I wanted to spend some time answering some questions that I get asked a lot. Perhaps these will help you in some way as an artist or as an art-lover. Please always feel free to get in touch with any more questions.
Why do you paint?
I am often asked this question. Why do you paint? Well in truth I have often struggled to answer this. I know that I have to. I am a creature of habit and I paint every single day. I enjoy it. I find it relaxing and therapeutic but so is meditation.
What do I get from painting?
Well in order to answer this question I have to look at the artists that really take my breath away. We recently went to New York and I obviously visited the MET. I literally could have spent months there. I was delighted to see some paintings that I have loved for years.
One of the artist whose work always blows me away is William Bouguereau. I look at his work and I think it really is incredible. How he applies paint. The way he describes form. His compositions, the expression that he captures. I have loved Bouguereau’s paintings for so many years and saw some in the flesh at the Louvre as well. These paintings had a lasting impression on me. I would love to one day be able to have someone who looks at my painting feel the same way.
When I look at the paintings of Lucian Freud I am absolutely, totally and completely amazed. I think the way that Lucian Freud paints is mind blowing (I must admit that I am a huge fan of Lucian Freud). I just love how he applies paint, the thick impasto just makes me really very happy. One of my favourite things about Freud’s work is the uncompromising way in which he paints his sitters. He really represents his sitters in a truthful way.
So why did I mention these artists? Well, I want my paintings to elicit a response from the viewer. I want to create technically good work that makes the viewer excited to see it. So I don’t really know if I have answered the question but I have hopefully provided an insight into my thoughts about painting.
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