Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
By
Christian H. Seidler
Edited
By
Dr. Jeanne Scott
1
FOREWORD
The Twentieth Century has expressed one primary achievement for the works of an artist to
be considered "historically important." From my earliest years, my father repeated it and repeated
it, "Innovation is the key to success!" It took me forty years, but I have finally created my own
style of painting, a gift to leave my profession, and I hope, the opportunity to bring pleasure to
those who experience my work. Though this is a book about a painting technique, it is also about
this artist's journey of discovery and enlightenment. I hope you will enjoy this material and
possibly learn for yourself the joys that I have found in painting in a style I have come to call
For a simple introduction, may I say that I go by Christian, and I am a painter. I say this in
the most simple terms. I have spent my life learning all the different ways other painters designed
and executed their paintings. As the son of an artist, I have been creating pictures for over forty
years, and in that time I have tried my hand at almost every style of painting there is, from Dutch
Miniature Realism to Abstract Expressionism. My father once told me, “Son, you’re pretty good at
everything, but a master of none of them,” yet he hated seeing me copy a master’s style. He also
I was born a dreamer, gifted with enough talent to react, and taught from my earliest years
to go out and find myself. One of the problems I faced was that I was from the first generation who
had to seriously consider the possible truth of the famous statement of Motherwell’s: “There comes
a time when one reaches the Pacific so to say, and there is no where else to go. This and future
generations of artist will have no art of their own; they will only make great refinements on past
styles.” That statement haunted me my entire life, and my goal has been to prove him wrong. This
text represents my best effort to do so. Though it is up to others to say if I have, it seems that I am
creating paintings unlike any I have ever seen, and they are constructed with a technique that has
2
never been documented before. A friend from the Dallas Museum told me that my techniques had
been theorized by the early Pointillists, but back then, there was no acceptable art form to apply it at
the time. Remember that back then true modernism had not come into being.
I have created this text for the student of painting and those just interested in the art of
painting and Matricism. I am not a writer but with the help of family, friends, and associates, I
believe that with this book, we have presented proof positive that Motherwell was wrong.
You are going to find that this book is different from all the others you have read. I am
going to show you a new way to use all that you have learned about building a pictorial statement
and a new form of color mixing. What we are going to do is dig down to the basic elements of all
the decisions you have learned to make while painting and show you a new way to use them. The
style of painting presented in this book goes down to the core of color analysis. Why do we mix a
defined color on our palette? Why is it a light color or why is it a dark color? Why is it intense or
neutral, why is it red, blue, yellow, or orange? In the past, the answers have always been made on a
set of assumptions based on subject matter, be it Realism or Abstract Expressionism. There have
been three basic ways artists have made color decisions. The primary method used by painters
when deciding what color to mix up has been based on direct observation. Another form is based
on the science or theories of light and color where the artist uses a combination of formula analysis
and observation. The third way that artists have made their color decisions has been through a form
of subjective reasoning developed through trial and error during their developmental years, a total
subjective approach of what works for them. This is the primary form used by illustrators.
This is a new form of color analysis that will enable you to express yourselves on canvas in
a way you never dreamed of before. For myself, the theories presented here have changed the way
I conceive a painting, the subject mater that is possible, and the entire construction process. For an
artist who has spent so much of his lifetime wandering around his environment looking for
3
something to paint, this discovery was nothing short of gaining my wings and finding freedom at
last.
It doesn't matter if you are a student or a professional; the most exciting opportunity for all
painters is to find ways to keep evolving and exploring new ground. This technique is like a new
language with which a painter can speak his or her own thoughts and ideas in an entirely new way.
When executed successfully, it allows us to harmonize multiple elements of design into one
expanded cohesive statement. As a creative tool, Matricism will open up your mind to new themes,
give you a new way to express old themes, and make far more complex themes possible. My hope
is that this book will open up new avenues for you to explore and breathe new life into your art.
For those of us who have confined our painting to subjects within our environment, Matricism is a
way to open up the vast realm of subjects that can come only from your imagination. It's an
opportunity to express the surreal and the abstract, an opportunity to have your other interests in life
play a part in your art. If you can incorporate what you learn from reading about my own
explorations in Matricism, I predict that you will experience an explosion of ideas and a level of
enthusiasm that you haven't felt since you first picked up a brush. There is nothing more exciting
than going to a place you've never been, expressing ideas that are all your own, and just maybe
giving the world something it has never had before. This is my contribution to us all, and I
Christian
MATRICISM
formula that will dictate as many answers as possible for every decision needed throughout the
4
entire process of pictorial development. It is a process of breaking down a color decision into its
MATRIX
casting metal.
Webster's
Once you gain an understanding of this technique, you will see why the word "Matricism"
is used to describe this style of painting. What gives Matricism its unique abilities comes from the
fact that we have changed the criteria we use to make color decisions. What is a color decision?
We answer that question by breaking it down to its "intercellular construction." The independent
designations an use numerical divisions to create variables. These variables can then be used to
create formulas that give precise answers for our questions on colors and their location on the
canvas. They are also used to fuse different designs or elements of different designs into one.
In the art of painting, we have all learned the basic rules about color in three-dimensional
representation. The value of a color depends upon how much light there is on our subject and the
relationship with the values of our shadows. We also know that a color is neutralized according to
5
its depth into the picture plane and its relationship within the entire work. In Matricism, we assign
numerical evaluations just as artists have done for hundreds of years. You can find these techniques
if you study the history of palette development. In most of my paintings, I use Nine degrees of
Value and Six degrees of Neutrality. By assigning grid designations encompassing the three-
dimensional cube of space represented in our paintings, numerical equations can be an effective
denominator within a larger matrix. We can also use numerical formulas to mix two or more
designs. Keep in mind that this is not as difficult as it may sound. Skill in mathematics is not a
requirement for using formulas in painting, but the ability to view three-dimensionality within the
As painters, you have been developing all the abilities needed in order to begin your own
explorations in Matricism. Most of the techniques shown in this book are based on very elementary
theories and color analysis. You can work with relatively simple approaches or make them as
complex as desired. The use of numerical equations plays only a small part in designing a matrix.
There are many types of variables one can use as denominators in equations, for example:
These are all examples of variables we can use to create matrix formulas. As you progress
through this book, you will see how a matrix or formula can be created out of a combination of
these types of variables, but keep in mind that the advanced painter will not stay scientific and rigid
in adhering to a formula. Subjectivity in every decision is desired, for that is where your “art” will
merge with the science. A matrix analysis of a pictorial statement can be as simple or as difficult as
Many of my generation remember when the schools changed from teaching what was called
the "old math" to a "new math." Though these new formulas were difficult to learn at first, once
they were mastered they made it much easier to make more difficult calculations. Remember that
this is a tool for expressing yourself in painting, not a pure science, so any type of variable can
apply, one that will describe a movement, location, a sequence, or an execution process that only
you can understand. Artists have been searching for a scientific way of painting all through history,
but they wanted one that would allow them to paint what they wanted from the real world. This
was impossible as the pointillists discovered. Matricism is a scientific technique where the
practitioner finds subject matter to apply it to, which does confine us to the world of surrealism.
7
Matrix analysis offers the painter a fabulous degree of expansion within the realm of pictorial
expression. We can harmonize or fuse together every type of pictorial statement imaginable:
abstract or geometric designs, symbols, characters, realistic subject matter (faces, landscapes, etc.),
surrealistic images, or maybe some crazy ideas from the fantastic expanse of your imagination.
To explain the qualities of Matricism and how and why it was developed, I must tell you
how it evolved. The most important thing a painter does is to commit color mixtures to memory.
This is done through years of observation from life and/or years of trial and error through subjective
analysis. It is color that takes the best of us decades to master. In effect, this is the primary reason
most artists paint only one way with a limited range of subject matter. In my own case, I am the
product of many different teachers, via the technique books of the last few decades. I have studied
the art of painting primarily through the written word. For much of my learning, I had to dissect
many books over and over. This has played a major part in my desire to create a scientific process
that could be expressed in a written language. One of my primary influences came from the man
who turned me on to portraiture, John Howard Sanden. In the years before he wrote his first book,
he did a study on flesh tones used by the masters. His research was published in his first book,
Painting the Head in Oil. Never had I seen a book laid out so well. Besides being a major influence
started me on my quest to develop a code system to study, compare, and remember how different
paintings were built. He was the first painter who put into his book a precise scientific formula for
mixing up a color. I had never tried to rely on the lithograph prints in books, for I knew that the ink
was incorrect.
8
A Sanden style formula: Mix 84 inches of White,
At last I could mix up the color a book was calling for without having to rely on the quality of the
color plates used in the book. This started me on the course of developing a code to write formulas
that I could use as a form of notes when studying different artists’ techniques. I've only had the
opportunity to study the works of great painters when there was a traveling show in the area and
during a few quick trips to New York. Having the opportunity to make duplicates like European
students is almost nonexistent in this country. I needed a way to know exact color mixtures, so I
developed codes consisting of variables that could be placed into formulas. With these, I could go
back to the studio and experiment till I had a resemblance of their efforts. These formulas served
me well as a young student seeking an understanding of how different artists worked. This personal
form of note-taking has played a part in my experiments in Matricism. Sanden gave me a fantastic
Matricism.
