Essays on Painting

In ‘essays on painting’ I am seeking to expand the develop further the
issues raised during the course. Much of the content reflects the lecture
course but I have structured it differently and expanded it to include my
early experiences as a student, a practising art teacher and an artist. I incorporate
the wisdom of several excellent artists who write on the same subject
and on painting in general. I hope I am able to convey some of the breadth
of interpretation and ideas they offer.
I do not pretend to be a particularly talented or naturally outstanding
practitioner with an inborn ability to arrive at the right solution instinctively.
After acquiring enough skill as a competent painter most of my efforts
have been directed into developing into a good art teacher. The more I learn
from artists I respect the more I realise that full competence is a combination
of consistent hard work and the willingness to learn from practitioners who
have gained their experience the hard way.
These essays reflect the contributions and support of the many eager
members of all the Art Clubs and societies to whom I have demonstrated
and lectured in the past twenty years. Many students suggested that the
areas I had dealt with and the particular points that were raised were worth
publishing. I hope that this book will reach a wider audience and throw
light upon the particular concerns and problems facing all painters.
10
Anzy le Duc III