{"id":624,"date":"2026-10-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mfrancismccarthy.art\/?p=624"},"modified":"2026-10-08T08:26:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T20:26:37","slug":"a-landscape-painters-guide-to-feeling-in-art-a-quality-of-meaning-easel-talk-62","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mfrancismccarthy.art\/?p=624","title":{"rendered":"A Landscape Painters Guide to Feeling in Art – A Quality of Meaning – Easel Talk #62"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/0iB0M_Dn9yQ\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Transcript and Key Insights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to Easel Talk #62. Today, we are diving into a topic that sits at the heart of why we create: feeling and art as a quality of meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are so many feelings we have that words cannot easily describe. It is easy to overlook this because we are thinking in words; thoughts and language are inseparable actually. However, feelings are not words. We have a feeling and that is translated through the part of our mind that generates language, but the raw emotion itself exists prior to that translation. This is where painting inhabits a vital niche. It fulfills a void that words often cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Limitations of Language and the Power of Subtlety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our verbal palette is surprisingly limited when it comes to rendering complex emotions. We have basic descriptors like happy<\/em>, sad<\/em>, angry<\/em>, or depressed<\/em>. These words capture only the most extroverted and dense feelings, failing to touch upon the more subtle nuances of human experience. When we attempt to capture these subtleties with language, we often have to juxtapose contradictory terms to steer the listener toward the intended emotion. This is the domain of poetry, which I consider the most challenging art form because words inherently define things, whereas feelings are often difficult to define.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where painting becomes transcendent. Beyond straightforward vocabulary, the arts that best express subtle feelings are music, poetry, and painting. All three require significant mastery to convey anything that truly moves an observer or listener. It is far too easy to make bad music, write bad poetry, or paint poorly. For these mediums to appropriately convey the more subtle feelings we carry, the artist must work at their craft for a long time. Even then, there is no guarantee of success in moving others; sometimes it only moves you. But that is okay. The goal should not be fame or validation, but the act of expression itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craft vs. Expression: Why Both Matter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The subtext of this discussion is simple: what art is, is what you<\/em> are. We cannot teach someone how to be an artist; we can only teach them craft and philosophy. I can discuss process, technique, brushwork, and common pitfalls. Craft is essential because without it, your ability to express yourself is severely limited. However, underneath the craft lies the artist, the person who wants to express themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why art is critical and valuable. To be a successful painter, you must balance these two sides. You need technical skill to sustain the process, but you also need the willingness to move beyond technique into something more intuitive and emotive. I often tell my students: “Go home and do a bad painting.” You will only become famous or sell paintings after producing many bad ones, because doing so is part of mastering craft. Without that foundation, your expression remains limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Landscape? The Neutrality and Emotional Power of Nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why did I choose landscape over other subjects like portraiture? For me, landscape has the greatest ability to impart emotion of all subject matters. When we apprehend a beautiful landscape, say, a sunset moving into twilight, we respond as individuals, yet there is a universal recognition. It doesn\u2019t matter what kind of person you are; most of us feel that “whoa” factor when confronted with natural beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this universality is the neutrality of landscape. If I painted an emotional figure, it might impose a specific narrative or mood on the viewer. However, landscape allows the viewer to project their own feelings onto the painting. It invites reflection and even touches upon mortality, questions like “How many more sunsets will I see?” are natural responses to such scenes. Painting captures these transitory moments. We can never hold on to a sunset, but by capturing the emotion of that moment in paint, we create something permanent that survives us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was attracted to Tonalism specifically because of its visceral emotive power. Tonalist painting is jam-packed with depth and intensity. It took me years to learn how to accurately execute this style while expressing the specific emotions that stimulated my response to the landscape. Whether others are receptive to my work is their choice, but our job is to express ourselves expressively, and with craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Role of Value Structure in Conveying Emotion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Getting into a more technical side, emotional quality in a painting is primarily accomplished through the value structure<\/strong>. This establishes the overall tonal quality. Many people mistakenly think Tonalism is just about color, for example: glazing everything in yellow to create a “tobacco-stained” tonal look. While color congruence is part of it, the meat and bones of Tonalism are mostly expressed through value and the transitions between values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see this clearly in my black-and-white paintings or in film noir movies. There is no color, yet the emotion remains intense because the story and mood are carried by light and dark. While you