Is Art a Struggle? No... it's exciting!

Every painting experience is full of emotion. The anticipation, the vision, the joy, the disappointment, the frustration ….. the struggle. Hopefully it turns itself around at some point and you end up with something you are pleased with.

” Working spontaneously can be tiring because you are struggling with your instinctive urge to control everything.”

My greatest inspiring Art teacher, Rosina taught me to throw away the rule book, play and have no judgement, but instead to follow my instinct and intuition. The result was totally freeing. There are no mistakes. It taught me to keep going with a painting. Though there is almost always a crisis point, a point where you want to stop or throw it away, it always results in something much much better.

“If art is hard, it’s because you’re struggling to go beyond what you know you can do”

Never give up on a painting. Ok…. walk away from it, leave it for a few days and come back to it with fresh eyes. All is never lost. Art is not a struggle – see it as a point where you are entering the unknown and be excited!!

p.s. the above has been written after one such dilema today. The solution was take my canvas, run it under the shower, merge the paint, rub some away and end up with a totally new spontaneous effect that was perfect and has led to fresh ideas and a new direction.