9
challenging my abilities. Once one learns to do a fine portrait, the challenge is always there to get
better and to perform faster. There is no end to how much one can learn to say with less, but what
always ate at me was the fact that an artist is an inventor and explorer; a Portraitist is considered by
I believe that every artist eventually comes to the point when it is time to shake it all loose
and paint something altogether new--to let go and express something altogether different, to create
something that will reach out and grab the viewer in an entirely new way. For me, that nagging
desire manifested itself in Matricism. The first step in coming up with a new way to express myself
was to create a new way of making my color decisions. As a painter from life, I knew that a given
color mixture was 64% white + 18% Cad. Red Lt. + 12% Yellow Ocher + 6% Ult. Blue. Any
other color mixture for that given job was wrong. I was looking for a way to paint that made color
analysis easy, forgiving, and down right fun. I wanted all the answers to all my color decisions
before I started.
10
Paris Street Scene
The painting "Paris Street Scene" is the first type of finished product where I made all the
color decisions prior to executing the painting. It is what I now consider a transition piece, which
eventually led to the development of Matricism. The technique used in Lithograph Printing was
The matrix for this painting "Paris Street Scene" was as follows:
Step 2. Cover the entire canvas with blue dots. Use Ult. Blue
Step 4. Repeat step two again, but with Cad. Yellow this time.
it covers 1/3 of the red dot in the second layer and 1/3
As you can see, I have produced a complete set of instructions for creating a painting. If
11
you were a traditional painter, I could call you up and by giving you these instructions you could
produce a painting in the exact same style. That's the requirement for the label of "scientific." Of
course this type of matrix has limited use. All we were doing was matching the underpainting with
dots of pigment layered on top, and artists have been matching underpaintings since oil painting
was invented. What was important is that I designed a painting with all the color decisions
determined prior to execution. The formula for this painting consisted of four variables. Each
individual step can be called a matrix. Together, they can be called the matrix for construction of
the overall painting. Think of Matricism like the silk-screen technique. Each screen consists of
many variables, like an independent painting. With a well-thought-out process of combining the
different screens or layers, the final product is a cohesive unified pictorial statement.
The next step in my search for creative expression came when I focused upon the idea of
these layers of decisions being applied in sequence. Naturally, I had to try adding a fifth set of
decisions to a couple of earlier works. The result can be seen in the following two paintings,
"Night Time Auras" and "Moonlight Reflections." They were constructed with the same matrix
as the first one, but after step four, we added a fifth matrix layer.
17th ring from the top light to the 12th ring of the
12
at Value 7. Night Time Auras
13
Moonlight Reflections
Step 5. Paint a straight line down the center of the canvas, directly
through the two light sources (the moon and the reflected light off
the water). Expanding out from the center line, run parallel lines 1
inch apart till you reach the ends of the canvas. Each line should
drop 1/4 value as it moves away from the center. Start the first
line in the center with pure white and use Ult. Blue to decrease
It is important to note what is represented in these fifth steps. All of us have seen how
lights can give off these rainbow rings around them, especially on foggy nights. I stayed with the
rings on the first painting but for the second, I abstracted this effect into straight lines. These layers
represent very abstract patterns applied to exaggerate an idea. They also give massive substance to
something that is usually vague, if seen at all. Here lies the decisive key that unveiled Matricism.
The door for which I had been searching for my entire life was about to be opened. I had never
painted invisible substance before. In exploring this process, I created an abstract interpretation of
subject matter that had no real visual substance. It was light refracting through the atmosphere. If I
could paint pure light, why not other atmospheric conditions? Why not other things such as the
wind? Think of all the things that permeate our environment, both substance and energy. It was at
this point that I decided to use the word "Matrix" to describe the formula process of layered
decisions. The word Matrix has been applied to the design of programs for computers for some
time. I related their use of the word with the way I was developing programs or formulas to create
a visual statement. To coin the word "Matricism" as the name of this technique was only natural.
Painting the Unseen
Once my focus had turned to subject matter that possessed no real solid form, a whole new
world of ideas came flooding in. I ask you the same questions I asked myself. If you can give
substance to something like light, what other forms of unseen energy can we depict in a painting?
Light is energy! The implication of being able to give "energy," form and substance is fantastic.
Think of these following forms of energy and how they exist and work within our environment.
These examples represent forces we have actually seen in motion through science
experiments and during certain conditions in our environment. But there are other forms of energy
that are more abstract in thought and perception. Have you ever had your heart broken or felt the
warmth and nourishment from love? You can think of love as energy directed between two people.
This is a form of energy that can literally penetrate the heart or create great pain through the whole
body. It can also heal us, give us strength, drive us in a given direction, and much more. Here lies
Another form of energy that I have had great fun in exploring is the energy of life. It is the
same energy that some say can be seen in the aura of each individual, the energy of the spirit, the
energy that is said to flow from the hands of a healer and leaves the body when we die. The only
way man has ever depicted this form of energy being projected from someone has been in comic
books where small lightning bolts are drawn shooting out from the hands of a magician or super
hero. In religious paintings, artists depicted it as a halo around holy figures. Think about these
abstract forms of energy and how a painter might use them as a major element of design:
Agitation - Love - Hate - Fear - Mental - Focus - Anger
The range of creative expression one could explore in the realm of love alone could take a lifetime.
There are no defined shapes or substance to love, so the variety of ways we can depict it can be
endless. The key is to think of it as energy that can be seen, directed, and received. Visualize how
it moves and mixes between two people, engulfing us, exciting us. All the paintings in this book
show you how I have used Matricism to create pictures where energy of different forms dominate
As you begin to develop your own compositions, keep in mind that most of the time you are
harmonizing an abstract idea with representational or symbolist subject matter through the design of
the underpainting. If your subject is love, then you will need to incorporate the receptacles of that
love. How does love exist, how is it expressed, how is it received, how is it enjoyed? Painting
emotions can be a challenging task, and the key to relating a message to your viewer involves
harmonizing both your materialistic real world subjects with your imagined subject matter.
Take note that what we have done is increased the elements of design within one pictorial
statement. In effect, we have increased the variables with which we can speak to our viewer.
I am not going to start this chapter reviewing the basic elements of design, as you know
them. Those have been covered by hundreds of books in the past. What we are concerned with are
the elements that we must incorporate in order to create a matrix painting. I am going to show you
how I use Matricism, and once you gain an understanding of the process and the basic theories, I
am sure you will find your own directions. I have discovered in my own work many opportunities
to change the direction from a given path only to find an entirely new approach to convey my
subject. This is one of the exciting aspects found in various forms of modern theory. You come to
a point where you need to make a decision and find that you have many paths you can take. Since
we are exploring uncharted waters, I have found myself half way through a project and could
maintain that course to the results that I am expecting, or I could select a different course and
discover results that I would never have expected. These results can be exciting and revealing.
You know yourself that in traditional painting you can plan a painting and the results you wish to
obtain before actual construction. But we also know that during the process of making those
thousands of decisions, just a few mistakes in judgment can doom the painting to failure. In this
style of painting the construction process is very forgiving, and often you will find that mistakes
can lead to a greater success down the road. Because of this, I predict most of you will eventually
create paintings totally unlike my own or any others you have ever seen. Much will depend upon
the subject matter you select. In my work you can see my interest in religion, philosophy, family,
and abstract ideas about emotions. As a realist, these interests had seldom influenced my primary
work as a professional and never as the single most dominant element of a design.
In order for you to practice the construction techniques of Matricism, you must learn the
various ways to paint two or more separate pieces of subject matter within the confines of one color
decision. Allow me to start with a very simple example of two separate objects coming together in
Example No. 1: Take a black and white photograph of a face and place a piece of clear red
cellophane over it. It looks like a red tinted photo. To reproduce it on canvas, you will need the
colors: red, white, and black. You could paint it two ways. First, paint a reproduction of the face in
black and white. Let it dry, and then mix up a red transparent glaze and cover the whole painting
with it. The second way to reproduce it is by direct painting. When you are painting the shadowed
side of the face, you will be mixing a dark red, and on the light side, you would mix less black into
your mixture to create a lighter red. Now sometimes, new ideas come from simply looking at "the
old" from a new perspective. What are we painting when we mix up all the different shades of red
needed to reproduce a red tinted photo? Think of it, not as a red face, but as two separate pieces of
Intensity - N/A
Now let me expand on the last example. Think of a large stained glass window with a
design instead of the red cellophane paper. Here we would have two pictures and the same matrix
formula as above still applies. With the addition of the subject matter of the stained glass window
to our B&W picture, we have increased the variables by which we can communicate with our
viewer. It stands to reason that the more elements of design an artist has at his disposal, the more
complex, complete, and clear one can be at communicating with his or her viewer. To be effective
in communicating with this technique, naturally the two pictures must be harmonious in design and
statement. This means that our transparent design should be viewed as an element of design within
the primary design laid down in an underpainting. The underpainting is the foundation of the entire
painting process because it defines the value of the majority of color decisions used in the painting
In Matricism, the process of covering the canvas with paint mixtures is accomplished best
by the use of dots or dabs of color. In my own work, I use a palette knife because it creates
consistent dots with extreme texture which makes each dot, or application of paint, very dominant.