cannot fully separate color from value (every hue has both attributes), it is helpful to analyze them separately when learning about paintings technical aspects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relationship between colors, how one value moves into another, I often refer to as modulation<\/strong>. This is where the feeling tone of the painting is mostly conveyed. If you take big, harmoniously composed shapes and fill them with beautiful gradations and modulations of color and value, you will be surprised by how effective the result can be. Painting doesn\u2019t require intricate detail or perfect perspective. The harmony of the large forms and their tonal transitions is where most of your energy should initially be focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning from the Masters: Study and Practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I first started painting tonally, it was mostly mimicry. I was emulating what the masters were doing because my spirit resonated with that mindset. However, it took significant labor to reach a level where I could accurately express my own emotions through this style. One of the key moments in my development was my “100 Days of Tonalism” project, which helped move my work forward significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have not yet done formal studies, I strongly recommend making every fifth painting a study after a tonal master you admire. This will enhance your education more than almost anything else, including listening to these talks. However, do not just copy; use these studies to understand the how<\/em> so that you can apply it to your own subject matter. You cannot just sit there making copies forever, but studying the masters is foundational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Transcendental Quality and the “Inness Effect”<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What strikes me most about painters like George Inness compared to others is that feeling of sublime, transcendental beingness. There is an emanation or vibration just below conscious perception that acts in a unifying way. This is pure, unadulterated feeling, not the kind you see in a movie or play, but the kind found exclusively in great landscape paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Moran was another artist who conveyed this emotional depth with greater technical virtuosity. These artists both really captured that feeling of timelessness, that you get when you step outside and see a beautiful sunrise. It\u2019s a familiar yet unique experience: “I\u2019ve never seen a sunrise like this, and yet it feels like I\u2019ve always known it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography vs. Painting in the Modern Age<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Photography can also capture these moments, but creating photographs that qualify as art<\/em> is incredibly difficult. In the digital age, while technical barriers have lowered (no need for darkrooms or complex chemistry), the artistic challenge remains high. I actually believe creating photography is harder than painting in terms of making art<\/em> because the photographic image tends to be so “complete” and information-rich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photos we take generally fall short of capturing the beauty we witnessed first hand. They have lots of data but lack the specific emotional filter we apply in real-time. In the old days, artists made mental notes or small color sketches to help them remember a scene. You can use modern photos the same way, but be careful not to get lost in the details provided by the image. Your goal is to express how you felt, stimulated by the reference, not to replicate what the camera saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music as a Parallel Art Form<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For those who also make music (as I do), you will understand that the capacity to feel deeply drives both mediums. In many ways, music is more intense and visceral than painting. Both serve as repositories for sublime emotional resonance. Just like in painting, creating meaningful music requires years of practice and effort. While AI can now generate songs from simple text prompts, it lacks the lived experience and genuine feeling that a human artist brings to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Moment of Recognition: Meaning as Transmission<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are wrapping up with the ultimate goal: Meaning in art is ultimately a transmission of feeling.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I finish a painting, there is a moment of recognition where I see the feeling it captured. This is what makes a painting worth looking at year after year. Don\u2019t get hung up solely on the technical aspects; keep your eye on the prize, which is that transmission of emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why I love Tonalism: to me, it is the most impactful mode of landscape painting in terms of imparting feeling. The ability to convey feelings through paint does not come quickly or easily. It requires technical mastery, yes, but more importantly, it requires a willingness to move beyond technique into something intuitive and substantial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s AI technology forces us to evaluate why we do art. What brings us to the table is our actual lived experience. We feel life; machines likely do not. As you continue your journey as an artist, remember that you are already an artist. Your job is to build up your craft so that it can support the expression of who you are and what you feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for joining me today. If this resonated with you, please let me know in the comments. Take good care, stay out of trouble, and fight the power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike’s New Site<\/a> | Substack<\/a> | Painting Website<\/a> | Mailing List<\/a> | Store<\/a> | My Music<\/a> | Support<\/a> | Members Area<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M Francis McCarthy, Your Painter in Residence<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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