has us rubbing our chins from time to time.  All I’m saying is "Peruvian native attire".  (J.K.  You know I love you Howie and very much appreciate you setting things up for us.)  I’ve found fabulous models at the grocery store, horse shows, hair dressers, restaurants, (chefs and waitresses).  You just have to be nice and show them some work so they no you’re not too loopy.  It’s always a good idea to tell them they don’t have to model nude, and tell them the address of your studio so they can tell their mums and dads where to come if they go missing!  (I’ll have to tell you a funny story about the gorgeous male waiter I hired for us once and was hunted by his drama-queen girlfriend; I’ll look for that painting to show you.)  Until then, by for now and have a brilliant day!  Go find those models, and if you can’t go to Macaroni Grill, draw all the eaters on the table cloths.  Some of my best sketches were done while drinking Chianti!

"IRISH" 16×12 by me.  It’s about my ancestry.  These wonderful jockey silks contained a shamrock which had me romanticizing about being of Irish descent, and remembering those fabulous Irish Thoroughbreds of my youth.  It was painted in oil on gold panel…..

"GOLDEN TICKET" by Lesley Humphrey.  16×12 oil on panel….Painted again from Saratoga references.  This time, I was excited about how my life was going and I felt like I had been handed the golden ticket….at birth!  Lucky me!

"THE DARK HORSE" 2008 Watercolour by Lesley Humphrey.  I painted this on gold prepared watercolour paper with watercolour.  As you can see, the style and application is exactly the same as my oils.  This time though, it’s not about the horse really….It’s about the remarkable race to the White House that’s going on this year.  The filly is out of the running and this guy has an old grey to beat!  Let’s see who wins.  Mmmm.