Never Too Late
The prevailing wisdom, you know, is to figure out what you want to talk about when you start blogging. I come to painting later in life, after a whole lot of other stuff, some beautiful, some terrible, and a lot that was rather ordinary. I spent my career witnessing the transition from illness to health and back, from life to death. And I accompanied many people to the edge of where we can go together. In all that, I learned most clearly that life is precious, and we owe it to ourselves to live our best while we are here, as there is no knowing how long it will last.
Learning art was a healing journey for me, after a life changing personal trauma that left me upside down with no sense of direction. I found peace in perspective exercises, focus in color mixing, hope in watching my skills improve. I studied anywhere and everywhere. And I learned. I put in a lot of hours and I learned.
What I often hear now from people who see my work is something like, “Oh, I wish I had talent. I love art but I can’t draw at all.” What I share with them is my belief that learning to draw or paint is a skill, and like any other skill it can be learned through effort, repetition, and exposure to the kind of instruction that will help you grow. I have had many wonderful teachers in the last seven years and am still learning. I’m better than I was, and will be better still five years from now.
What I want to do with this blog is provide you with hope. And food for thought. If you’re a creative person, or want to be, it’s never too late. You can learn to make art in the same way you learned to read. I will share my influences so you can find yours. In finding our influences I believe that we find our style, the ephemeral concept that’s the reason we know one artist from another. I will share my love of contemporary realism, and may even venture into the juxtaposition of spirituality and creativity. I wear a clergy collar in one of my other roles and know that everyone of us is spirit, as well as mind and body. I hope my artwork brings you pleasure, and that you visit this space periodically. I hope to post a new article every week or so and will always remind you that it’s never too late to grow. As Emilie du Chatelet once said, “Love of learning is the most necessary passion.”