“Where do you find your creativity and what inspires you to paint?”
Thinking about it, I realized I have a romantic connection to nature, which started early in my life. My favourite activity was wandering through the forest, and crawling through the tangled undergrowth of bushes that were competing for light and space. It was exhilarating running through the meadow of grass and wildflowers after the rain, inhaling the fresh clean air. Pearl-like water droplets on the flowers glistened in the sun peeking through the grey, puffy drifting clouds.
That sensation makes one grateful to be alive and to thank the Creator for the experience. Exploring the wilderness has been a favourite activity for me. I feel I’m connected to the spirit of the universe. I love to paint flowers, landscapes and abstracts while listening to music that transports the energy to my paint and brush. It is my instinct to create and display a picture on canvas as I perceive it to be.
I always painted early on in my life but never thought one could make a living with it. Life got in the way and I stopped painting. In the past as the owner of a visual communication company, my talent as a graphic artist was applied to work with computers designing and developing themes. This was a very exciting, prosperous and inspiring time of my life. I sold my company and retired early and now have the privilege to paint again. I used to say I’m a self-taught artist, but examining the idea I think now, that it’s more accurate to say that my development as an artist was strongly influenced by many people, events and experiences. In early retirement, I had the privilege to travel the world and see many exotic places, visiting international art galleries and museums.
Inspiration comes when we tap into our experiences and use our imagination. Creativity is what helps us solve problems and progress. To look at an empty canvas and have the tremendous desire to cover it, and letting the essence flow into whatever it was destined to be, is happiness. Between all the twigging and the frustrations, it creates my nirvana. Every artist has a different perspective. The motivation, the approach to painting for individual artists will be different.
I encourage everyone to visit Beaux Arts Brampton’s Sightful Secrets virtual show. As always, you will experience a large eclectic and diverse group of artists displaying their work, including mine.
