The Artists Hand

Mountain Spirit Gallery, Prescott, Arizona

I recently walked into Mountain Spirit Gallery in my new home town of Prescott, Arizona. The owner and photographer is Ron Evans. His work drew me in.

I walked pass the gallery on my way to my car yesterday. But, something caught my eye. I decided to take a look. Wow. Impressive. His photographs line the walls. He carries other local artists' works in various media.

He has printed his works large scale on gallery-wrapped canvas. The colors are sharp and bold. I'm guessing that he has tweaked the colors in Photoshop. They are stunning to say the least. It was my first experience with photographs where I could feel the photographer's presence. What an extraordinary feeling.

As I looked at each one, I felt him walking the landscape with a discerning eye, looking to capture the perfect essence of the place. I cannot say enough about this experience with his photography. He has a special gift, I believe. Somehow, he manages to coax the viewer into experiencing the landscape on a level beyond most photography. I keep wondering how he does it.

I have often heard people say that they like to see the artist's hand in a painting. I never really knew why until now. In contrast, I have also heard that the artist should never be a part of the artwork as it now belongs to the viewer.

I think in the past, I have worked to keep my artist's hand out of the work. Currently, I think I am heading in the direction of leaving my imprint on the work somehow. You might be able to see me in my current phone art paintings. What do you think?

Sunny Disposition, 36 x 36 x 1.5 inches, Mixed-media on Canvas.

 Copyright 2013 Mary Rush Gravelle.

Questions:

1. Can you see my presence in my current paintings?
2. Should the artist be 'seen' in the work of art somehow? Or is it better for the artist to keep themselves out of it? Is it even possible for an artist to stay out of the work?
3. Have you ever had an experience like this with a work of art, whether it is photography or otherwise? Can you explain how it felt?

Check out Ron Evans amazing photography work on his website.

Until Next Week

• Create art 

• Appreciate art 

• Buy art 

Mary Rush Gravelle is an artist who resides in Prescott, Arizona with her beloved cat, Sir Kitty. Find her work and daily comments on her facebook page. Her art can be seen on her website, maryfineart.com. She can be contacted via email at: mary@maryfineart.com.