The application tools you select can have a profound effect on every element of the painting. I
recommend experimentation with every type of application tool you can imagine. As one of my
first teachers always said, "If a stick works better than a brush, use it". In my view, it is best for the
junior practitioners to have a tool that will help them be consistent in their paint applications.
Examples of Texture
Permit me to say something about texture. If we look at the evolution of portrait painting, we see
that texture was the last important element incorporated into the technique to enhance three
dimensional form. It takes a great master to apply every brush stroke so that the texture left by the
brush fibers contours in the direction of the form. If the texture left by the brush reflected the local
light properly, the more realistic the illusion. In this writer’s opinion, this skill was performed at its
highest by the great portrait painter, John Singer Sargent. In my own work, I find that texture is a
wonderful element of design, so I highly recommend you use painting knives.
To give you an idea about the use of texture, consider this example: If we take a Black and
White picture of a cube, then place a transparent picture of a red sphere with a blue background,
and then take a perfectly clear transparent piece of cellophane and wrinkle it up and flatten it back
out on top of the other two, you will see three different patterns speaking to us at once. One
statement would come from the pattern created by the reflected light coming from the wrinkled
surface of the clear cellophane which you would reproduce through the texture left by your paint
application process. A second statement would come from the transparent picture of the red sphere
on a blue field, which you would convey through the Hue decision of the color mixtures used. Our
third statement comes from the B&W picture of a cube. It is conveyed by the Value decision of
Keeping this in mind, you are going to see that we can have two or more independent
designs, harmonized through the color analysis. This is done by designing a matrix for each design
(a formula, when executed, creates a design). Then the two designs are harmonized by creating a
matrix that uses selected components from each. Along with these two primary designs, there can
be many supporting layers, or Matrices, that are used to enhance, embellish, amplify, or draw
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Un
derpaint
ing for
Traditional Portrait Underpainting for Matrix painting “Five Megans”
In execution, this is not a true matrix but since it is incorporated into the whole process, I
have designated it as the first matrix layer. It's simply a monochromatic underpainting to set the
Values for all of your color decisions. In a typical matrix painting, the underpainting is usually
your primary statement. For those who have spent their lives painting from their environment,
doing portraits, flower pictures, or whatever, Matricism will allow you to refocus on your selection
of subject matter. You will view it from a new perspective, rethinking its influences and reactions.
You'll see it differently and render a fresh view on the subjects you have been studying for years.
No matter what type of painter you are, traditional or modern, to some degree all artists could adopt
the principles of Matricism and breathe a little life into their chosen form of expression. To
start a matrix painting, simply paint whatever you want, but paint it monochromatically. For
myself, I usually use Black and White. Most of the time the underpainting is entirely covered over
finished. Its primary purpose is to be a guide for controlling the value of your color decisions in
subsequent layers and to maintain the image of your primary design. When executing your
underpainting, I recommend staying with the traditional Nine Value System and do not blend your
The second design to be incorporated into your painting can be handled in many different
ways. This will become clear as you study the matrix layers of the examples in this book. This
layer can be a primary element of design, making a bold statement all its own yet unified with the
design of the underpainting. If you look at the second matrix layer of "Five Megans," you will see
that the
underpainting design is
To date, I have compiled works that consist of up to nine matrix layers. The painting "Five
Megans" on the following page is a good example of multiple layers designed to support the
primary design of the underpainting through color analysis. In the "Return of the Individual," there
are three separate primary design elements fused primarily through interlocking shapes. Both of
these examples have many supporting layers that are designed to harmonize the primary designs
and to help complete the statement. Most statements one would want to make with this construction
technique can be made with as few as two dominant designs harmonized by a successful matrix
formula. When first working with Matricism, it is best to keep the conceptions simple. The goal is
to communicate, and a simple statement can be made with far more clarity than a difficult one.
masterpiece.
Five Megans
Design Elements in the Use of Matricism
There are a few elements of design that are uniquely important to Matricism. We all
understand the unifying elements of color, line, form, interlocking shapes, positive and negative
space, etc., and how they were used in the traditional sense. My desire is to focus on the elements
Line
The most important element
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in most of my work is in the
use of line. The Alla Prima painter looks at each brush stroke as a line with a width and length, and
so shall we. Study the examples of line used in my paintings. Try to give your lines character,
motion, definition. One of the most important uses I have found is in the use of line to represent
"the unseen." In “The Cresent Tree,” (above) I used line to convey the wind, how it flows and in
what direction. Line can be used to direct the flow of the viewer’s eye, taking him from one
statement to another. We can use it to create ideas and statements about the atmospheric conditions
within our environment and how force or movement interacts, or it can simply show force and
movement. What does the atmosphere around us look like without any subject matter in it? An
example of line being used to show atmosphere with no solid subject matter can be seen in this
LA
This painting represents an attempt to stimulate a pure emotion. My desire was to convey a
sense of fear, a feeling of unrest. Nothing could be more frightening than the sight of a bullet
flying through the air, just before the moment it is about to take a life.
The matrix design for this painting is quite simple, as you can see. It represents a good
example of the use of Line as the defining substance of "Air." The vertical lines were very effective
in representing a substance that the bullet could cut its path through. I want the viewer to sense a
ripping sensation and the displacement of the air as it moves swiftly to its unknown target. Note the
silhouette of the gun kicking back and the yellow gases fired from the barrel.
Do you remember the first time you entered a place that made the hair stand up on your
neck? You could feel the tension in the air. How would you paint "tension" in a given atmosphere?
Do you remember the first time you got close to someone who excited you? Think of the feeling of
electricity flowing back and forth when you get close to someone you really love. There are so
many ideas out there to explore that I see no end to it. If you have not made an independent
study of line, I suggest that you do so. Certain types of line can have a profound effect on your
viewer. Study Chinese Watercolors and note their use of line to convey mood and rhythm. These
artists were great masters of line, viewing it as the primary element of design. Keep in mind that
line can control the rhythm and vibration of your painting, and it can control the way a viewer reads
your painting. Line has always been the most powerful element of design when used effectively.
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Agitation - to -
Relaxation
generation. So "Quest" was visualized as a cycle motion. If you follow the lines of color, they flow
from the light in the hands, spreading out all over the canvas and flowing into the empty vents.
Line gave motion, direction, and substance to the abstract term of "Knowledge." The slow wavy
motion of the lines conveys the speed and direction of its movement and the Blue and Red-Purple
hues help relax the pace. This is in contrast to the Yellow-Orange burst pattern that conveys the
feeling of speed or the sensation of a flash. The interplay of contrasting color and line intensifies
the two extremely different flow rates of Knowledge. Line also functioned as a tool for abstraction
and an important unifying factor in the overall design. Line and the way we use it is the essence of
Matricism.
Strings
An area worthy of discussion within this technique is what I refer to as the use of
"strings." Matricism's use of dots, or points in space represents its foundation, the basic building
block of conception and construction. A "string" is simply a series of dots or points in space that
are in sequence. With an individual point or dot, that's all you have. But with a string of dots,
something more complex is created or expressed. Every artist is fully aware of the expressive
power of line, and a string of points in space is exactly that, a Line. In traditional thinking, a
line has no volume, just length. It is a division point between two planes, a separating factor.
