Essence of Blue
12x12 Oil - SOLD (prints available)
Steven Pressfield, in his book The Artist's Journey, wrote "The artist is not expressing himself. He is discovering himself." Some may not agree, but in my case, it is 100% spot on. With every painting, successful or not, I learn something about who I am as an artist and as a human being.
It has been interesting to see what I'm naturally drawn to -- skies, clouds, oceans, boats, country roads, farmlands, wide open spaces, everyday American life and nocturnes.
Huh.
I'd never thought of such unconscious tendencies before I started painting. But why should discovery in creating art be any different than discovery in writing novels? It’s the same thing. Exactly. After twenty books for young readers I know a boatload about what themes appear over and over in them, themes I’d given little conscious thought to before I started writing.
In painting, I’ve also discovered that I am wondrously drawn to the color blue. Come to think of it, whenever I was asked by kids at book events what my favorite color was, I always said blue. It just came out. I didn't even wonder why I said it. Crazy. So I looked it up and discovered that the color blue is associated with harmony and peace, which for me makes perfect sense, because my entire life has been and is about harmony and peace. I didn't make it that way. It just is.
Despite the fact that I am quite imperfect, I've never been argumentative or surly. I'm a peacemaker. I love life and I care. And my favorite color is blue. It just is. Like I said, crazy … crazy amazing being human.
