Thursday, December 10, 2015

Eyes of the Beholder

With a painting for Norway Center in mind, I find myself trying to figure out what would be best to paint. A scene evocative of the landscape in that patch of Maine? Something concrete? Something abstract? Bright? Soothing? Childlike? Sophisticated?

Oh. Wait.

The eyes of the beholder(s) will not be mine—how can I possibly know what I "should" paint?

As the phrase that has stuck with me from high school Latin points out, de gustibus non est disputandam, i.e. there's no accounting for taste.

I can't guess what others will like.

My part is no more and no less than to shine this little light of mine out into the world. Doesn't matter what I paint. A landscape, scribbles, a still life—doesn't matter.

Just paint.

Have fun, for Pete's sake!

With gentle rain tapping on my skylight, I pull out yesterday's work in progress, along with wax and oil pastels. And I play. I move past yesterday's edge, venture into the unknown, have great fun putting oil pastels on top of the crumpled tissue paper.

Hanging Out Together
7x5", acrylic, ink, wax and oil pastels on poster paper with glued tissue paper
landscape
2015
---
SOLD

tail end of process
where I stopped yesterday
completed painting

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Loved what you wrote about getting out of other people's heads because you're right, there is no accounting for taste. You need to present this gift to Norway Center from your own heart and soul. Amen, sister!

Sheila said...

I loved yesterdays version. LOVE! And I love this version too. Both brought a smile to my face, Joy filled :)

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Marjorie, thanks for your persistence in finding your way through some user-unfriendly technical snafus in order to be able to comment. Thanks also for your affirmation—from my heart and soul these paintings will come!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Thanks, Sheila! This painting has a very joyful feel to me to, and it's fun to hear that both versions spoke strongly and joyfully to you, too.

Unknown said...

The two versions to me look like the same scene at different times of day. The final one has that light you often get just before or after a storm.

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Love your observations—both that the two versions look like the same scene at different times of day and that the final version has the kind of light you associate with storm activity. Fun! Thanks for sharing your comments.

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