It may be quite common for artists to write about how they feel about their work, but I’ve personally never come across it. This is probably just my lack of reading (I’m not a big reader, I usually only read to learn something specific – which is quite often).
Yesterday I framed this large canvas :-
After working on the back fixings, I turned it over to see the finished work. In all candour, I thought it looked really fabulous. The heavy black tray (float) frame made the colours pop even more, and the whites to appear whiter. I was really moved and felt a great sense of achievement.
When I think back over the months I have spent on it, the weeks designing it, all the hundreds of hours drawing innumerable curves – that I have meticulously weaved and tweaked; all the colour choices and juxtapositioning… It feels it was definitely worth all the effort – and not inconsiderable cost. It was a truly joyous, uplifting, moment, and I felt very blessed and proud…
This just reinforces why I cannot part with original artwork – and so steer clear from doing non-reproducible art. Most of my artwork I do primarily for myself: mainly to show and express my gratitude and wonder of Nature. Yes, I love to share my feelings of what moves me – often to tears – which is why I have invested so much time and resources into reproducibility (editions as opposed to original art). It is a real privilege that I can produce copies of my artwork, like this one, to a standard that I am very happy with – and can share with many others (some of whom are fortunate enough to have the resources to own copies)… This is immensely satisfying.
If this work can give a fraction of the joy it gives me, to other people, then I am truly grateful and blessed…
Diary Of An Artist 