I don’t paint the way I used to…
Since I have been going through moving both my studio and my apartment I have had the chance to see older artwork in storage or in a back corner of my rooms and figure out what to do with them all. Hang? Not hang? Rip off the frame?
And in looking at these older works the one thing I noticed is that I don’t think I could paint the way I used to when I was 30. Tight transitions. Very detailed. Smooth strokes. Tiny, tiny, color shifts. Almost like I was afraid of messing up. And at many points I was.
My paintings now have looser marks, heavier applications of paint and a more considered image. Is that growth? Or is my eyesight just not as good anymore….
Or have my priorities changed and I just didn’t see it?
And yet, I don’t believe the 30-year old me could paint like I do now either. Sliding into 60 I find painting has not become easier. If anything, it is harder than ever because I am that much harder on myself. More knowledge = higher standards so the more I have learned the harder it has become to top what came before. SO many elements to include, so many pitfalls to fall into. So the younger me could never paint they way I do now either.
And yet the love of the game has not changed. I started painting again this past Monday in my new studio. I started again with my first love. Pastel. The dust of the sticks. The scratch on the grit. The curve of a nose. The love is still there no matter what age I am.
I started with this portrait and I hope you can come and see it in person because a photo never does artwork justice.
So if you are in Greenville, SC this weekend, please come and visit me. Beacon Studios’ first inaugural “First Friday” in West Greenville is tomorrow at 31 Burdette Street. 5-8pm. The town is having its “Block Party” so there will be music and food trucks and vendors in tiny little houses near the main street of Pendleton just around the corner from my studio. Look for a white church that now houses studios where artists work on what they love. We will be open to the public and I would absolutely LOVE for you to visit me.
So I can share my love of the game.
While I am nowhere near your world of beautiful work, your words so resonate with me.
I was digging through paintings to put up on a wall for a couple of months in a local restaurant
I was amazed at how rigid some of that older work was. Tight strokes – both in pastels and acrylics. At 83 I’ve learned so much since retiring and auditing art classes, spelunking on You Tube and taking courses, finding that old dogs can learn new tricks!
Thanks for your words!
Christine, if we painted the same at age 60 (ahem, or 70!) as we did at age 30, there would be no growth, no delight in painting! Change is good – it means we’re still curious and not afraid of exploring and seeing things differently. It’s a good thing!
Absolutely!
Your latest portrait has impressive luminosity while still capturing the personality of your model; very impressive.
Thanks Kirk! Always watching out for Larry the Light Beam…