Once Upon A Time There Were Two Paintings
Once upon a time there were two paintings. They looked very different from one another but they shared the same purpose.
They were created around the same time, within a couple of months. One had a model the artist worked from and the other did not. By the end of their creation, the artist was surprised at what they the paintings, told her – that you can be strong and confident by looking exactly how you naturally do, and that purpose is the most important thing an artist should value.
I’ve long held myself back many times over because I think my paintings have to “look a certain way” and I have to “keep a style” so that my clientele won’t “get confused.” Where did that come from? Maybe art school. It won’t matter anymore because I’m f**ing off these cliché ideas and valuing my purpose more, one I’ve had with me all these years, except that I hadn’t unloaded all the baggage to shine brighter yet until recently. Things like this can cloud anyone’s mind and I feel too zombie by allowing myself to “fit in.” I will always rebel linearity and the fake and I am grateful for these lessons.
Each painting roots from a message, an idea, a passionate feeling of how that figure wants to be unraveled and revealed. Then I execute the “look.” Whether or not I have a model or conjure the image from my imagination, their (the art’s) purpose and messages are the same – to be fearless in who they are. An artist without a purpose is a zombie.
A friend and student of mine once told me “the characters in your art are not afraid to exist.” Thanks Juniette! I also can’t help but mantra what my other friend, Sandra, tells me “Do you, booboo. Do you!”
Hope you enjoyed these little thoughts and these paintings! I’m excited for what’s next!
