The older I get the more time my conscous thought process takes to make a decision. Once a decision is made then work can proceed (usually quickly) but sometimes the process to decide what to paint can take years. There are many reasons for this - work, family, basically real life getting in the way of art, but I’ve discovered that you can’t rush these decisions because they have a life of their own which must develop at their own pace. There are many images I’d like to commit to canvas but it’s always a struggle to determine which one and at what time to start on a piece.
This particular image is from 3 or 4 years ago from a series of photographs taken of a band that no longer exists. I had always wanted to doing something with the image but real life and other projects kept getting in the way. For a multitude of reasons, now seemed like the right time to pull this image out and finally start a painting of it. Also in the works is another image of another person from 2006. Why are these old photographs hitting me now? I have no idea. I can only blame my thought process which takes forever to decide what I should focus my time on. When the decision is finally made on what to paint, how it’s painted is a completely different process.
Painting is just a series of decisions that can be made quickly or slowly. When painting I’ve found making those decisions quickly usually gives the best results. I don’t plan out paintings or sketch scenes or do preliminary drawings. I do all of that stuff while I’m actually painting and it all ends up as part of the finished piece. I do paint quickly and try to make a conscious effort to work unconsciously. The decisions I make while painting are my own but in most cases I’m not aware of them. Only when I’m unaware do I make the right decisions. I paint quickly cause life is short and there are always more paintings waiting to be painted.
now playing – exile on main street
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