Friday, January 18, 2013

Deepening the Mystery


Sweet Evening
12x16
Oil on Canvas

What makes me want to paint?  There are days when I stand in front of the easel, lost in thought, as I scoop the paint up on my brush and onto the canvas.  I can do this for hours, not realizing just how much time is going by.  For me, it's a process of entering into the painting itself and seeing where it will go.  Most of the time, I'm surprised at the result.  The painting is rarely what I initially had in mind.

I imagine it is the same for other people, whatever the creative endeavor.  Writing, playing a musical instrument, working in textiles, cooking, building furniture, etc.   We all get lost in the creative process. If I go over a week without painting, I just don't feel "right".  It's what I do.  And I hope to still be painting when I'm 90 years old.

May you all be blessed with enjoying the creative process during 2013!

The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.
- Francis Bacon