Traveling as an Artist - Part 4

To finish off this series of blog posts about traveling as an artist I would like to discuss a few thoughts about working on location in a foreign land. In the past articles I have mostly focused on “how”. In this post I would like to focus more on “why”.

There is a wonderful book which I came across providentially several years back in a Good Will store called The Travelling Painter by Paul Millichip. He was a British artist who passed away only a few years ago and seems to have gained a lot of recognition for his work done on his travels. The book is well written; concise with helpful thoughts on the logistics as well as the benefits of traveling as an artist… the “how” and “why”. It has been a useful guide to me through the years and I always recommend it to artists who are traveling with me. His sketches and watercolors throughout the book show scenes from Greece, Italy, Morocco, England, and even some from the U.S. They are well thought out compositionally while also feeling like quick responses to his experiences. He speaks of his initial reactions when reaching a foreign land to … “an incredibly rich mixture of humanity, colour (he is British remember), shape, noise and movement. The key to the excitement of all this was, of course, its unfamiliarity to me, and it is that sense of unfamiliarity which should be preserved and nurtured in travelling painters’ minds to give spice to their approach to painting away from familiar environment. Preserving the shock of the new is a most valuable part of the painter’s approach.” He continues on to discuss the importance of inquisitiveness and avoiding the obvious tourist/postcard scene in a language that is both descriptive and inspiring.

Paul Millichip painting on the left inspired my painting on the right.

Another experience of travel that has meant a lot to me over the years is the opportunity it provides to meet people from so many parts of the world and walks of life. Art seems to be an icebreaker of sorts. Any time I am drawing or painting on the streets conversations with passersby are sure to strike up. This could be intimidating or distracting for some artists. I first learned to talk and draw at the same time when doing caricatures in the mall during my college years. I honed the ability through teaching where you often have to describe your process as you’re painting a demonstration piece. When you are working on the streets you have opened a gate to a world of wonder and exploration that creates curiosity in others and it seems to create a level of comfort for them to approach you. Whether it be with locals or fellow travelers, these conversations and relationships have the ability to expand your image of humanity and understanding of other cultures.

Using the act of drawing and painting as a way of experiencing the world has a long and prestigious provenance. Artists are naturally curious explorers. They don’t have to be convinced that travel will fulfill them in unique ways, they need to be encouraged that it is possible. There are a lot of group trips available, including my Visual Explorations trips. Choosing one that fits your needs and desires should be done thoughtfully, knowing that a non-art focused trip is going to create difficulties in producing much. But when you do, as Millichip says, “As a painter you, more than any other traveler, can return home and unroll again and again that richly woven carpet of personal experience with the thread running through every sight you have seen and drawn.”

Safe travels!