A painting in progress Lingholm Estate Garden English Lake District, Tchaikovsky and the creative mindset. by Rob Miller

A painting in progress  Lingholm Estate Garden by Rob Miller acrylic on paper

David has asked me to develop some art pieces on the new garden so I've been working on this project since the completion of the walled garden at Lingholm in 2016.  Initially, as you do I wondered around and having found a few locations I sat there sketching with pen and watercolour focussing on aspects of the garden and grounds.

Lingholme walled garden West Gate  watercolour sketchbook

I also spent time trying to imagine the garden with planting already full grown with the idea of getting a piece of work that could be made into prints. Though I have painted flowers as a part of a landscape or still life I had never had to focus completely on flowers and vegetables in a  garden let alone one this size.. The hexagonal brick walls were interesting, the antique and real manchester bricks looked good and I was used to them but getting a true perspective drawing was a bit of nightmare. No matter how I tried the angles of the pillars and walls right didn't look right.  In the end my effort looked like a china plate design. I needed more than that to happen. I realised after some time that I was wasting time and effort and resources. I was merely going through a practical exercise of applying paint  and had fallen into the trap off copying nature, colouring in and had effectively put a lid onto my creativity. Thus my work had turned lethargic I hid the drawings and watercolours in a plan chest and I blamed everything but myself for not engendering the right mind. Until I listened to Tchaikovsky one morning as I sat looking out at my garden at home. Interestingly the 37-year-old Tchaikovsky writes:

"Do not believe those who try to persuade you that composition is only a cold exercise of the intellect. The only music capable of moving and touching us is that which flows from the depths of a composer’s soul when he is stirred by inspiration. There is no doubt that even the greatest musical geniuses have sometimes worked without inspiration. This guest does not always respond to the first invitation. We must always work, and a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood. If we wait for the mood, without endeavouring to meet it half-way, we easily become indolent and apathetic. We must be patient, and believe that inspiration will come to those who can master their disinclination."

A few days ago I told you I was working every day without any real inspiration. Had I given way to my disinclination, undoubtedly I should have drifted into a long period of idleness. But my patience and faith did not fail me, and to-day I felt that inexplicable glow of inspiration of which I told you; thanks to which I know beforehand that whatever I write to-day will have power to make an impression, and to touch the hearts of those who hear it. I hope you will not think I am indulging in self-laudation, if I tell you that I very seldom suffer from this disinclination to work. I believe the reason for this is that I am naturally patient. I have learnt to master myself, and I am glad I have not followed in the steps of some of my Russian colleagues, who have no self-confidence and are so impatient that at the least difficulty they are ready to throw up the sponge. This is why, in spite of great gifts, they accomplish so little, and that in an amateur way."  Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840–November 6, 1893) wrote to his benefactress, Nadezhda von Meck, in March of 1878, found in The Life and Letters of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (public library | public domain). Taken from Brain Pickings

Tchaikovsky' letter written about musicians also relates to the painter and I gave myself a verbel ticking off and a kick up the whats it. I had to rethink my work ethic and be less prescribed..  I began to move away from making a copy of what I saw by painting the garden in its entirety as Cezanne said "whats the point". to getting into and focussing on sections that I liked found interesting from a visual point of view ie colour form or structure.  This enabled me to get creative and I  started to upgrade the planting in my garden at home in Brinscall Lancashire so I could sit and paint and watch and learn. I have now managed to produce out of a dozen or more sketches and pochades en plein air three works of a reasonable size and a number of pochards in oils. This process was helped by looking at Sargents excellent watercolours and also greatly by acquiring a book amazing artist Joaquin Sorolla the Spanish Post Impressionist. Joan Eardley and John Piper.

Joan Eardley Summer Fields 

John Piper Scotney Castle 

I have some work left to do but I hope to be able to upload some completed work by the end of the week. Its all a part of the journey......

Lingholm Garden Outside the main gate in Spring 2017

 watercolour