Falling In Love With Painting Again
Growing Dissatisfaction
In recent memory, what was once a passion of mine has turned into an obligation. I've been painting because I have to, whether it be for a commission, or for practice. While those are good and noble things to create art for, I've increasingly felt like it's been a chore, and slowly getting burnt out.
While I am truly grateful for all the art commissions I have been able to do recently, they do take their toll if not inter-spliced with projects I feel passionately about. Even the projects I choose to do for practice have rarely felt inspired or purposeful. I feel as though they are all stepping stones, but never cornerstones, at least not for quite some time.
“There is no must in art because art is free”
Advice From A Friend
As with many issues, I couldn’t quite put what I was feeling into words, at least I couldn’t until I spoke to a friend. We got to talking about art and she suggested I try to experiment, creating more abstract pieces (which I hadn't attempted in quite some time) and stop putting so many rules onto myself. She, rightly, believed that I had been limiting and becoming too rigid with my approaches and that was leading to more stale and uninspired pieces.
While she didn’t exactly use those exact words, her art advice was invaluable. I knew after that talk that I was able to finally see the problem. I was creating art because I felt I should rather than create it out of a passion. Her suggestions of creating more abstract paintings were surprising, to say the least, but after doing a few of those pieces, I wholeheartedly agree with her.
Abstract Art Experiments
In creating art out of obligation rather than love, I have been avoiding projects I need to do, and letting things slip away. But the past few pieces I've painted have been surprisingly freeing, especially this one. Putting paint on a canvas with no set goal in mind. No purpose but the one you make. No right. No wrong. The exact opposite of the way I had been painting.
Yet these freeing exercises are just the beginning. The world of abstract art is something that I have barely dipped my tow into. Everything is so foreign and novel to me. I have so much yet to learn, and yet I know that is the perfect crucible for the best artistic creations. To just paint what I feel rather than try to run away from those very thoughts. To express it on canvas rather than treating my art like a test. I couldn’t be more excited.
Retrospective About My Art Business
One of the most shocking things about starting an art business has been that my previous abstract pieces have been my first and best-selling artworks that I've done. I would have thought that it would be what I consider myself to be best at, landscapes and portraits, but it was the abstract pieces. Despite being frustrated, I was more intrigued as to why this was.
Abstraction has been something I do sparingly when I have an idea already and have to put it down on canvas, but rarely seek out otherwise. But, perchance, something about them resonated with people as they resonated with me. But I'll never know. All I know is that I need to make more. Not to sell them (although that's always nice) but to try and free myself of all those limits I place on myself, both in my personal and artistic life. To try and connect with myself at a deeper level instead of making everything superficial. Perhaps if it connects with me, it will connect with others too.
“abstract art is not the creation of another reality but the true vision of reality.”
Final Thoughts
In such an exploratory process, I'm bound to make some bad pieces, but I think it will be worth it in the end. I fell in love as I painted this last piece and entered a sort of flow state. Time just slipped away until it was done and I couldn't be more happy with the outcome and I hope you are too. It felt freeing and almost as though I could breathe again. Maybe that’s just the power of art.
If you want to support me and my artistic journey you can help by purchasing a print, painting, or commissioning me to create something of your imagination. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. God Bless.