As artists, we are taught the use of line as an element of design, using it to create harmony and
cohesive construction. Modernists have used line to create a feeling or vibration within the
form of representative subject matter. It can also be used to direct you through an idea or
unified statement. A string of molecules that make up fibers creates a rope; a string of events
creates a change or development; a string of equations creates an answer or conclusion; a string
living substance. When working with Matricism, the idea of a string can open many avenues of
expression and creativity and can represent untold numbers of ideas and interpretations. In my
own work you will see strings of dots representing such things as odors in the air, knowledge
moving in a given direction, the flow of light, the movement of wind, the direction of mental
and spiritual energy. It can convey direction of movement of tangible substances we are all
aware of in our daily environment or more intangible perceptions such as esoteric ideas of
spiritual essence. Everything in the universe is made up of atoms--super small specs or dots of
substance. Think about physics, molecular structures, the science of the physical make-up of
ourselves and the universe. Think about how the combination of atoms, these small independent
pieces of matter, can come together with others, different or alike, and create substance that we
can feel, taste, see, or smell. The idea is to change and open up your perspective of the world
around you. The painter of the past would have looked at metal as a solid hard substance that
reflects light. I look at it as a substance made up of atoms with space between them. If you
could make yourself small enough, you could walk through an environment that was on another
scale, viewed as solid metal. In thinking of the human body, one might think of it as a collection
of individual cells, each with a precise location somewhere on or within the living body. In
doing so, one can select given points or "cells" to be painted individually for a desired
expression. Once you perceive your subject matter in this fashion, you can create formulas,
scientific or abstract, to help you gain a desired effect. Strings of dots are the basic building
consistent and well-defined dot or mark. Texture can be used as a powerful eye-catcher when the
goal is to control the viewer’s eye or draw attention to a given element of design. Since my focus
has been on different types of energy, the added element of strong texture reflects the
environmental light around the painting, and this adds to the visual effect of energy. When
contrasted with smooth surfaces or contrasting textures, the effects can be striking. And finally,
you can use texture patterns created separately from the color designs to make an additional
statement to incorporate into the overall picture. Once you gain some skill working with this
technique, you will find that one of the ultimate challenges will be to incorporate a texture design as
an independent matrix.
Micro Designs or Patterns
each repetitive decision is added as an independent matrix. Keep in mind that you can use negative
or fill-in space to increase the focus on a given element, to create color harmonies, or to decorate.
You can let your imagination have fun in this area and discover the impact of color. I suggest that
you play with the color wheel and don't be afraid to try anything. One thing that modern thought
has taught us is that there are no rules. In Matricism, we create our own rules that we choose to
work within. And since we create them, we work within our own level. You’re not ready to worry
about neutrality decisions if you’re struggling with hue and value analysis. With practice, your
complexity will increase if this is what is desired, but remember that simplicity is the key. Many of
the great modern painters of the century went to great lengths to reject their training and
conditioning. All that I personally recommend is that you paint with fine materials and keep the
statement of the painting center stage. You can communicate with your viewer best when you keep
it simple and clean. The painting below is an example of many micro designs, each representing
one of the five senses. Though I do not consider it a successful piece, I have included it here to
Micro
design
layout
Finished hand
We've already discussed the way we break down a color decision into Hue, Value, and
Intensity in order to include multiple criteria. Here I would like to say a few things about the colors
Working with color in Matricism can be a really fun experience. In this technique, we go
back to the basics and play with color theory, or at times, just throw the book away. You can work
with color like the Impressionists or paint in a mud bath if you want. Selection of color can be
subjective for desired effect or you create a matrix to select the colors for you. I have used patterns,
numerical equations, and subjective selections for desired effects when selecting colors. I
personally enjoy working with sound color theories for most projects. You cannot change the
physics of color, and with proper use, you can increase the communicative power of your work.
Keep in mind the color can influence the mood and vibration of the painting. It can also have a
powerful symbolic effect. Think of how color relates to fire, air, water, and earth. It can have a
very powerful emotional impact on our viewer. It does so because color can create the feeling of
movement and vibration. Yellow has the tendency to move towards the viewer, and Blue moves in
on itself. Red is the stable one, moving inwardly with its great intensity. Green is considered the
most peaceful color, and the most boring. It is also important to understand the relationship
between color and line. Warm colors focus sharply by the human eye, and cool colors can seem
blurred. One can convey the feeling of solidity, another an incandescent quality, and others a more
advantage when we discuss Grid Analysis later on. We have also discussed the use of numerical
designations, and with the process of mixing neutral grays, we can see the scientific method within
this approach. For every color used in a painting, you mix up Nine different values of that color.
Then you mix up Nine values of Neutral Gray to control the intensity of the nine primary mixtures.
By adding touches of Neutral Gray of the same value to your primary color, you can create as many
neutral levels of a primary color as you wish. Most of the time I work in only Six degrees of
The one thing that I feel all artists should do prior to experimenting with Matricism is to
build a color wheel with their paints. Artists are going to find that with most of their dominant
colors, they will mix up Nine values of each. If artists are using Yellow, how do they mix up a
Dark Yellow? I have included in this text the color wheel as taught by the Reilly School of Art.
The color wheel taught by the Reilly School of Art is the finest one I know of for the painter. I
to the wheel.
go down in value.
Red: Cadmium Red Light + White for the lightest value. Burnt Umber + Alizarin Crimson for
Purple: Cobalt Violet + White to go up in value. Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson to lower
the value.
Blue: Ultramarine Blue + Viridian and add White to bring up the value.
Green: Cadmium Green Deep + White for upper values. Burnt Umber + Viridian for dark
values.
Green-yellow: Permanent Green Light + White for upper values. Lamp Black + Burnt Umber
to lower value.
One thing that I would like to say about matrix painting is that often you need to move
through color mixtures precisely and with speed. When you’re moving across the surface of an
underpainting, matching value, you find yourself going up and down the value scales of all the
colors and if you’re working in neutrality, you’re moving within 54 different mixtures. It reminds
me of when I practiced my scales on the piano. Up and down and up and down until that
movement alone tired you out. If you have to stop and mix up color all the time, forget it. Have
your colors ready to go when you need them. You'll increase the speed of execution and enjoy the
process more. If you have trouble keeping your paint from drying out, keep it in your freezer when
not being used. Having 54 piles of paint dry out before you use it can be expensive and frustrating.
In most of my paintings I use mostly primary colors. This usually calls for two dominant
colors and then several supporting colors. This is because we are usually mixing two
complimentary designs and our desire is to give each definition. This way we can say more to our
viewer if the designs speak separately, yet in harmony. When you are making two different
statements on one canvas, you want the viewer to look at each and conclude what you are saying.
Most of the time, the best way to do that is to select colors on opposite sides of the color wheel or
use tri-compliments for two primary designs and a fill in for negative space. I have attempted to
incorporate up to Five different subjects into one expression only once (See "Sucking up the
Senses"). I believe you will agree that it takes a great deal of study to discern what I am saying in
this painting. From a distance, the five layers fuse together into one crazy picture. You have to
inspect the painting up close to analyze each separate matrix and draw conclusions as to what I am
trying to say. My success at fusing five variables is up to others to judge, but I believe that I am
hitting my saturation point with a stacking or layered approach. Keep it simple, clean, focused and
fun! Harmonizing two designs is enough to challenge the best of us since your desire is to make an
In “The Passing” I have incorporated four primary designs, not micro designs, into a single
statement about death and the soul. Again, I have reached saturation with multiple designs.
The Discovery of Matricism
Before we go into the construction examples, I wanted to share with you the experience of
opening the door to Matricism. We have already discussed the first form of construction with
monochromatic results. The next step is to bring multiple colors into the work, yet stay with the
idea that the construction process should be as scientific as possible. The problem that you will
encounter with every matrix painting is keeping the amount of subjectivity to a minimum. It is
impossible to remove all subjectivity from your creative process, and if we did, it would no longer
be "art.” But you should strive to keep it as scientific as possible. This can be accomplished best if
you keep in mind the requirement of being able to put the construction process into a written
language. For centuries, artists have tried to make the art of painting a scientific process. What
kept most of them from obtaining their goal was the restraint of acceptable art, or their objective
was not totally conducive to a complete scientific method. In other words, they were foiled by
limited perception of subject matter. Today, we are no longer limited by acceptable subject matter
or how we paint the subjects we select. In today's world, breaking traditional norms is considered a
In developing the techniques expressed in this book, I would like to take you back to the
moment Matricism crystallized. As a Commission Artist, I had always made my living painting
what other people commissioned. We all know how difficult and frustrating painting for others can
be. Portraitists have to live with the fact that every mother's goose is a swan! In my own case, I
have taken every known type of commission. The worst type of commissions came in the form of
historical paintings. Only the requirement of keeping the lights burning in the studio could force
me to paint out of my time. A few years before I started down my current path, I had started a
historical painting of Downtown Dallas, Texas. I was working from an old black & white photo
taken in 1911. Although I use the Alla Prima method in my portrait work, I use the older method
of building up the painting from a monochromatic underpainting when I practice the art of
illustration. I had finished the underpainting for this piece but never had finished it in color.
Seeing it sit around the studio day after day, it kept puzzling me as to how I could use it as an
experiment and see how I could work out this crazy idea that was bouncing around in my head.
Finally, I picked up the painting and just started putting little dots on the canvas. I started by
making a line of dots, but I had no plan or vision of the results; I was just doodling. I worked on
the piece off and on between other works until I was about half way through when the most
important moment in my life as an artist showed itself. Here were all of these lines wiggling across
the canvas for no reason. Red, Yellow, and Blue wiggly lines were moving horizontally across the
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exciting. I could organize the lines to show the movement of wind, the flow of light, and the focus
of attention to something, etc., etc.... I could give substance to the invisible, real or imagined. Not
only had I stumbled across a new way to increase the criteria involved in color analysis but also I
had found a way to depict subject matter that had been mostly ignored by artists of the past. Can
you think of anything more exciting than painting something no one has ever seen before? The
paintings in this book record from day one my explorations in Matricism. With so many new ideas
to try, I have attempted to explore as many different avenues as possible. By doing so, I am
showing the range of styles that could come from Matricism. I have proved to myself and to others
that this is a design tool and not a personal style. If you think of Matricism as a language, by
selecting certain words and arranging them in a desired sequence, you can speak.
