Why Do You Paint?

'Summer in Provence'              8x10                 pastel              ©Karen Margulis
available $155

I paint because I must. I paint because I feel compelled to express myself with colors and shapes. I paint because I enjoy creating something from nothing. It is satisfying.  It's so easy to loose sight of why we paint. We often get caught up in self doubt and worry that we aren't good enough to be painters. We fret over our work, picking it apart, wondering if we will ever paint as good as we'd like.

Here is some food for thought. I came across this quote from James McNeill Whistler. It is a great piece of advice.

"We look at a painting to know the painter. It's his company we are after, not his skill"

                                                                                                                    James McNeill Whistler

Think about why you paint. Is it to create a technically perfect picture? Or is it to express yourself, to create a picture that shares a part of you and how you feel about the subject? Sure it is nice to have command of technique....to understand and use color, value,drawing, composition and do it well. But all the technical skill will come with time and practice.

With time and practice we all improve and grow. We can learn the basics and with hard work we will get better. What can't be taught is how to feel. How to paint with emotion. That has to come from within. As you paint, keep this in mind. Paint with feeling and enjoy the process. The skill will come and your paintings will truly be your own.

Thank you Marsha Savage for the food for thought today.