Painting What You Love

What drives artists to their subject matter? I used to pass by a small creek each day on my morning walk. The creek opened up to the marsh. The creek area was dappled with shade but the marsh beyond was awash in sunlight. I did not even know what it was that compelled me to this particular spot. In retrospect it was light, color and shapes. After a time I found myself painting a painting of this place in my head each time I was walking. It became a kind of meditation. When I finally decided to paint this place the painting nearly painted itself. I do not think it was because I worked out every problem in my head but more because I fell in love with the light and colors of nature. I have been told to paint what you love and that is true for me. It is not about loving what is beautiful but falling in love with the ordinary and seeing it differently. The current painting Last Holiday Pear came about because we received this fabulous box of pears for Christmas. As beautiful as they were, they tasted even better and were going fast. When the last one was sitting alone on the counter starting to bruise, I had a decision to make. It was so fat and beautifully colored that I decided to paint it. It was not only the pear I was painting but what I loved about it. It was as much about making a connection as it was making a painting.