I believe that there are thousands of different ways to mix up all the variables of this
technique. For those who understand the basics of the modern computer, Matricism could be
compared to DOS, a computer language. Once you understand what DOS is and how it works, you
can write programs that are designed to do a given job and give you a required result. One program
allows you to write words on the screen and another program can allow you to work out math
problems. Each matrix painting in this book is the result of a written program using the variables of
Matricism.
understand how my mind was on overload. Ideas were flowing right and left, and the adrenaline
was pumping for weeks. My father put a pencil in my hand when I was three, and I spent the last
thirty-five years studying art and learning how to paint. And now at last, I had something to do that
was fun, different, and a contribution to my profession. It was nothing less than a religious
experience for me. Not a day goes by that I do not ponder the question, “Was this simple idea just a
chemical reaction in the brain, or was it an accumulation of knowledge and experiences? Was it
The following sections in this book will show you the adventure I have been living over the
last six years of experimentation. Many of the following forms of matrix analysis have the
potential of years of exploration. If you look at many of the current painters, you see that their
work usually carries a dominant theme or primary style throughout their entire career. With my
discovery of Matricism, this is impossible. Instead of a personal style that would lock me in, I am
able to explore in many different directions. At times, it is difficult to judge if it is the same artist
today's art market. For me, the evolution of the world's great
"Five Megans" was one of the first matrix paintings to be conceived. Remember that we
now have a way to paint "the unseen," and my desire was to give substance to the presence of God
and the energy and love with which he surrounds us. I wanted to say something about the child
within us and how, through that child, we come to know and love Him. The title of this work
comes from my daughter, Megan. I had her dance around a suspended light and took numerous
photos of her in many positions. From five of these photos, I created the underpainting. As every
father knows, little girls can be the embodiment of total love. I portrayed God as a ball of energy,
hovering just out of reach of the girls. The primary goal of the nine matrix layers was to bring life
into the light and energy into the surrounding environment. I tried to give this abstract word "love"
a given visual substance via the sparkle of energy in the environment. To complete the sensation of
energy, I focused on creating the impression of atmospheric movement through pattern design.
One of the disappointing things that cannot be shared in a book is the expressive power of texture.
It is a very important design factor in this painting and was highly effective in expressing the
presence of energy.
viewer. I note this because you will see other works where the
nonobjective!
overall painting and usually represents your secondary element of design. In this piece, it also sets
up the primary motion of energy. Note how I continually added lines as the spiral pattern expands.
This pattern is executed free hand, and I suggest that you do as much of your painting as you can
this way. It is very easy to get hooked on using tools to create your designs, and I do use them
often, but try to stay away from them whenever possible. Take chances on your natural abilities so
circles 1/2 in. wide and 1/2 in. apart. To get exact
the first spiral pattern to dominate because of its imperfections and slightly larger sized dot. Your
free-hand patterns will usually dominate those created by tools. I also decided to shift the color just
a little more to the blue side of the color spectrum. With a slightly cooler color, this layer receded
into the picture plan and allowed the spiral pattern to jump forward. Remember what we said about
The third matrix layer involved filling in that 1/2 in. space between
the blue circles of the second matrix. Since the first two layers came from
the blue/blue green side of the color wheel, I shifted now to the red side for
neutralized Red.
In the first four photos, you see the underpainting and the three primary matrix designs. If
you look at the pictorial analysis of the full matrix design of "Five Megans," you will see that there
is a total of Nine layers. After the first three layers had been applied, the entire canvas was covered
with paint, so I started to work with independent dots applied in patterns that would increase the
sparkle and illusion of energy particles in the air. The last five layers consisted of simple formulas
One last motion effect was created with the last layer. I wanted to have a pulsating effect,
so I set up a frequency wave expanding from the center. This was done by stepping down the value
of a color in cycles as it was painted from the light and out across the canvas: 123, 123, 123, etc.
In this painting, it would call for a red dot at the value of 3; one inch out use value 4; and then the
next inch I went to value 5. Then you start back at value 3 one inch out again, and so on. This
This painting was designed along the same lines as Five Megans. I wanted to make the
statement that God can interact with the child in each of us. By using little boys and bringing the
light of God down among them, I am showing that He is very close and that we all react differently
towards Him. We all know how little boys confront mysteries; some are shy; others are not; some
Senses"
humorous, but in the end it turned out so. In trying to make a statement concerning taste, I had to
stick the tongue out; for sight I bugged out the eyes; and for the sense of smell, I flared the nostrils.
The underpainting shown on the following page has the pencil lines already drawn to guide
me through all five layers. From each upper corner, there are lines drawn at uneven distances apart
with a compass centered in each corner. These represent sound coming in like stereo to the
listener's ears. The second pattern consists of two spiral designs, one for each eye to convey the
idea of sight. The third design consisted of many little wavy lines flowing horizontally across the
surface. They represent odors floating through the air and being drawn into the nose. There were
two other designs added, interlocking circles about three inches in diameter, drawn over the entire
canvas to represent particles we can taste and straight lines drawn vertically like solid bars that can
be touched.
When you are laying in the patterns to be used in your own work, I suggest that you use
different colored pencils, in order to keep the distinction of each pattern. Once you start applying
paint, it becomes very difficult to keep track of the lines you are following for each color. I have
found myself on the wrong line pattern many times. The last matrix layer consisted of the fill-in
color used within the negative space of the hands and face. I would also like you to note in the
completed work the sensory pathways taken by each sensation to the brain. You can see that the
sense of touch has a pathway from the finger tips to the center of the mind. You can also see the
sensory paths for sight, sound, smell, and taste, all coming together in the center of the head, where
the vertical lines that stimulate the sense of touch. Yellow, being
a very hot color, advances to the front of the picture plane in order
touching. The spiral designs, one centering from each eye, are
odors for the sense of smell are painted in a very cool blue. This
allows them to sink into the picture plane and appear to be floating around our figure deeper within
the picture plane. This blue is light like the air we breath. The circles represent air-born particles
for taste. I selected a Neutralized Yellow so that it would blend in softly and appear only upon
close inspection. You can also see that I decided to leave the smooth canvas between the five
patterns. The contrast between the smooth paint and the heavy texture of the dot work gave more
distinction between the patterns and helped make the statement that the five different subjects are
separate within the same environment. Once all of the five patterns are completed, we then execute
the design representing the sensory pathways. The color for each sense is followed all the way till
Once all the five senses had been created, I added the final matrix. I selected to fill in the
negative space of the hands and face with pure Alizarin Crimson, keeping my color selections
simple as you have seen.
The idea behind this form of matrix analysis has to do with light. As traditional painters,
we have been painting light reflecting off of surfaces. The Impressionists rendered form with the
idea that they were not painting objects, but light hitting the retina of the eye. So think of light as a
substance. I started this approach with the idea that I would break the light up into its color bands
and paint them like laser beams coming from an unseen source. Again, the intensity of the color is
matched with the depth of the picture plane, hot colors in the front and cool colors in the receding
planes. The temperature and position of the colors give us most of our depth perception in this
style. I decided to show you a progression of color studies so you can see how I developed this
style of Matricism. In every newly theorized matrix, I start with the most simple analysis first to
study the viability of it. I started my approach by giving "light" some unique properties. Think of
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Composition No. One,
"Four Geometrics"
to "Matricize" everything in sight at that time, so any old painting in the studio was fair game. The
first step is always to map out your first matrix design with a pencil. In this approach, I marked off
the top of the painting every 1/4 inch. Then I drew lines straight down the canvas, selecting the
picture plane depth for each one. As each line came down at a given depth position, if it
encountered one of the four forms, it reacted as though it was a fluid following the contour of the
shape. Once all the lines were in, I studied the areas where the line had been moved by the forms
and blacked out the negative space. This is an example of creating Negative space with a matrix
design. If you attempt to try this matrix, study your form well. You can see in this example that
this form of matrix analysis was not yet perfected. I would have liked to have seen some pie-
shaped pieces on the top of the cylinder, and the cube could have been better also.
One other thing that I was experimenting with in these two works was the color analysis. In
"The Four Geometrics," I used only Red and neutralized it in six different degrees. There are only
three tubes of paint in the entire execution: Black, White, and Alizarin Crimson.
