Too Much!

Over-abundant Rarity

I am in my studio working on a new painting, a portrait of my son who is now a young man. I realize that my studio is cramed with paintings. In this large room there is a storage area stacked to the brim with large 30″ x 40″ and larger canvases. There are half a dozen large landscape abstracts in shipping bags stacked by the wall. There are 30 or more 16″x 20″ figure paintings and equally as many plein aire landscape paintings balanced above the storage cupboards. I have drawers full of pastel and charcoal figure drawings, sorted and labelled. I have computer files full of images of paintings and drawing that have sold and photos of paintings that were painted over when the canvas was reused. Almost every wall in our house has a painting or drawing framed and displayed.

There was a time when a painting was treasured because of its rarity. So few of the works I started were worrthy of keeping. Most of my so-called artworks were destined for the waste basket or recycling bin. It seemed so fortuitous that I could produce something worthy of display.

Over the years slowly but surely, my technique improved and my success rate increased. I learned to evaluate the work in progress and to find ways to repair and change the ugly parts. I could recover and transform bad works into better ones. I don’t throw so many works away anymore, but my inventory is starting to overwhelm me.

Despite the wonderfull array of past works, I am compelled to get in the studio and create more. It’s addictive and compulsive. The most important art for me is the one I am working on now. The full experience of painting is so fulfilling it cannot be thwarted. There is joy, frustration, comtemplation, “ah ha”,perserverance, discouragement. Ultimately there is a often a deep satisfaction that comes from all the struggling, puzzling and energy required to fill a canvas.

Even after the completion there is the desire to improve. I want to create that elusive image that is closer to perfection than currently possible. I want to paint another one. That is the addiction.

Here is my portrait of a young man, the newest work on my easel.