Art is an attempt to bring order out of chaos

Stephen Sondheim

I had an open studio on the last weekend in October. Preparations for the event began at the end of September and completely upended my studio practice. October was lost for painting and I didn’t get a brush back to canvas until early November.

My working studio and practice have now been - for the most part - restored. Still, the break in the routine encouraged me to think about how I work and what all creatives have in common. While much of what I write here can be applied to any creative endeavor, I am speaking directly to painting because that is what I do, who I am, and where I live.

The Fundamental Proposition of Art

Being an artist means that you are committed to the fundamental challenge of producing something alive, something that communicates to others, something that exists in the world for the first time.

This creation is not a linear path but a dynamic, unpredictable journey.

The Flow of Creation

Before you can start to paint, you must learn to look. You have to train yourself to look at what you are seeing. This state of absorption is ongoing for me. It nourishes me, allowing me to embark on a painting.

The artwork guides me; I may start with one intention or vision, but a more complex, interesting direction may emerge as I work. At the beginning of a painting, I seek a state of automatic flow. While I'm conscious of my choices—observing what emerges on the canvas, and deciding what comes next—there's an ideal state of pure creation where I'm seeking momentum and simply following the work's inherent energy. One idea fires another. A painting which begins with a specific idea, may transform as it evolves, finding its own voice. 

The Mercurial Nature of Art

The creative spirit is fluid and unpredictable. Progress in any work is never straightforward. The work jumps around in fits and starts. Shifting thoughts and ideas result in leaps and falls. There are days when I cannot believe how well the work is going! and then maybe the next day or even later on the same day, I look and wonder where did this shite come from? When a painting collapses, the artist, me, collapses too.

The Emotional Landscape of Creating

The artistic process is a rollercoaster of emotions:

• Moments of pure exhilaration, where you marvel at what's emerging

• Days when you question the source of your inspiration

• Periods of frustration where everything seems to fall apart

Ah, but painting is an act of faith. You cannot give up. At some place in your soul, you must believe that you can make this painting work. Sometimes, when stuck, I'll clean the bathroom or start a new canvas. Other times, I'll step back and objectively observe the work's underlying structure. I can’t always rescue a painting. I can walk away, sometimes for years, before continuing.

Layers of Personal History

Each artwork carries my personal history. Like personalities with hidden blueprints, paintings reveal layers—some visible, some barely glimpsed. Creating art can be like meeting new people—it evokes memories through muscle memory in brush strokes, color choices, and subconscious references to previous works. Just as meeting someone can trigger memories, creating art uncovers unexpected aspects of ourselves.

The Transformative Moment

Art is about discovery on the way to an elusive destination. It's an active process of uncovering something unknown, something that emerges despite—or perhaps because of—my intentions.

The artist's true work is not just to create, but to remain open—to the flow, surprise, and the artwork's own emerging intelligence. The resulting work is really a transcript of a dialog between the artist and the art.

Below is the first painting I have completed since the Open Studio. It measures 20 x 20” (acrylic underpainting beneath glazes of oil color ). This piece entitled “River Streams” will be among the works on display at the Art Center of Princeton in Confluence, a dual exhibition, with work by Patti Jordan.

Confluence: A coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point will be installed from 12/19/24 - 1/18/25. Opening: Thursday, December 19 • 5-7 pm

More about this exciting joint exhibition in an email coming to you soon