Many of the artists I write about have challenging lives. I’m always amazed at the incredible hardships some of them endure in the creation of their beautiful work. Claude Monet was the most recent example I wrote about, and he was not even one of the extreme cases. Vincent van Gogh also comes to mind, but there are countless others.
In fact, I struggle to think of many artists who did both great things in art and prospered during their lifetime. You certainly don’t go into art for a safe and comfortable life if history is anything to go by.
So why do we do this?
I like to think it’s because of those rare glimmers of pure joy, passion, and excitement that painting can bring. You’ll know what I’m talking about if you have been painting for some time (if not, keep going, it will come).
From all my life experiences so far, few things come close to the feeling of my brush hitting the canvas and seeing a painting come together in front of me. Painting is simple, but it can be so powerful.
Next time you find yourself wondering why we do this (and I’m sure we all wonder this from time to time) remember that your next rare glimmer of joy might be just around the corner.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
drawpaintacademy.com