Be Passionate

In my last post I mentioned that you should create beauty even if no one cares. This is the attitude that any artist worth his salt must have. 

Art is all about passion. Passion in regards to art is a decision that's made by the artist to fully engage with the imagination. Imagination is the energy that creates and sustains our personal and collective realities. 

Everyday we are immersed in the creative imagination of our fellow human beings in a mostly unconscious way. Passion allows us to also become a creator in this world, not just a spectator.

Evening Shadows by M Francis McCarthy

Passion is required to sustain any artist through the effort of attaining mastery. I heard a quote once that went "a plague on easy masterpieces" unfortunately I cannot locate the source but it's meaning has resonated with me my whole life. That which comes easy in not usually worth attaining.

To paint well for example requires years of study and practice. There is no easy way to do it other than just rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. I've heard another artist say that it was the equivalent of learning to play concert violin and I agree.

Without passion there is no way you could spend the time required to get good at anything. If you're following this blog and want to paint well, my advise is to get passionate, right now! Get those paints out and paint as much as you can whenever you can. results will come rapidly.

Today's picture Evenings Shadows was painted last year and can be viewed at the Yvonne Rust Gallery in the Quarry arts center, Whangarei.