Re: art
John Wiley (jwiley_at_atl.mindspring.com)
Mon, 21 Jul 1997 08:42:26 -0400
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>>I have always viewed flying as a blend of both art and science. The
nature of art is to use the resources around you to create something unique,
something which never existed before. In a word, it involves creativity.
Creativity requires many of the same elements which we are discussing as
element of airmanship -- discipline, dedication, willingness to learn new
techniques and approaches, long term committment, personal integrity, strong
values.
>>
>>Just like the artist, excellent airmen use the resources available to
address an environment which is ever changing -- unique and dynamic. No
two flights are ever the same, and the true airman (artist) uses everything
available to create a masterpiece of safety, comfort, and efficiency.
>
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>Neil, having done some writing and now taking some art lessons, I am
continually amazed to find a concurrent theme and that is learning how to
see things, finding out what is and what is not important and continually
"editing" the work in progress.
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>Part of art is first learning the fundamentals...how to see things, how to
lay things out, the mechanics. This is similar to writing and learning how
to use verbs, adjectives and trying to stay away from adverbs unless you are
writing for a yellow journal. <G>. Once you have the fundamentals, you then
go to work continually focusing on 'subject, subject, subject". Regardless
how good it is, if id doesn't add toward the subject, edit, edit, edit. Of
course, you can save the good stuff and use it later.
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>In flying, one has to learn the fundamentals..how to control the airplane
but after that, one must continually practice the skill, learn to remove the
extraneous, focus on the important and "edit, edit, edit".... small changes.
If one begins making large changes, one might as well start a new painting,
new article/story of flight.... by the time BIG changes are required, it is
too late to salvage the work.
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>My art teacher said, "Some students come in knowing how to draw but they
have no understanding of what light does.. no appreciation for how it
changes... others come in understanding lights and darks but having no
appreciation for perspective.. and yet others come in knowing nothing about
anything...." He went on to say that the fundamentals of art can be learned
(as I have said about writing and flying) but it is when one strives to
create that science becomes art....
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>One man's opinion...
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>Wiley
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