The moment before I start a piece, anticipation overtakes me. The endless possibilities available with a simple flick of the wrist- it’s exhilarating. In a sense, the blank canvas has a beauty of its very own. The allure of its potential, as the elegant openness calls out, begging to be transformed into a window that just might provide a glimpse into the artist’s soul. I am different than most artists in that I do not have a technique. I do not measure with my thumb, or lay down a base coat of paint, or mark the values that I see at the get-go. Instead, I create as I feel, laying the choice material down wherever it seems right. I do not consciously see the values and colors, and subjectively lay them down where they are meant to go. I feel where a bit of blue and a dab of green might transform the otherwise neutral portrait. It’s a three-way tango between my imagination, my reference picture, and my tool. This dance soothes me, the steps lulling me to an almost dreamlike state. I lose myself in the details, consumed by the shifting colors and definitive contrasts. It’s like meditation, and often I resurface hours later without any recollection of the passing time.
Critics complain that at this point in time everything has been done already. Nothing is original, nothing as shiny and new as it was a few hundred years ago. I disagree. There will never be unoriginal. There will never be overdone. The value of this form of expression is that for a single subject, infinite variations are possible. This is what is unique about art: The grandeur of infinite possibility. Where else but in the art world would an odd, simplistic portrayal of a basic subject, given a philosophical title, be honored and praised as genius? Where else but in the art world does one have the milky way at their fingertips? Where else can one soar amongst the clouds, or dive to murky depths; sit on the highest tree branch overlooking a jungle, or rest in a world entirely of their own creation? As far as I know, no other place exists.
Art should not be an arduous task, regulated by a system of steps in order to produce satisfactory results. Art is meant to break free of the bonds, challenge the rules, and spit in normality’s face. It can be as obvious as a still life or as unconventional as a single dot of color. That empty canvas has the potential to provide a glimpse into into the artist’s soul, bringing to light their deepest fears and most incredible dreams. The desire to create is deeply etched into the very foundation of human nature. Limitless and uncontainable, imagination knocks down the walls and floats freely, anywhere and everywhere. No consequences; simple freedom. Why would anyone want to restrict that?
