MISSION STATEMENT~painting to create a better world and making available all works to anyone who loves them irregardless of finances, politics, race, gender or beliefs~YOU love and want a work, talk to me~I will work to make it happen~Joel
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MY PROCESS (a brief explantaion as to how I make a painting)
For example, I paint flowers because they are beautiful and I love them, there is even a scientific theory that human beings evolved from the flower. I tend to believe this could very well be true. The flower stands out in nature and because of its natural beauty attracts affection and love. As an artist I want to attract my viewers, beauty I have found attracts the most viewers and I am most interested in reaching as large an audience as possible to best express myself. In my case I love flowers, as an artist my mission becomes something like this "I wish to paint a painting that will show you, the viewer how beautiful the flower really is, with the intention to get you to hopefully love the flower, love the painting and paint, and then be inspired to love more in your own life because of your experience with my art. To accomplish this goal I get very involved in the creation of the painting. There are 3 major players in every painting of mine, you have the idea or subject, you have the paint, and then you have the painting. These three players are all separate from each other but each one contributes to the other and this guarantees success. Here is an example of how this works. I will have a strong idea relating to a flower, a compostition and a general idea of what I would like to paint. I set out to paint it, maybe have my colors mixed and some brushes picked out. I begin to paint and try to not control the paint so much, I want the paint to not be controlled too much, for I know that if I do this the paint will not do anything on its own, I may for example not get that drip that simulates a flower petal, or a breeze or curve in a leaf. Over the years I have found that there is really no stronger mark in a painting than the mark the paint makes on its own, whether it is something like a drip or mixing with another color. So it is important that I let these actions take place. I find myself trying to set up different situations for the paint to behave in different ways. All the while that this is going on I am also working to represent qualities in the actual flower, part of the inspiration for the work, this means closely observing the flower and representing direct observations from the flower I am working from, so you see I am oscillating between a work from direct observations and at different times fascillitating the paint to do its own thing, so it is a back and forth process. The process remember is about celebrating ideas, the flower and paint. What ends up happening is I end up keeping different things from each method or player. I then have to find a way to bring them together. For example I may try and make better sense of a particular smudge or drip by adding or subtracting from it to make it look like something else, all the while keeping the initial energy in the smudge or drip. After working these two ideas what then takes over is the painting itself, it ultimately has to stand alone and be strong, it will have its own needs and if the work is to be successful the work will have to be further edited and it may mean whole areas that were working independently must now be sacrificed for the better good so that the final picture is successful. What the viewer should have in the end is a very moving picture, that is beautiful for it has gone through this very difficult process, not unlike the negotiaitions involved in living a good life. The viewer will have a greater understanding of paint and see the wonder and love that was afforded the medium to create this beautiful work, and finally if the work is successful it is my belief that the viewer should be inspired to simulate such love in their own life.
It's a tall order but our world is in crisis today and as an artist I feel that each painting of mine must adhere to the following criteria to be worthy. I am by no means saying that there are not other ways to make meaningful art here, this is just my way. My work must advocate for change to save our world from discontent, pain and suffering. It is not only humanity that is being hurt but all plants and animals.
Most importantly each painting must be inspired by love. I believe this is the best way to inspire love, and love it is my belief is our greatest attribute as humans and will ultimately save us from ourselves.
I have been compiling a list as to how I set out to achieve this in my work
1~ Love the subject of your work
2~ Keep the work open for yourself, by this I mean the subject of the work. Life is always changing, you are always learning and seeing things differently. Don't keep old ideas going that no longer inspire you. Love is a genuine feeling, you must feel genuine when you work.
3~ Respect and Love yourself, take care of yourself. The world is not about making art. Art exists to help create a better world, the world is now and here, it is clearly not always about art and art making. The world has many pressing important issues, personal and public needs that often times are very important and need attention
4~ Respect your materials. Environmentally the world is on the verge of disaster. Resources are not sustainable and they are being depleted and polluting and harming our fragile ecosystem. How many more huge paintings does the world need? Huge paintings can be wonderful but is the painting doing enough good for today's world to justify its use of materials.
5~ Work to change and question the establishment, those with the most power and money. They may not be the cause of the world's problems but they certainly inhibit change, and change in the end is our only hope.
6~ Recognize that the high international art world is the establishment, and don't allow yourself to do it their way
7~Make the work for a populous audience and yourself, not just the elite. Try and reach the most amount of people possible with the work you make. You have a responsibility as a person and this is a democratic way to make art and I feel the most effective to inspire change.