Over the years, Valoy has been a collector of "wisdoms" that represent ideals important to the life of an artist. Valoy has included many of these sayings in his book "IN NATURAL LIGHT". Listed below are a few of these sayings in the context of how they apply to Valoy's experiences as an artist:
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Valoy: During those early years I was carried away with enthusiasm and energy for every interesting subject I saw. Every painting I started was a new and exciting experience which sometimes turned into an all-night and next day session, as I was unable to tear myself away from the creative process.
"Find out what you really like if you can. Find out what is
really important to you. Then sing your song. You will have
something to sing about and your whole heart will be in the
singing."
--
Robert Henri (The Art Spirit)
Valoy: Our new and likeable neighbors were mostly farmers who lived short distances away. One gentleman, when he heard I was an artist, became concerned about my finances, and offered to let me buck bales during haying season. I was happy I didn't have to do that. The heaviest thing I enjoy lifting is a brush.
"There is no way to succeed in our art but to take off your
coat, grind paint, and work like a digger on the railroad all day
every day."
--
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"One must know how to work hard for a long time, but in such a
manner that nobody would notice the amount of labor and sweat on
that painting."
--
Valentin Serov
Valoy: Sometimes I find myself trying to do too much with a painting. Putting in too many trees, too many figures, too many flowers. Over modeling a face or figure, too many sharp edges, colors too bright or values too dark. Too many highlites. Often the part of the painting I like best is a detriment to the composition, demanding more attention than it deserves. I have learned, and am constantly forced to remember, that there is greatness in simplicity, and very often "less is more."
"We must teach ourselves...to see the beauty of the
commonplace. It is so much greater to make much out of little than
to make little out of much - Better to make a big thing out of a
little subject than to make a little thing out of a big one."
--
Charles Hawthorne
"Where simplicity prevails angels hail."
--
Valentin Serov
Valoy: Some of the most profound subjects are found in everyday occurences when living close to nature.
"There's always music amongst the trees, but our hearts have to
be real quiet to hear it."
--
Amy Allcott
"Selection and combination are learned from nature herself, who
constantly presents us with compositions of her own, far more
beautiful than the happiest arranged by human skill."
--
John Constable
Valoy: As a small boy I remember standing under a huge mulberry tree by our house and marveling at the beauty of the sunlight flickering through the leaves and branches and hitting the ground below.
"There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day,
when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our
greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest
wisdom."
--
Robert Henri (The Art Spirit)
Valoy: I painted it exactly as I found it...I think this is a moment in time, a slice of life, a little piece of truth or whatever one says to describe it...If I feel a need to glorify nature or make many changes to establish a better mood, then I probably don't fully appreciate what I see before me. If you're going to change it away from the way it really is - you'd better improve it. This seldom happens. When it does, you really have something. Push edges, push color, push light, push composition, but don't push any truth out of the piece, remembering that truth can be felt and thought as well as seen. There is one rule which overshadows all others...Do justice to your subject.
"Imitate nothing or nobody, paint all people and things as you
see them."
--
Velasquez