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Tuesday, January 08, 2019

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.
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5 comments:

  1. Marsha Hamby Savage8:30 AM

    Hi Karen, good post and great to read about why you paint. I am glad my blog post inspired you to write about it. I definitely agree that painting with emotion and feeling is what we are after most of the time, and not a technically perfect painting. Love the painting!

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  2. Susan Warwas8:59 AM

    Nice to hear from you, Marsha! I have not forgotten what a great workshop you and Karen put on at your house by the river! You were such a gracious host and a bundle of energy! So cool the way you quickly painted in those kayakers that went by during your Plein air demo!

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  3. Sandi Graham Pastels2:51 PM

    I paint because it always makes me happy to create and explore . It’s an exercise in exploration from the planning phase to the finish .
    So rewarding . This is something I’ve done for years and years ...a part of my life . It’s very validating to sell a painting or get in a show but it is never as important as just painting.

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  4. Tuija Granqvist12:19 AM

    I paint because I am the only time you myself. It gives joy and I can make my own world of colors.

    ReplyDelete
  5. tammy8:43 AM

    Thank you for this.

    ReplyDelete

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