Rhythm in Art

I'd like to talk about rhythm. We all know what rhythm means when we talk about music--a repeated pattern of sound. We can also understand it in the context of dance. But what does rhythm have to do with visual arts? It's the exact same thing--a regular repeated pattern. Maybe a shape is repeated, a color, a dark vs. light thing...anything that comes back again and again will set up a rhythm in a painting.

Some paintings have a very obvious pattern/rhythm like "Stand Tall", shown below. Others might have a small element of the painting that has a repeated pattern like "Fenced In", also shown below. Still others may not have an obvious pattern, but the textures within the piece setup a less obvious, but still palpable rhythm.

It is not a normal thing to think about rhythm. It is just not a cerebral activity. It's an emotional, guttural, instinctive thing that grabs hold of you and moves you and you don't even know why. Rhythm was one of our first experiences, listening to our mother's heartbeat while still in the womb.

In order to really succeed at creating rhythm in art, it is my belief that the artist must go back there to that place of total emotional freedom. The artist must let go of all things cerebral and let their gut lead the way. Set aside the rules and the rulers for a bit and allow the paint to dance its way onto the canvas.

Featured Artwork:

"Stand Tall". 20"x24". Plein air: Manning Road, Afton, MN

​In "Stand Tall", the whole painting is pretty much centered around rhythm. The corn stalks repeat, the dark shadows repeat, the colors repeat, even the leaves and tassels follow a similar pattern. Yet, there is plenty of variation within the repetition so that it doesn't feel forced, or contrived.

"Fenced In". 11"x14". Plein air: Hwy 29, River Falls, WI.

"Fenced In" has a lot more concepts going on within it than simply rhythm, yet you can definitely feel a rhythm. You can feel it at the top of the painting with the peak of the roof being a similar shape as the cupola and the silo. You can feel it in the background on the right side with the fence posts.