Reflections on a Pond – A Visual Journal
Author: Kevin D. Macpherson
This beautiful volume by Kevin Macpherson demonstrates the value of painting the same subject repeatedly. Macpherson conceived of the idea of doing a series of paintings nearly 30 years ago. His goal: “a physical challenge and a physiological adventure in which a view out to a nearby pond would be documented on canvas at different times of the day and night, in all seasons.” It took him five years to complete. The result is a magnificent collection of small 6x8 inch paintings Macpherson calls the Pond Project. To me, these paintings are not just a capture of light and color but are also a window into Kevin’s heart as an artist.
I had this book on my wish list for quite some time – it was the only book of Macpherson’s that I did not own. You can imagine my delight when Kevin recently gifted me a copy of Reflections on a Pond! This is a very different book than the other books he has published. It is NOT a how-to instructional book. It is a book of inspiration. This oversized book (12.5 x 1.2 x 11.2 inches) weighs over four pounds. Containing 260 pages, there are 400 high-quality color reproductions of the paintings from Macpherson’s Pond Project. As I turned each page and lingered over the exquisite images, I could feel, smell, and sense the light, mood, and emotions throughout the changing seasons and time of day. Kevin stuns with this volume.
In addition to the beautiful images, Reflections on a Pond contains commentary by Kevin Macpherson, and essays by editor Susan McGarry, Jean Stern, the Director of the Irvine Museum, and art collector Roy Rose, grandnephew of California Impressionist Guy Rose.
I highly recommend this book!
Description from the publisher:
“Claude Monet and other Impressionists of the nineteenth century sought to capture the fast-changing effects of light in their paintings. Likewise, as Macpherson painted his Pond series, he was less concerned with the subject of the pond itself than with the effects of light at different times of the day and year. Macpherson observed and captured the colors he saw, rather than putting down the colors one might think should be there. This keenness of observation is one of the foundations of excellent painting, and as Macpherson points out to his students, it can be learned. Once you learn to see in this way, his students say, you notice the surprising variety of colors in your surroundings, and every day becomes richer.”
Artist, Author, and Instructor Kevin Macpherson
“The process of plein air painting elevates my senses and allows me to appreciate the moment, recording my emotions through a vocabulary of color. The colorful conversation that takes place on my canvas is a witness to life.”