In this painting, again I am thinking of light as a creative energy that gives substance. I
started with the idea of breaking light down into its color bands and executing them as controlled
beams of light. The intensity of the color is matched with the depth of the picture plane, hot colors
in the front and cool colors in the receding planes. The temperature and position of a color can
greatly enhance depth perception. The earlier examples show how a progression of color studies
My desire was to make a statement about existence. Here are some of the key phrases:
We only exist in the light.
light.
energy of light.
I Exist
of the front leg. My goal was to show the viewer all sides of the figure at once. This calls for
thinking like a sculptor and analyzing your subject from all sides. I have a great deal of
experimentation ahead of me in perfecting a balance between the lines that react to the front of the
form, those depicting the back side of the body, and keeping them all balanced with the negative
space.
Composition No. Four,
"You Are"
parents, books, and just movement through society. I decided to paint vents or air ducts to express
the difficulty in moving through our chosen path. The light that you see coming from inside the
vents represents "Knowledge," which we all seek in some form or another. In the large vent, you
can see the face of a man emerging with a ball of light in his hand. That light represents his
innovation, built out of the knowledge that he has gained through the struggle of his quest. It could
be an invention: a story, a painting, or whatever one might create out of what one has learned.
Going into the vents represents the difficulty in gaining knowledge, and the long trip back out
represents the difficulty in taking that knowledge and creating something new and introducing it to
the world. The cycle is complete when an innovation is introduced and added to all that is already
known. This is represented by the flow-line design moving from the bright light in the hands out
across the canvas and flowing back into the empty vents. The cycle begins again when the next
person enters the vent that will lead him to his fulfillment.
As a rule, most of your primary elements of design go into the first two or three matrix
layers, but in this painting you can see the large burst of orange was added last, and it plays a very
significant role in the overall statement. I was thinking about the explosion of ideas for paintings
that I was experiencing, so I depicted this like a large firework on the Fourth of July. I wanted to
say in this painting that even a simple idea can have profound, explosive effects on society or the
individual.
This is an appropriate time to make a comment about subject matter. My generation and
those coming after have experienced more sensations and seen more things than any other in
history. So much didn't even exist just a few years ago. Here I was painting about our personal
quests, the struggle of moving towards our goals through the quest for knowledge, and of all things,
I'm thinking of the vision of Bruce Willis crawling through the heating vents in the movie Die
Hard. I used to think that a fun painting was a beautiful nude model.
Neutrality was used in a unique way in the painting “Quest for Innovation.” In the mind's
eye, I positioned the different vents at different depths into the picture plane. As "knowledge"
explodes from the hands of the innovator, it expands over the entire canvas and moves down to the
levels of neutrality relating to the perceived depth of the knowledge as it recedes into the picture
plane and moves into the vents. In the mind's eye this is a birds-eye view of our subject matter.
Holding a three-dimensional image of the subject matter from different angles other than the one
seen by the viewer is an important capacity for the artist when working with Neutrality.
The style of Matricism covered in this section is the most difficult one to date. Many of the
artists I have studied start their paintings by first premixing most of the colors that they were
planning to use. Premixing is a must in this style because you are going to need so many so often.
Working with Matricism in this fashion is very difficult to explain. Let’s start by thinking about the
simple act of doodling on a piece of paper. This is an exercise in two-dimensional scribbling. Now
think of a visual image of three-dimensional scribbling within a cube of space. To create the
illusion of 3-D with a given color, the artist needs extreme control and accuracy in selecting the
of space. As the red recedes into the picture plane, your red should slowly become more
neutralized. As it comes forward again, the color becomes less neutralized. To do this exercise
with one color, you will need to premix at least five neutralized mixtures along with the primary
By having all your colors ready, you can see instantly the one you need at any given moment. You
can judge the degree of neutrality by seeing the other mixtures nearby, and you have a numerical
grid layout on your palette which can keep you organized and allow you to follow numerical
designations with some speed. Reducing your mixing and execution time and keeping your
working process organized is very important. Working with dots can be a time consuming,
laborious approach to painting, and anything you can do to speed up the process is of great help.
That wonderful feeling that you get when you execute that perfect brushstroke does not exist in this
technique. The thrill comes in the conception, the experimentation, and a successful conclusion.
But the time spent applying paint to the canvas can be an exercise in patience and discipline.
Now let us return to our 3-D example. If we add value changes to our line moving within
our depicted cube of space, we now have to increase our mixtures from our original six piles of
paint to a total of fifty-four piles. This represents only one color or Hue (red) mixed into nine
values, and then six degrees of neutralization. (6 x 9 = 54 mixtures for each color we decide to
use). You may elect to use only 7 values, which I often do because 1 = White and 9 = Black.
I want to add a few words about Grid Analysis. In some works with very advanced matrix
designs, by keeping a grid layout in your mind's eye, you can calculate the neutrality designation of
a given note of color. You can use longitude, latitude, and depth designation numbers in creating
your
matrix analysis. To satisfy one of my
designations, or simply a general locator when we are working in certain forms of Matricism.
When you place a grid in the mind's eye, don't be stiff in you perception; allow your grid to be
elastic and feel free to make general estimates, even if you are following a numerical sequence.
Remember, this is art; we are constructing formulas to help us with the creative process. Some are
scientific and mathematical; others can be mixed with abstract ideas and terminology. I guarantee
that some, if not many of your formulas will be so strange that you may be the only one who
understands them. I have created many formulas that I simply could not put into words but were
understand how my mind has opened up to new ideas about subject matter and for you to judge my
success at communication. As a rule, I prefer to have the message interpreted by the viewer, but as
a teacher, it is my job to stimulate thoughts and ideas. As a painter and artist, it is to give you
something to think about. In my view, to touch your viewer and cause him to interact with your
work is the ultimate challenge. For myself, this painting represents the discovery of who I am and
why I am here. The painting came to me the exact moment that Matricism crystallized, and I
finally knew my purpose as an artist and as a person. All the years of study—seeking
teachers, looking at paintings, reading every book I thought might give me something--and the
years and years of practice are represented in this painting. All of it was aimed at a goal that took
years to realize, that is, the development of Matricism. This painting represented the achievement
of becoming an artist.
Rising to Maturity
Another quality that Matricism displays in this painting is that of a tool for abstraction.
Here the design of the matrix gave us a form of abstraction that would give solidity and prominence
to the front figure and consecutively distort each figure according to its size, position, and
dominance. As you can see, the figure in the far back is the smallest and the least defined. Here,
size and clarity relates to personal growth and development. As each figure comes closer, it is
better defined. When we finally come to the primary figure, we have developed into who or what
Another reason behind all the lines radiating from the center figure has to do with the idea
of finally being "in tune" or "connected" with our world. Once we develop our mature into who we
are, we become one with the world, and we know how and in what way we fit into it. The raised
arms signify the giving of thanks and the exuberance of having finally "arrived."
Now let us return to the matrix analysis. Once the energy lines were laid in, my attention
turned to the negative space between the wavy lines. This is the blue area seen between the red
energy lines. Here I elected to use another interesting form of matrix analysis that I call
"Graphing." If you cut a picture in half and then cut a thin strip from one of those halves, you will
have a piece of paper that will change value as you move along it. This will give you a set of
numbers with which to play in a matrix formula. In this painting, I used the position to establish
the Intensity (brightness or dullness) of a single Hue, Cerulean Blue. I mixed six piles of this blue
hue all at value four, but with different degrees of neutrality. I then used the changing values of the
underpainting to tell me the neutralized mixture to utilize. Note that I have created a numerical
formula to tell me what color to use. Scientific Painting! (Note earlier graph example) This type
of matrix analysis can be changed, twisted, and calculated in many different ways. It could also be
designed where one value equals a different value or a value dictates a given hue. Note the
example of "reverse reading" for a color analysis and one where we use a "step up" matrix. For a
step up value, when you read a value of Six on the underpainting, you would apply a value of
Seven, and if you used a down-step formula, you would go to your Fifth value. What you are
doing is simply creating numerical relationships to accomplish a desired result. In the Reverse
Graph, you simply reverse all decisions numerically. The value of Five is the only value you
primary designs. The theme for this painting comes from the
rising out of the body, viewing the body from above, and
Dark relates to the idea of being heavy and having solidity while in solid form. The brighter orange
color relates to being very light when one is in a pure energy form, that being the soul. Note that
we are thinking of the psychology of our color decisions. The figure design consists of the
underpainting and one color matrix. The S-curve design is to convey a smooth flowing motion, as
The second major design incorporated into the whole was the ancient Sanskrit symbol for
"Oouummm." The sound that the Buddhist Monks make when they chant in a low, deeply drawn
out sound. Note that this is the first time I added something like a letter or symbol to be
incorporated into an over all design. Though it would take someone familiar with this symbol to
understand its meaning within the overall statement of the painting, no one ever said you had to
make a painting easy to read.. The third major element of design is that of the energy patterns
painted in Metallic Gold and Silver. I wanted the look of the Far East, somewhat like the oriental
wedding dresses with the gold and silver threads mixed with rich, powerful colors. The metallic
colors were perfect in creating this desired cultural flavor and in the matrix design for energy. The
energy patterns radiate from the bright light. Since Eastern religions believe that God is in every
living thing, his life and energy are everywhere. Note all of the "Micro" matrix designs.
