I watched I, Claude Monet the other night. It’s a simple documentary about Monet’s life narrated through his various letters to friends and family.
I expected an inspirational and joyful watch, but I was rather saddened by the end. I never realized how much hardship Monet faced. Financial burdens, family losses, health issues. Yet he never stopped painting. Even as his eyesight started to fail in his later years, he kept on painting for as long as he could. It was as if he needed to paint.
It’s amazing how powerful the simple act of painting can be. We artists are compelled to endure incredible hardships in the pursuit of those glimmers of pure joy, excitement, and passion. We are lucky to have such a driving force in our lives. Not many people get to experience that. Even in the worst of times, painting can provide us with brief moments of joy. All we need is a brush, paint, canvas, and a touch of inspiration.
Anyway, it’s worth a watch, if only to see Monet’s beautiful paintings. I watched it on Vimeo but you might be able to find it elsewhere for free.
I’ll also be publishing the full Monet spotlight in a week or so. I’ll keep you posted.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
drawpaintacademy.com