I watched the RVArt Talk with Stanley Rayfield and it was a lovely interview because not only did I learn more about his work, but I also learned about his approach to art and how I can apply some of the same ideas to my artist pursuits. Rayfield makes portraits and through his art attempts to bring people closer to God. Rayfield explained that he has an idea ahead of time of a specific series or a process that he is doing and compared his preparation to the writing of a script for a movie. He finds his subjects like a writer finds an actor and in addition has to feel spiritually led to choose them. I felt like this was a very effective analogy and reminds me of Vermeer's use of the model in the Girl with a Pearl Earring painting. The model was embodying a character than Vermeer created, rather than herself. Rayfield also talked about how he got into art in the first place. Inspired by peers in his school who could draw amazing things, Rayfield challenged himself to draw everyday and he improved quickly and grew to love making art. I think I should attempt this challenge as well as I have been doing less observational drawing recently and I know how beneficial it can be. Additionally, I want to create a habit of drawing everyday, so that when I move on from high school, art becomes a foundation/ sanctuary when I feel lost or confused. Finally, Rayfield talked about his artistic journey and emphasized the fact there there is not just one path to success, and we should follow where our work leads us, rather than taking the most common path. This really resonated with me and will definitely come into play as college decision time comes. The thing that resonated with me the most, however, was Rayfield's comparison of his search for artistic purpose to a race. At the beginning you can't even see the finish line, but as you keep running you slowly begin to see how to achieve your purpose. Right know, as a high schooler, I don't really know what my purpose is, but I can be content in the fact that I am moving forward, both artistically and otherwise, and will eventually know where I am going.
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Emma LindleyHi! I am an art student at Maggie Walker and I am so excited to share with you my thoughts, my art ideas, and my finished works. I hope you enjoy! Archives
June 2021
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