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I often tell students that their challenge as a realistic oil painter is to make something look 3-dimensional on a 2-dimensional surface.  In other words, we have to learn to represent form. However, recently I've began to think this is a gross oversimplification of the reality when it comes to creating art.

Technically, an oil painting is 3-dimensional regardless of its "flatness"; even paint layers have some depth along with their height and width. Technicality aside, though, it simplifies things to think of our painting surface as having only two dimensions for the most part and I don't want to derail myself before I get started, so please allow me to divert my discussion a little to get to my thoughts.

We live in a 3-dimensional world (not really, perhaps, but let's start there).  We can think of our 3-dimensions as coordinates or planes perhaps with x and y representing side to side and front to back. Think of it this way, imagine yourself to be standing right at the intersection of those three lines shown above.  Anything to your left could be represented with negative y values and to your with positive y values.  Anything behind you could be represented with negative x values and anything in front of you with positive x values.  These two axes represent two dimensions, width and depth leaving the z line to represent the third dimension of  height (or lack thereof). That is to say anything above you could be represented with positive z values and anything below negative.  

If you feel your mind starting to glaze over, bear with me for just a little bit longer, your geometry refresher is about to come to an end. To put things simply, in our three dimensional world, our location anywhere can be defined by our x,y,z coordinates relative to some zero point. The zero point is not germane to my thoughts on this matter, so forget I even brought it up.

Suffice it to say, we can refer to any location as our "xyz". If I am standing in front of the mirror in the morning brushing my teeth, that is a certain "xyz".  If I go into my greenhouse to check on my plants, my "xyz" has changed to some other set of coordinates. If I hike to a lake, you guessed it, a different "xyz", not to mention, my "xyz", was changing constantly the whole way to the lake.

If I paint that "xyz" and capture it on canvas, I now have two "xyz"s - the "xyz" of the lake recorded on canvas which has its own "xyz" whether it's hung on my studio wall or on your wall.  The "xyz" of the canvas can change, but the "xyz" represented on it in oil never will.

If you're with me to this point, congratulations! This is where things get more interesting. The other night we watched a movie on Netflix starring Tom Hanks that I hadn't heard of before; it's called "Here" and while I personally don't think this was one of Tom Hanks best acting roles, the concept of the movie is super interesting to me.

This movie is all about the 4th dimension, time. It's really a unique movie concept depicting something I have thought about for a long time. Let me try to explain. Your particular "xyz" is only meaningful as it relates to time. If we add time as a fourth coordinate we can describe where we are at a particular time "xyzt".  If we keep all the "xyz" coordinates steady but change the "t", then everything is different.  For instance, if you take where you are sitting or standing at this very moment and  change the time "t" by one hundred years, what would be there?  In my case, this exact spot "xyz" in my computer chair one hundred years ago would just be sage brush and I wouldn't be here.  In one hundred years from now, who knows what will be here, but I assuredly won't.  (I don't even have to project that far into the future, in an hour or less, this chair that approximates body temperature currently will be stone cold and empty). My "xyz" will be on a walk with my wife and our dogs.  The movie "Here" depicts ongoing events at the same location at drastically different times.  It isn't linear either; it jumps back and forth a lot to tell the stories which is probably good as it forces you to pay attention.  I recommend it.  It's on Netflix right now if you haven't seen it, it's worth the watch.

So how does this relate to art? Well, in particular relative to a landscape painting, I can return to an "xyz" at a different time "t" and it will be different.

The first reference photo shown at the beginning of this post was shot early morning, early spring whereas the shot shown here was shot late afternoon, late fall but at the same "xyz". The fourth dimension of time changes things dramatically!  Likewise, my recording of the two different "t"s of the same "xyz" in paint yield two markedly different results. (Shown below.)

There are a couple of reasons for the differences beyond just the fact that one is Spring, the other Fall. One is that the second one was painted 5 years after the first. My skills changed (for better or worse) over that time with a slight evolution of style as a result. But the second reason is what I consider the fifth dimension, emotion.

It's this fifth dimension that I believe to be at the heart of the truest, most genuine (and dare I suggest great) art. Our emotions are constantly changing but if an artist is successful, he or she records it and it's as permanent as the painting is.  In the springtime, I tend to be more optimistic and hopeful.  The world is waking up, life is burgeoning, everything is magically wondrous to me.  In the fall, I tend to be more nostalgic and contemplative  as the lower angle of the sun tends to make me feel. My attention is more easily focused, I gravitate toward warmth as everything seems to be cooling and receding in anticipation of winter.  So, scene one has a particular "xyzt" and because of both the "xyz" and the "t", I'm filled with a particular emotion "e".  Scene two has the same "xyz" but a different "xyzt" because of the different time "t".  And because of the differences in the "t"s, I have different emotions "e" and these differences get recorded accordingly.  

Over time, irrespective of the subject matter, I have come to believe that it is the "e" dimension of my paintings that speak to the collectors and followers of my work.  And I'm pretty convinced that the "e" dimension is the one that can fluctuate in a painting defined by "xyzte".  Whether my particular feelings "e" get recorded and are shared by the viewer or those feelings merely evoke other feelings in the viewer is an entirely different subject, but the fact of the matter is emotion "e" is evoked.

And so, I try to take the time to feel when I paint. What about this is beautiful?  What is good?  Or ominous or futile for that matter?  Why am I painting this?  What "e" am I experiencing?  Why does it matter (or not matter)? How can I represent that in its truest sense? What is being evoked?

I believe just taking time to contemplate questions such as these makes for not only better painting and better living in general.  I thank you for coming with me on this mental journey; I fear somehow I haven't been able to communicate this as good as it could have been communicated but hopefully I have given food for thought.  Please feel free to comment on this post, add your thoughts on the subject or ask for clarification (I'll give it if I can).  All my best,

Mike Callahan