|
Very touching and honest, Lon. I admire your ability to paint in the conditions that you do. I'm just the opposite though, needing lots of uninterrupted solitude to paint. In general, I don't like people watching me - it makes me self-conscious and awkward.
In essence, I love to paint portraits because I love people. When I can grasp a person's unique beauty, interpret it with paint and see it emerge on the paper or canvas, I am thrilled. Every time.
For me, an unusual intimacy with the person occurs while I'm painting or drawing, even from photos. It's like I have to understand this person in order to paint her or him. And I do. I feel a deep connection to human nature that I take as a gift.
I also just like the process of painting and drawing...being able to take my time with all the nuances of color and form and expression that make up the person I see. It's meditative and relaxing for me.
I like the fact that there is always more I can learn. I like the open-endedness of that.
It seems that I've said a lot, but perhaps left even more unsaid. It's a complex question, why we paint. I look forward to reading others' responses.
Good topic, Lon.
-Margaret
|