There has to be something
in a scene that sparks your
interest. Here, I liked the
strange warm light on the
otherwise uninspiring
street in Gloucester
Atypical (watercolor on
paper, 12x16).There are many art schools, workshop facilities and academies that teach essen-
tial skills, which become our tools of the trade. Without them, we wouldn’t get
very far. The same way a carpenter learns to work with wood and acquires all the
tools he needs, artists also need to learn the proper skills and have the right tools.
But let’s say we’ve done all that. We put in the time and effort to refine our
skills and became a technically skilled painter. Eventually we’d come to realize
that there has to be a personal aspect to our art in order to express originality.
Even if we pulled off painting like someone else (which is pretty much impos-
sible anyway), we’d have to ask ourselves, “What’s the point? I’m not that artist!
Where am I in all of this?” We’d comprehend, sooner or later, that unless we found
something that goes deeper, we’d be just another person pushing paint around.
Leave Your Ego at the Studio Door
Everyone is unique; each of us has a unique creativity. Sometimes the problem
is that we don’t know how to access it. Our creative potential shows itself
through inspiration. We need to feel inspired, and having enthusiasm for the
practice fuels it. We all know that feeling when we can’t wait to paint or
continue with our work in progress. That kind of enthusiasm comes from
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