When it’s all going swimmingly, that’s how it feels. I’m hearing the music. I’m painting it directly onto whatever surface I’m hovering over. There’s no thinking involved – I don’t think I’m thinking. I am not conscious of ” I am ” – or anything.
Of course, I can’t just flick a switch and achieve this – what would you say – state of mind. Usually it doesn’t happen. I doubt myself. I wonder how long I have before I’m interrupted. I worry about wasting paint. I dither. I dally.
And so on…
But when the wind is in my sails – and the swan is on the lake. All is well.
Because I’ve spent most of my painting life in a domestic setting. Small rooms. Smallish pictures which I nearly always paint with the canvas flat on the floor. Don’t even know whether they are the right way up. I gave up long ago planning what kind of outcome I wanted. I walk around them. I usually have a couple on the go and move between them.
I try to let the thoughts come and go.
I’ve come to the realisation that a picture has its own idea of what it wants to look like. I no longer impose : it’s gonna be a still life – a portrait – an abstract – a landscape, or whatever. I can’t seem to make any headway – that way. So, it’s about the voyage of discovery itself as much as anything. Sometimes when I’m packing away something starts to happen. I catch myself nearly being caught out….it’s even more mysterious after all these years
So, in those rare moments when the paint is flowing well – I try to cultivate some joy and leave a little imprint in paint.