The most important thing I’ve learnt about painting.
Every now and then I like to consider what it means to paint and be creative. I often figure out in my head how I would explain the process, if someone asked, and the best I’ve come up with is this…
A painter is like a musician making a new piece of music for the first time with a conductor directing them along, gently nudging. If the balance is wrong either way it will throw the piece out…too much freedom it won’t have balance, composition, harmony but too much direction and it’ll be stiff, unappealing and uninspiring.
You need the perfect balance of freedom of expression with refinement and structure. If you think too much about this you’ll get stuck, if you don’t think enough you won’t create anything worthwhile. The process isn’t always easy, the balance isn’t always achievable so the artist is very familiar with the feeling of frustration but the key is to keep playing, keep creating because when you get the balance right that’s where you’ll find the magic!
Matisse is famous for saying ‘Don’t wait for inspiration, it comes while working’, the trick has always been to keep showing up for our art.
