Visions and Dreams

 

"Next Stop Oblivion" my father's symbolic final ride

Nine times out of ten, the subjects of my paintings are drawn from direct references, typically historical ones.  What I've discovered at many art shows over the years is that people seem to connect with paintings that reflect actual places at actual points in time.   Thus, "That's Yonge Steet circa 1925" is a more satisfying response for most enquirers than "Oh that's just a made up place".

"Carnival Night" 1984

But from time to time a certain vision for a piece just pops into my head, and I find myself compelled to devote some valuable painting time to it.  It's an itch that needs to be scratched...even if the resulting work runs the risk of being relevant to nobody but me. 

"The Haida's Lament" one of my earliest paintings

I think it's important for art to connect on a human level with someone else.  Even if the meaning of the work isn't self-evident, ideally it still reaches the viewer on a deeper level.  What actually moves art from mere rendering to something more profound?  "You'll know it when you see it, even if you don't quite get it"...my guiding principle.

"La Foret Enchantée"

Though it may seem to be a self-absorbed practice, committing your own inner visions, sans photographic references, to the canvas can be a useful exercise.  It forces you to become a 'translator' if you will...taking the nebulous, fleeting thoughts in your head, and via the brush and paint, conveying them to the canvas in a language others can understand.  Pinning a wave upon the sand.    

"Four Black Horses" an actual scene I glimpsed for a fragment of a second

There's an emotional bent to these works that won't be found in banal renderings of everyday life and subjects.  It's about emotions.  Fears.  Desires.  Hopes.  An artist will need to muster all of their skills so that the resulting piece has the necessary dramatic flare.   

"Dark Water" drawing on my own deeply ingrained Thalassophobia

These works will invariably be more 'niche' and less commercial than the artist's usual fare (unless of course, they've built their reputation on the dreamy and surreal).  But getting out of one's comfort zone from time to time is good training in any creator's development.  The tricks and techniques learned can be applied to more standard fare going forward.   

"The Urbanites" An ode to early 20th Century Expressionism

So I would encourage any developing artist to break free and indulge their visions and dreams, no matter how unconventional they may be.  

"Came the Morning" A not-quite realistic portrayal of my beloved dog's last day on Earth

If nothing else, the resulting works will be uniquely you...and that's vitally important in helping to stand out in a world crowded with legions of visual artists. 

"Bay of Memories"

And who knows? A whole new phase of your artistic career may await!