Heat of blood in red painting

A particular painter maintains his ascendancy by sheer tenacity. Unlike other painters, he finds his subject matter more prone to red in vibrant images. The unquenchable curiosity, the probing mind makes up this very special artist. The techniques of drawing of figures vary with each painter. The one who is bold, non compromising with an ability to present given space will ultimately yield the multi discoveries in his perspective.

Why should all painters be rooted in one school of thought? Why should they not differ from each other no matter who has been trained in technical perfection or not. The one who breaks away from tradition to tradition and shackles of time, emerge differently. Some painters who have had no formal training are distinctly outstanding and they are the ones who go colour crazy.

In my little experience, I found it difficult to follow or understand what my art teacher expected me to do. I had to confirm to her ideals and she was right. But to me it was all a hazard which to an extent may have prevented the budding artist in me. So, it all boils down to art and the artist and how two could coordinate each other. I wanted my own mixture of styles and colours but she would not hear of it and had to do what others in my art class did.

If I was encouraged to develop my own theories and practices, I know I would have ended a good painter. Once she corrected me, Roses are not only red. So I gave up trying to be smart.

Arts is like cricket. If a cricketer is not technically right in one movement, instead of trying to correct it, the prudent coach will build it up and turn it to a winning point based on his natural talent.

The shimmering watercolour sketches in red are bold, demanding and expressive over other colours. Red tones up severely in oil-on-canvas, acrylic and even with ball-point scrapings as well.

Any medium in red strikes above red and stand out fiercely. Even opaque water colour which is often referred to as poster-colour sit well on red and many plucky painters exploit its magnificence. As a beginner, I tried oil-crayon in red as the dominant colour but was discouraged.

The rare insight to the characters of these painters come from the quality put on canvas, preferring red most of the time, usher in their hidden vigour, temperaments zest and the impatience to create that is absent in other painters who use this colour sparingly. Red is their favourite colour but in general if you ask any painter what his favourite colour is, the answer will be none. But I have seen some confining to black which they tone down to pale grey.

So the list goes on leaving red the winner. And red is different; the red-artist cold be violent, short-tempered and restless. I do not mean everyone falls to this category but their art defines more an attitude rather than an impression.

Red is charismatic. It is glorious and associated with royalty and the painter who prefers it as his principal colour feels the heat of his own blood running through his body, churning his mind and creating spectacles of power in absolute authority in physical and symbolic aura.

[Few painters at random]

* Hans Holbein - His mind was like a wide screen in cinemascope. Such was the vibrantly spectacular images he put down in red. A hot-blooded German, the turmoil of reformation made him leave his adopted country, Switzerland to England. He had pronominal skill in portraiture.

* Albrecht Durer - Born in Nuremberg, his exquisite life-like figures were mostly religious. Master at delicate water-colours, he exploded in red once too often and they were very special paintings that bears testimony to his colour-mixtures.

* Segar - A classy Sri Lankan artist who has been globetrotting with his exhibits, often depend on red to highlight his art.

Siripala Malimboda - Holds MA in Fine Arts and was the Dean of the Faculty of Visual Arts. Won several national and international awards and held in high esteem. Widely travelled, especially in USA, Cuba, Japan. He brings out fire and deep restlessness when he paints in red. A classical example is the painting reproduced here.

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