Recently, a friend introduced me to the idea of Artist Trading Cards and asked me if I’d like to swap some. ATCs (as they’re known), are original bits of artwork that measure precisely 2.5 by 3.5 inches and are widely traded amongst artists in the know (one of whom I now am, and you are […]
“Every decision or non-decision shifts the Universe in a whole new direction.” For the past six months, I’ve been experimenting with different ways of starting a painting. What I’ve discovered is that, like a complex ecosystem, the paintings that result are surprisingly sensitive to initial conditions. Because I paint intuitively, engaging in a ‘call and […]
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art. The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity. I often start my paintings with a lot of scribbling and energy, covering the panel with marks to respond to and eventually, cover up. While […]
Art is not what you see, but what you make others see… We shape our homes and then our homes shape us. Have you ever fallen in love with a piece of art and thought “if only it were a different size” or “the colours are a bit dark” or “it would be more personal […]
Art isn’t paint; it’s love. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received as an artist was to figure out what I truly loved, and paint that. Art isn’t about paint; it’s about love. The same advice also works for art collectors. And is especially important because, unlike the artist, who finishes and […]
Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever. Amy Poehler Art-making is typically a solitary endeavour. In order to create and refine our work, artists need blocks of time without interruption or distraction. An afternoon to ponder a work […]
Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem. Rollo May The enemy of art is the absence of limitations. Orson Welles When I first started painting, I thought that the […]