Vincent Van Gogh was once quoted as saying “If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
I heard that voice often in my head as I did not really think I could paint, at least not properly. The few exploits I did undertake generally centred around rainy day activities with my kids, which was just playing. I’m not sure why as adults we often feel our activities must be ‘serious’ and we should be all-knowledgeable. What is ‘painting properly’ anyway?
So I decided to silence that voice and signed myself up for a painting class. Just a few hours a week for a couple of months to teach myself some techniques and explore different ideas under the guidance of someone who had a certain expertise. This experience helped me realise that the act of painting is not always about producing a finished piece of artwork. Not everything has to be complete. It is not about success or failure, it is about experimentation, exploration, losing yourself in a moment of creativity and sometimes not knowing where that will lead. Above all, at the end of a painting session I usually feel more positive. Sometimes it is just about having fun!
I do not claim to be a great painter, far from it. In fact I would hesitate about even using the term ‘painter’ but I do take a huge amount of pleasure in developing a composition, mixing the colours and playing with different techniques. Painting empties my mind of any ‘excess’ thoughts and by simply concentrating on the act of putting the paint onto canvas it lifts my mood.
I have incorporated painting into part of the process of concept development in my creative textile work, for working on colour schemes and palettes but also producing paintings in their own right to compliment the artistic ideas.
Here is a selection of paintings produced alongside the collection ‘Horizons’.
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