Over Thanksgiving we visited Jeanette's cousin Paul, who owns a boatyard in Long Island.
I did a painted sketch of his shop and forklift, which he put back together after they were flooded with 11 feet of salt water. Paul Paolucci tells the story. (Link to Video).
3 comments:
"I find it very odd when they describe art as challenging, because I always thought art was meant to calm you like a lullaby, not challenge you like some skinhead in an underpass."
--Alexander Stoddart
Neither the lullaby nor the underpass-challenge metaphor describes my state of mind when I'm painting. I'd describe it more as a feeling of dissociation, as if the engine parts of my brain are unbolted from each other and laid out on the floor. There's a point when nothing seems to come together. If the painting starts to come to life (which is not always!), it's the result of a combination of good luck and dogged effort. The end result may be a feeling of neural exhaustion, sort of a calm feeling I guess, depending on whether the natural endorphins kick in.
I agree, neither description entirely resonates with me, but both are thought-provoking. I suppose every artist has a unique state of mind while creating. I appreciate hearing about your experience, and welcome other people to offer their descriptions.
My wife once asked me if I had fun while painting. I had to chuckle and admit, "Not really." I create to discover, learn, see, understand, etc. which are all rather exhausting acts. I'm less creating artwork and more crafting my future self.
But creating isn't always a process of accumulation. Jasper Johns once said, "I often find that having an idea in my head prevents me from doing something else. Working is therefore a way of getting rid of an idea." Something in there rings true to me as well.
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