If you haven't noticed, the spirit figure in “The Passing” is a derivative of the one designed
for "Rise to Maturity." In that painting I used a heavy figure to convey the idea of being grounded
to the real world. My desire was to mix ancient monolithic symbolism with a 21st century
technique. In this painting, I wanted a flowing figure, simple in design to represent the soul. Note
the darker figure sitting over the lighter death figure has the impression of folded legs. This
denoted the status of being alive and gives the impression of solidity in a material world. The
lightness of the other figures adds to the feeling that we are watching a momentary happening,
something in progress.
and “Rise to Maturity,” except that this represents the cycle of the whole human race.
As I was creating the "Individual," I was thinking how many people are coming and
going on this planet every second of the day, day-in and day-out. Millions of souls are
rotating in and out, representing this great cycle motion. I used the heavy solid figures to
represent man on earth. You can see the idea of death and dying represented in the fallen
figures. Behind them you can see lighter figures rising with a few of them in the stage of
just breaking away from the material world. As they rise, you can see them blur into the
spiraling flow of thousands of souls moving toward the light. The special message in the
five rising souls is in their body language. In much of the death research, those who
have experienced it say that they no longer fear the death experience. They felt great
“Spirit Guide”
for its lightness in mood and the feeling of a momentary flash of time. Yellow symbolizes the Sun.
As in the painting "One Soul’s Path," this painting consists of many subjective decisions.
You should always keep this in mind when doing your own work, for there will be times when you
find that a formula is not working as you had conceived. Many times I have found myself more
way through the execution of a matrix layer and found that I had miscalculated slightly. When this
happens, remember that there is no rule written in stone, so don't be afraid to change it in order to
make it work, or just make a subjective decision that makes you happy.
Plasticism. Much of our concern here is in the balance of relationships within the composition.
Mondrian made the statement, "Whatever its method of expression, each art tends to become,
through the cultivation of the human mind, an exact representation of balanced relationships.
For the balanced relationship is, in fact, the purest representation of that universality, that
harmony, and that unity which are the essential qualities of the mind." The soul is the mind, and
in spirit it is balanced. Some people believe that God created us in pairs and that for all of time
Pair Bond
This work contains more simple matrix decisions than any other. You can
see this in the different types of lines such as the one with the white dots running on top of the
red.
Matrix Style No. Nine
As a young artist studying the techniques of the masters, I had great contempt for the idea of
"art for art's sake." I felt that a painting should have meaning and communicate with the viewer.
Many people have great difficulty understanding why so much of the work produced by the great
modern masters qualifies as "important." This is the mistake of the simple view, for it takes a great
the wind, how it bends the tree and how the tree affects the wind. My second desire is to simply
entertain the eye of the viewer. If you note the Red, White, and Black lines moving through the
painting, you can see that they each move with a different rhythm. One swiftly moves across the
canvas till it hits the tree and spirals down. The White line flows through the painting till it gets
caught in the movement of the wind, and the Black line at the bottom of the tree comes bouncing
into the picture, repeating that rhythm right on across the canvas. What I am doing is controlling
the eye of the viewer and forcing him to move in a desired way. I say nothing, but I force a
Here is a painting that makes a statement about mental concentration and the drawing of
energy from the world around us. In Eastern philosophy, the idea of being grounded to the earth is
very important, for it is mother earth from which we draw so much of the energy of life that
sustains us. In Eastern thought, the view of mental energy--referred to as their "Chi"--is also a
power that can be disciplined through intense concentration. It is said that the great masters can tap
into both forces and control them for their needs. This is the message of the painting.
In my color analysis, I decided on the use of cool colors to display the energy being
underpainting.
The Construction of “My Guides”
The figures you see in “My Guides” have had an impact on my ideas about who we are.
You will see these figures in many different paintings of mine because they seem to convey my
thoughts on our psyche. I myself am not always sure what they are saying to me, but they always
individual faces.
Mapping the Lines
In these photos, I am bringing down
In this shot, my impatience has gotten the best of me, and I have filled in the negative space
in the center figure to see if my overall idea was going to work. It is!
My Guides
Pace
This is my favorite painting. It says so much about the “Pace” of Twentieth Century life
and the way so many of us fly through it. As a professional portrait painter, running from
commission to commission, catering to the clients, dealing with the business concerns, etc. is a
life style on the road. For me, the mind opens to creativity most in the wee hours of the morning
The “art” of painting, the “craft” of painting, the “act” of painting, which is it? Like
politics, put a left wing avant-garde modernist and a left wing traditionalist together, and the
question of which description goes into the process of painting will never be agreed upon. The
two sides cannot agree upon a definitive definition of what constitutes “art” or the act of being
an artist. Though I find myself on both sides of the debate, from a historical perspective, it
seems to me that the natural evolutionary path for the future is a synthesis of thought. I’ve
experimented with mixing Matricism with past forms of Modernism, but with the following
works, my goal was to charm and give comfort and joy to the multitude of art lovers not
in my life as a painter.
The Messengers of the Light
A Perspective on the Future
As I have stated, Matricism is a language. You cannot put all the expressions of decision
and action into a written format, but it is an attempt to come as close to that ideal as possible. As
I want you to look at the painting, "Rising to Maturity," it is one of the earliest paintings
executed with a fully integrated matrix formula with the use of neutrality. It was executed in a very
small dot size but I soon realized that if I am going to explore this technique quickly, I needed to
work larger. The lesson learned from this painting was that my preplanning had to be precise. I
decided then that I had to increase the dot size, which allows me to experiment faster with a given
matrix before I increased the complexity of the execution. I have discovered that in developing
color studies and by keeping the complexity down, I could discover many other possibilities at a
faster rate, and my communication was clearer. There is no end to the complexity one can make a
painting. I have had several paintings in mind that would take a year or more to complete, but at
this stage there are too many directions to explore. My desire is to expand its vocabulary, to see
how many different styles I can create, and to find out just how expressive I can be. From my point
of view, every painting in this book is a study for the next painting.
When you design a matrix, you are not only developing guidelines to follow, you are
creating guidelines to work within. On the other hand, no rule should always be followed and at
time, one should break them all. This is why Matricism has played an important part in developing
or exposing new subject matter. A few of these paintings evolved because the subject dictated
developing a specific form of matrix analysis. Other paintings are a result of creating a matrix and
then looking for an application. There are so many directions that I can go with my
experimentation that I believe I am going to enjoy the next thirty or more years, God willing.
When a friend realized that I was writing a book about my new work she remarked, "Aren't you
afraid that others will steal your ideas?" For Matricism to be a contribution to the art of painting,
others will need to have the opportunity to explore it. If other artists can successfully incorporate a
form of matrix analysis into their own work, then we have proven that Matricism is at least a useful
construction tool, and at best, a new language of expression. Only time will tell if this is a footnote
in art history or a new chapter in the art of painting. By no means do I feel that I have used
Matricism to its fullest, for many innovators of the past have seen others take what they had
invented and use it in an entirely new way, and some even out perform the master himself. The
works in this book are all experiments for the paintings of the future, which is the nature of all
experimental art.
One interesting point about the timing of Matricism is that the first computer came into my
house just a few years earlier. I had one of those early models that came with a five-inch
instruction manual that no one could read, and it drove me crazy. I puzzled over the idea of all
those ones and zeros controlling electrical impulses that created light and letters on the screen. I
find myself often relating Matricism to DOS, the computer language. When you design a painting
by using a matrix analysis, you are essentially writing a program that will do a desired job for you.
I can see a time when computers are going to be a great tool by replacing the need for some hand-
done color studies, the time from conception to final analysis before construction could be cut
significantly. Interestingly enough, current computer programs build in layers in the same way a
matrix painting is constructed. There are companies working hard to find a way to put the
computer in the hands of artists. At this point, the technology has some very fine uses such as in
manipulating digital imagery, and that is a good step toward reaching the painter.
in today's art world. The artists pouring out of the art schools over the last thirty to forty years have
been faced with the "perceived fact" that there is nothing new to discover in the art of painting. We
had taken realism to its height by the 1800's and the Alla Prima method of painting reached its
zenith in the works of John Singer Sargent by the early 1900's. Since that time we have distorted,
rejected, minimalized, smeared, and splashed our way through most of this century. Finding a new
form of expression in the art of painting is viewed by most experts as an impossible task. Leo
Castelli, the greatest living art dealer of our time, has stated many times that "There is nothing new
to discover in the art of painting." For thirty years, my own father's words echoed in my mind, "Son
you do not want to be a painter because the only way to be successful is through innovation, and
everything has been done." Though no one could stop me from trying, those words haunted me
every day of my life. It is important to remember that there are many great painters in the world.
