Demonstration Art

Assembling rocks and other elements in a garden is an art in itself. Lessons in garden design can be applied to painting compositions, too. The first thing to note is the asymmetrical arrangement of elements as shown in the following example. This picture is the basis for my demonstration painting this week.

The triangle connecting the elements is scalene; i.e. all of the sides are different lengths. Though the triangle appears tilted, the entire composition is balanced on the fulcrum. The tall vertical rock has the most weight. The low vertical rock on the left and toward the front adds interest, but its position demands something on the right of keep the composition from falling over on its left side. The rock on the right is relatively small, but its slightly lower position (making it seem closer to us) and its greater distance from the tall rock gives the whole composition a sense of psychological balance. It "feels" right.

This kind of arrangement is typical of Japanese gardens and architectural landscapes. The symmetrical arrangements in western gardens has an unnatural feeling and appearance that is unthinkable to the Japanese who strive for arrangements that more closely mimic nature.

The next illustration shows a more complex arrangement that still incorporates scalene triangles, asymmetry, and psychological balance. The three triangles all interlock with each other. That is important.

Paying attention to color placement is important to achieving balance, too. For example, a cluster of red flowers has more "weight" than a cluster of green leaves.

When doing your own paintings, start with the simpler arrangement. Getting more complex arrangements "right" can be challenging. If you wish to experiment, add additional elements to what you start with to see the effect they have on the overall composition. Don't add elements just to have more. Your painting can easily end up looking cluttered. The end result is something that should "feel" satisfying to you.

Typical rocks used in karesansui are shown below.

Here is my demonstration painting.

You may notice that I chose to substitute an arching rock for the low vertical one in the model picture above. It is deliberately arching toward the tall vertical rock to help draw attention to the center. This is a matter of choice. Experiment as you wish. Surface texture on painted rocks is important if they are not to end up looking like potatoes.