There are some paintings that come straight from my heart and then there are some that I paint so I can have a body of work for a show. Both types are enjoyable to paint, but the paintings which are a true extension of me, express a variety of emotions and experiences in my life. It is my intention that they evoke a similar feeling or a universal emotion in the viewer, at least I hope they do. If that happens, then a connection occurs between the viewer and the work of art. It moves them and they feel the emotion I am feeling as I paint. There are times when an artist has to explain to the viewer what is going on in his or her head when describing a painting. Usually there is a good story behind their pieces which can be fun to share.
Artist express their personal feelings and expose themselves, sometimes leaving us vulnerable as we show the world what is inside our hearts and inside our minds. We get to choose to be vulnerable and transparent or choose to keep our work a mystery. Painting is a growth process that is never completed as each piece is a building block, a learning opportunity for the next work.
There have been things in my life that I turned to the canvas for therapy. It is so exciting to work through an emotion that is so deep that it feels like it lives in the core of your being. I consider it such a privilege to be able to get those emotions out of me and onto a canvas where I can visualize the pain or the joy and feel it leave my body as I put the stokes of paint on the canvas! Such a wonderful release!
Are you sold, yet? Painting is AWESOME!
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