Will you recognize Art if it calls?

Can’t you just smoosh paint around on a surface and arrive at art? That seems to be a good question. For a beginner, who hasn’t really mastered any understanding of the dynamic field, the answer is both yes and no. Will you recognize a great passage if one appears on your canvas or paper? Maybe. And what will you do with the rest? Yes, you might stumble upon some great passage, but maybe the rest of it is shit. Even in the most abstract work by William de Kooning , or Diebenkorn, we see structure, hierarchy, substance, order, risk.

We need both accident and intention. You’re better off trying to paint something like a still-life, or a landscape, where you can learn all the rules of the surface. This process teaches you how the surface works, how to create space, how seeing works.

What is meaningful for you will emerge over time. It takes time to make great art.

Below, watercolor and paper collage.

Finding your way back to Art

Have you been busy with other things? Children, spouse, career, houses, gardens, etc?

Art is so unique, and not easily replaced with anything else. You have that desire to be creative, in any form it takes. It also enables you to escape a little bit, into your mind, your imagination, your loves. I think it’s necessary to put yourself first. There are ideas swimming around in there, if you can just access them. And silence the critics. You can’t be both the critic and the artist. The joy of painting is its own reward. It will take time to find what really engages you, and you will need to try to paint/sculpt/draw frequently. Then you can start to see the path forward. Starting is hard, but not not starting is worse.