Experiences shape our art

Years ago, at a small college in South Dakota, an art professor hosted a party for a group of faculty members.  The party had been going for some time when he took some of us to his studio to unveil his most recent painting. 

I stood before the modestly sized minimalist landscape mesmerized by the simple lines and subtle changes of color. He had somehow distilled the soul of the prairie in the late afternoon light of an approaching winter and spread it across the canvas.

What I remember most about that viewing, however, was an exchange between the artist and another guest.  This man stared at the canvas for a while, then asked, “How long did it take to paint that?” My friend did not seem offended.  He answered simply, “Forty-one years.”  He went on to explain that it had not taken long to apply paint to the canvas, but it had taken him years to master his technique and, more importantly, a lifetime to find his vision.  It was this combination of talent, effort, and life experience that led him to see beauty in the stark landscape of sky and prairie and capture it on canvas. My friend understood that each piece of art has its own life history.

What shapes a person’s artistic expressions—observation, intention, experience, experiment, practice, repetition? All this and more. Every creative expression, from inception to execution, arises out of our past. Much, maybe even most, of what inspires and influences our art remains lost in the past, hidden, never fully articulated, but an integral part of the story nonetheless.

In future blogs, I will reflect on the beauty and complexity I see in the world, and explore some my own artwork and that of others.

Peace . . .