Comments on: Colin Page (update)

By: Charley Parker

Charley Parker — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:03:50 +0000

Thanks, all for your comments.

snothy, thanks for the insight into the difficulty presented in photographing Colin’s paintings.

I think that almost any painting looks different in different lighting conditions, which is one of the reasons some museums are starting to use sunlight spectrum lighting like Solux to light galleries (particularly those with plein air paintings). Most commercial galleries have not yet followed suit.

Some paintings, like Colin’s, are probably more difficult than others for the reasons you mention.

By: snothy

snothy — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:11:30 +0000

An interesting feature of Colin Page’s paintings, which becomes evident when one attempts to photograph them in a way which conveys their immediacy in two-dimensional print, is the response of the paintings to different modes of lighting. Paintings that he has done outdoors are what I’m going to define as “natural lighting specific” and “light attitude specific”. The paintings appear different under different conditions of natural light (sunny, overcast, and so forth) and under different orientations of the painting to available sunlight. I think some of this may be due to the fact that Mr. Page is a fast and skilled plein air painter. I spend some quiet mornings or afternoons putting some of his paintings outdoors to try to determine which direction he may have been facing in relation to the sun, and at what time of day, when he was putting the paint on canvas. Add the other factor of the thickness with which he applies paint - as you say, the order of paint strokes creating the surface texture - which gives the painting a somewhat mosaic, almost photorealist quality, in terms of values, and there, essentially is presented the problems of a set of paintings made outdoors that are difficult to photograph, much less properly view in person in any kind of indoor lighting situation. His paint strokes, thereby, can have gnomon-like properties, and at certain times of day, in proper outdoor lighting, his paintings fully evoke the moment.

By: Dianne Mize

Dianne Mize — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:18:37 +0000

A very good review of Colin’s work. I agree about our reproductions robbing us of the surface quality and that wonderful get-your-nose-to-the-painting rush. But it does give us an idea and the desire to see the work for real. Thanks for featuring Colin’s work.

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:54:26 +0000

Oooh…such a classic style, very beautiful. I agree that it reminds one of Monet. Love his stuff!

By: Mlad

Mlad — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:27:22 +0000

You’re description makes his paintings sound a lot like Monet’s work. Definitely something that could be worth seeing in person. If only I could travel more…