Artistic Alchemy

Excerpts from 'A Pastel Odyssey': Tinos' Pilgrims and Cezanne's 30-Minute Rule

Tinos' Pilgrims: A Catalyst for Embracing My Artistic Journey

Upon arriving at the beautiful Greek port of Tinos, it is hard to put into words the beauty of the water, hills, and small houses terracing down to the port. The place felt so welcoming. However, one experience that I shall never forget as long as I live is docking at the port. Before departing the boat, I noticed groups of older Greek people, many of whom looked ill, donning kneepads. I was perplexed and wondered what they were doing. When the boat's ramp was lowered, around 20 or 30 of these Greeks got on their hands and knees and crawled off the boat. I later learned that up a hill was the church, Panagia Evangelistra, which housed an icon known to heal sick people. These pilgrims would crawl their way several hundred feet to the church showing their devotion and praying for compassion. As I observed them, I felt compassion for their suffering and took a moment to reflect.

Witnessing the devotion of those pilgrims in Tinos left a deep impression on me. It made me realize that I was in the prime of my life, with no debt, no obligations, and money in my pocket. I had the opportunity to explore the world around me and capture all the beauty I saw. I was inspired to embrace all the wonders that lay ahead.

Cezanne and the 30-Minute Rule

I don't recall where I read it or if I extrapolated it from information about Paul Cezanne and the French Impressionists, but I was under the impression that they would paint a landscape for less than an hour, do some edits in their studio, and go back the next day to the same place and time to continue the painting. Anyone who has painted plein air, that is, live on location, knows that the light and shadows change dramatically within moments. Thus, being inspired by a scene one moment will not feel the same an hour later.

2 Panormos Bay, Tinos, 1988. My first drawing of the trip got off to great start. An energetic drawing of layered and faded violet and blue sky, sparkling cerulean water, rust and subtle green hills, and the mint white chapel.

I knew going into this trip that I would have very little time to complete each pastel drawing.

Using my firm art sleeve as a drawing board, I would clip my paper in three corners. I would have used four, but the dimensions of the paper left one side too short to be covered by a fourth clip. I would also clip my wristwatch to the board so I could time myself. I would give myself 10 to 15 minutes to sketch the composition and then 30 minutes to draw all the lights and shadows as fast as I could.

The timer may seem like a rigid restriction, but while drawing outdoors, there is a powerful attraction to keep drawing. One keeps finding new things to draw in the landscape. However, what is happening is that with the changing light and shadow, new things appear that one hasn't seen before. After three or four hours, the entire drawing looks dull and boring. What has happened is that each new change of light diminishes the first impression, and all the following new accents counteract the first impression. Keeping to the 30-minute timetable keeps the drawing as close as possible to the original impression.

On this trip, especially in the fall season with its daily changing weather conditions, I opted to simply make each drawing a one-sitting affair and hope that I captured what I wanted in such a short time.

One unforeseen advantage of this approach is that every landscape pastel I drew had tremendous, urgent energy in the mark-making. There was no hesitancy or carefulness, resulting in powerful and immediate drawings that evoke artistic passion.

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Join acclaimed artist Michael Newberry on a transformative artistic odyssey through the legendary Aegean in his art memoir, A Pastel Odyssey: Chasing Color and Light in the Aegean.

Immerse yourself in over 95 of Newberry's dynamic pastel drawings, where each work is a gateway to his holistic approach to art—passionately capturing the moment, with each piece serving as a catalyst for the next.