the creative process

For some time now I've been feeling like I'm on the verge of a new direction in my painting. I've even gone so far as to purchase some very large canvases (48" x 48"). I haven't even been consciously researching, just actively following my curiosity. While doing some book-learnin' on the marketing aspect of the art biz I took a good hard look at the huge success of local painter Bobbie Burgers. What I took away from looking at her art was confirmation that some of my decisions are on the right track: square format, unframed and painted around the side, saturated colour palette -- and painting large I can definitely do. But what I haven't got is the wide appeal of her subject matter (flowers) and the Van Gogh-inspired style (that Dutch heritage!) that is so well-loved.

So far so good. I have kicked around the idea of doing something similar to her using different subject matter: you know, the trees, fruits and veggies I enjoy doing that are also pretty popular subject matter. But I wasn't making much headway as I dabbled with these ideas. I was making that fatal mistake of allowing the market to make decisions for me, rather than looking to myself and what I wanted to do for the kind of inspiration that I really seem to need to create anything that satisfies me.

Then I got a response from Kaya on my small art blog telling me that some of my work reminds her of Hundertwasser. Hallelujah! This is an artist who I knew only slightly and remembered best as being similar to Klimt. A little on-line research and before I knew it I was ordering a book on the artist and gobbling up everything I could find on him and his work. And like all interesting relationships there's a love-hate aspect to it (hmmm ... the first man I ever loved -- and hated -- was Austrian, too...). In any case, there were the spirals that I'd started exploring lately, the delicious colours that I love (so much red!) and the primitive and childlike motifs that I can't get enough of.

I decided then and there that what I need to do is simply continue on with the vocabulary I've been developing for several years (why abandon so much hard work?), but find a fresh context. And why not use Hundertwasser as a kind of teacher at this early stage? I could do worse.

My first stab at this happened today and took so much longer than most of my small art pieces as I work out what I'm trying to say. My new ideas are all over the map but I'm tempted to just jump right in with both feet and use one of those large canvases now.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
~ Goethe