The art schools are filled with talented and devoted students, all looking for themselves through
their art. You should not decide what type of painter you want to be until you have mastered the
craft and the science of painting. Real success comes only through a historical contribution, and if
you can give the world something, anything it has not had before, you will find the freedom to
express yourself and hopefully earn the income needed by everyone on the planet because you are
unique. Approximately one-third of all artists in history never married. Many educated non-
painters say it was because they served only one master, their art. In this artist's view, economics
was the primary reason for this statistic, so plan your development wisely. Learn to paint good
pictures!
I believe that we are all victims of circumstances. Mine gave me no choice as to what I was
to be. My father put a pencil in my hand at age three, and he had me competing in art contests at a
very early age. What was unique was the fact that my education started so early, and the first half
was completely focused on Modernism. I did not start a serious study of classical painting until
college. I believe that since modernism was my primary focus in the early years, it had a unique
effect on my development. When I was in third grade, I won a local city contest where all the
downtown merchants let the kids paint Halloween pictures on their front display windows, and the
city provided the water paint. It was open to all kids eighteen and under, and the whole town got
involved every year. There were hundreds of entries that year, and some of those high school kids
could paint rings around me. When I started to plan my window painting, my father told me to go
get his book on Picasso. I won first place that year in spite of the fact that I was so young. It was
simple; I abstracted a witch on a broomstick in Picasso's double-face style. It made the painting
process easy because of the flat use of color, and what really helped me win was that the judges
were from the local university. There is nothing that most college art instructors hate more than
My father was a great artist, but he rejected art as a career and went into architecture for the
same reason he wanted me to avoid painting. He believed in financial security and control of one's
own destiny. In the early years, he tried to focus me on industrial art forms. He was always
designing buildings that called for unique items that he had to construct himself, and that usually
meant another family project. Before I was out of high school, I had constructed high relief
sculptured walls for churches, cut all the stained glass by myself for two, and installed the glass for
several others. There were countless other items such as outdoor garden sculptures, altars for
churches that weighed tons, and many forms of casted exterior panels for office buildings, schools,
and homes. For several years, I worked in the art of casted concrete and can still remember the pain
from the holes that the lime would burn into my skin. In the end, my father gave up trying to steer
me away from painting. Much of this earlier training now seems to have had an influence on my
I was twenty-three years old when I started earning decent money from my paintings. By
having a father who supported my art, I had the fortune of being able to paint for the challenge of
improving early in my career. I had some freedom from market pressures which allowed me to
experiment with many different styles of painting. By having this freedom, I became a good
painter of many different styles. Every time I decided that I wanted to paint like a given artist, I
would tear up the canvases. Through the years I lost interest in trying to follow the footsteps of
other artists because in the end, who really cares if I can paint as well as so-and-so? It was that
same old statement of my father's, still haunting me after so many years. In this day and age, you
can become a highly skilled master and barely scrape out a living unless you can discover a niche in
the market and some way to be promoted. In these times, only one of my fellow students from the
old days is still pounding the pavement with his brushes. All the others have quit painting and
As I look back from my new perspective, I have come to understand more fully what
Robert Henri meant when he said, "Artists are born, not made." Sometimes we're born in a life
where everything that happens to us pushes us in a given direction. We have the right parents, right
teachers, opportunities to grow, and the right opportunities to suffer. I remember one of my early
teachers, the late Darrell Dishman. He was the type of artist who would drag you out in the worst
weather to paint some old barn on location, and we had a lot of old barns in the Ozarks. He used to
say, "You can not be an artist without suffering." I used to think I could get around all the suffering
by being the best, but I was wrong. It’s not just the act of becoming a good painter that Darrell was
talking about. It was the events in life that make us the type of painter we are. It is through
suffering for our art that builds our foundation for expression. In the end result of our being, it is a
balance of joy and suffrage that makes us what we are. It builds our sensitivity!
If you want to control your own future, you have to be unique. In this day of large demand
and thousands of galleries, if you can offer the market something even slightly unique, you can gain
some recognition and make a fine living. On your way to your final goal, make yourself
marketable, for if you can earn the support you need with your brushes, you will progress towards
the artist you are destined to be. Don't let the stress and suffering get you down, for it will inspire
vision, and we all know that stress is one of the greatest of motivators. All of the hard times I have
had in my own career can be seen as catalysts for change and growth. Another thing that you
should keep in mind is if you want to be a professional artist with a wife and two point five kids,
study the art of promotion and sales. I made it a point to study the history of the business side of
art.
Though I have many years ahead of me in this profession, I feel that my experience allows
me to express my perspective on the state of painting and give some advice to the newer
generations. In my opinion it is time for the art world to reassess its neglect of technical skills.
Having lectured at many colleges, I have developed a strong contempt for their educational
approach for painters. In 1980, I was giving a lecture at the University in Pittsburgh, Kansas. I was
speaking on the subject of painting for a living when a professor stood up in the back and
before, but that time I did. My response was, "Hell yes, I'm a prostitute and a damn good one! The
only way to make it is to paint every day, ten to twelve hours a day. You can't do it if you can't
meet your responsibilities. If you want to be a painter, you have to sell the products of your labor."
This is why I believe that every student should study the art of the masters and learn how to paint
There have been a lucky few, who have been at the right place at the right time. They come
in contact with the right dealer who has the right need and resources to make it possible for them to
make a fine living with their art. Not everyone can afford an acclaimed artist, so there will always
be a large market for good pictures. Learn how to build them and look for subject matter that can
provide you with survival. As long as you are painting, you are progressing. Study the markets,
know the local dealers, and attempt to fill a perceived need. Who cares if you prostitute your art in
order to get where you want to be. No matter what you paint, every time you pick up a brush, you
I was always infuriated by the idea that my success relied on circumstances or the efforts of
a promoter, rather than my own abilities to excel. With the perception that the "Age of Innovation"
in painting was near an end, painters have had no paths open to them to meet the modern day
criteria of innovation for success and historical recognition. With this perspective in mind, I believe
it is time to change our approach to educating the artists of the future. It is time for the public
institutions to refocus on craftsmanship and the technical skills of painting. The university system
has preached innovation to the exclusion of knowledge and craftsmanship, leaving their students
with few of the important tools needed to really explore who they are. The future of innovation in
painting is going to be in the hands of those whose education is broad based and physically
experienced. If the public institutions refuse to teach both schools of traditional and modern
expression, only a few in lucky circumstances will have the tools to innovate. I believe it is going
to take a fantastic amount of knowledge and expertise to propel the evolution of painting, but it can
and will advance. Technology and environmental change always bring with it a different type of
thinking. The art of painting will not be advanced by students who have only been trained in
I have found my reason for being, through my experiments with Matricism. Part of its
conception can be traced to every phase of my growth as an artist. You have seen in my work the
fascination with high relief texture, which was the primary element of design when I was working
with exposed aggregate building blocks and panels. Working with stained glass designs and mosaic
wall and floor patterns has had a great influence on my present style. I also believe that one of the
most powerful influences on my art is the fact that I lived in the Southwest my entire life, away
from the art centers of the world and the powerful influences they can have on a developing artist.
The real lesson is one of mastering your craft. Study all forms of art, all forms of technical
development, and don't get boiled down in your successes. None of us knows for sure how we will
find our niche in the art world or what will facilitate our success. It might be through the
committed efforts of an important teacher or come from an experience long past. Remember that
you can only act if you have the tools and knowledge to do so.
In conclusion, the last piece of advice that I can give is a quote by the great philosopher and
historian, Joseph Campbell. When students asked him how they should move towards the future
and find out who they really are, he said, "Follow your bliss!"
Enjoy
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
All artists in history have owed their success to a handful of people who gave support and
direction at critical times in their lives. The following individuals have made it possible for me to be
First and foremost, I must share the credit for this endeavor with my father, the late
Migdonio Seidler. A great modernist and innovator in his own field, I am the product of his being.
To my beautiful wife, who has supported me through some of the most traumatic times,
stood by me, and trusted in my future. She has sacrificed much in order for me to obtain my goals.
To my mother, who has always been just a phone call away. She put up with me.
A special thanks to my friends: Mrs. Verda Mae Todd, whose lectures of personal
relationships tamed my artistic temperament and to Judge Ted Akin, who has been there with the
And last but not least, to my many friends and family members who have supported my
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sanden, John. Painting the Head in Oil. New York: Watson-Gupill and London: Pitman,
1972.
Cooke, Hereward Lester. Painting Techniques of the Masters. New York: Watson-Gulpill
Birren, Faber. History of Color in Painting. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1965.
Kemp, Martin. The Science of Color. New Haven and London: Yale University, 1990.
Ratcliff, Carter. John Singer Sargent. New York: Abbeville, 1982.
Faragasso, Jack. The Student's Guide to Painting. Westport: North Light, 1979.