As we express ourselves, we explore who we are in the world. And just as the spoken or written word is a translation of our thoughts and feelings, art is a visual expression of what we see and experience.
Forest - first colour layer
Art is a way of discovering who we are.
Last night I had a discussion with another artist friend about painting.
"I know what I do when I paint!" he said excitedly, "I feel my painting. That's what painting is all about!"
I thought about this. We all experience life differently through our senses - and so we express it differently. I thought about my own creative process. Why do I paint what I paint?
I am constantly organizing in my mind's eye; lining up shapes and balancing colours. I see the beauty and harmony in nature and I want to express this onto the canvas. So for me, it is a very visual experience. This is how I perceive, experience and connect with the world around me.
How and what I paint is an expression of what I see and experience. It tells me something of who I am.
How do you connect with your world?
And how do you express what you see, feel, and experience?