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be done privately, while watching TV, Diversity from the caring what others think, it’s us at that
sketching from the parked car, or observing Same Subject moment. Doing a photographic finish or
people walk in and out of the grocery store There is one model I drew and painted at a wild dabbler on canvas, that’s us at that
or standing in front of a concert hall. It least 50 times. Here’s the best part, each point in time. It’s sometimes called: “finding
strengthens observations and understanding work is totally different, partly because of ourselves.”
of the three-dimensionality of real life. It me but mostly because of her. For years, I studied at great colleges and
brings out much in understanding nature’s There are a multitude of artists who sang with talented artists. Finally, a mentor came
aesthetics. It added in so many ways to Mack the Knife. We remember only those we up to me and said, “Sure, you’ll always be
my drawing and painting from life or want to hear again. Lesson: Be yourself. Like learning, but now do something with it.”
photographs. Remember, almost nothing is Satchmo and Bobby D. That learning period of my career was
ever too late to do. intense and there were a few slightly
The Parts of the Whole different “Harleys” popping up on canvas.
Compositions A book, a song, a symphony, a film all have But then, as the years went by, I felt stronger
Have good composition with values right various parts, but together making the about what I was doing and not whether
and you’re almost home. whole. The parts vary just as in painting. I was better or different from other artists.
It’s up to us to unify those variable parts. I wasn’t thinking, “What’s Harley going to
Knowing Your Art Think of Beethoven’s 9 . Think of Repin’s do here?” Not even really conscious of who
th
As you become a master, there’ll be a large Religious Procession in Kursk Province. It’s in “Harley” is. I’m free of wondering. Now
part of your artistic life when you will know the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. My friends I’m comfortable with being whoever “me” is
that you are purely right in what you do. It and I saw the original painting and couldn’t when doing art.
is payback for all the years. leave it. We told our tour bus to go ahead; Let me put it another way: when I’m with
we’d somehow catch up. a group of people, I don’t continually think:
Seeing Beauty now what should I say and how should
Actually, the older I get, the more I see Keeping Aesthetic I say it? After years and years of jabbering,
beauty. Even in my curmudgeon moment, Continual and intense observations are the at times self-consciously, I now let it flow
beauty has always been there, just waiting to fire that keeps the aesthetic kettle boiling. freely. As I do with pencil and brush.
be found. It sometimes takes a while, but all of
The Sum of Each Moment us eventually find ourselves. We’ll all be
Whether we are trying to impress, or not there…waiting.
BALINOFSK I

I fully understand what Harley is saying about being ourselves; that we’ll
eventually emerge strong from the maze. From my early days, I didn’t
care what others thought of me. I was isolated and painted for the pure
pleasure of putting oil on canvas. I was totally self-absorbed; art was my
life. Like Harley, there were times I visited the masters who helped keep
me on track with where I wanted to go; how to understand what I was
seeing while putting myself into a painting.
This piece is Opening Night. A portrayal of the most self-composed
person I had ever met. She spoke little and every word she said had me
mesmerized. In fact, I was rather numbed except for my hand laying on
colors and strokes. My head seemed somewhere else. She left and I hit
the bed, exhausted. The next day, I walked into the studio and saw the
painting. I nearly collapsed because I hardly remembered doing it. But
even stranger, I fell in love with the woman in the portrait.
With your finger, block out her eye and eyebrow. What you see is a flat
profile, no character. Now, take your finger away and see her individuality
radiate, giving her a magnificence. Little things can mean a lot.

Important Principles of Art 143

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