What to paint?
How do you know what to paint?
The most fabulous thing about being human is that you get to asign meaning to the things in your life experience
Once you are out of the “rules- said and unsaid” of your family home, you get to decide what is meaningful to you
Oh, for a while you operate on the structures your parents put in place but eventually you wake up to the knowing that you create your life and you can choose to do and like whatever you want… this “YOU” place is where you harvest painting ideas from
Think of what you love, what experiences dropped your jaw to the floor, what shifted your perception, what touched your heart, what makes you feel alive, what makes you feel peaceful, what thrills you now, what thrilled you as a kid, what brought you comfort? Campbells soup cans and Saltine crackers? or blanket tents and flashlights? catching frogs or glowbugs, climbing trees, swimming in blue oceans or jumping off the docks in to cold dark lakes?
Go back or forward in your mind and bring yourself to that place, moment or feeling and paint it. Visit it often and add to it, zoom in, zoom out, swim down deep or look up into the sky. In that moment there are a plethora of angles to paint.
Here’s how we do it.
There are 1 million ways someone can say I love you aren’t there? There is also one million things that you can paint, I know! But here’s the thing; we get to assign meaning to the things that resonate with us and this is where we start painting.
When I was 18 I worked at a florist shop, I decided to visit my Nana on my way home and though her sight was failing I wanted to bring her flowers. I chose only flowers that were BIG and showy and I mixed those with flowers that were scented.
I arrived to her apartment that was painted dusty rose and carpeted hunter green, and Nana placed the flowers in a pitcher of water and set it on her buffet. Her voice resounded “OH how beau-Tea-ful! and they smell so pretty” That moment still makes my heart feel like its gathering sparkles. Perhaps I paint that dusty rose room with hunter green carpet focusing in on the 70’s style “buffet” with a vase full of flowers perched on the edge” and I title it “Nana’s bouquet” maybe I even add some crunchy dandelions as though my kids gathered them with me … now, with the belief that we are more similar then we are different, I bet you 100.00 - this painting will one day meet it’s new owner - one that squeals at the sight of Nana’s buffet, with hunter green carpet and dusty rose walls and Says oh my goodness .. its Nana’s house and I want to take it home with me.
There is no need to seek out what others might like- just paint things that mean something to you and you will find your people who resonate with your delights. I could paint that room 10 different angles or focus on12 nostalgic decor items one at a time. One moment a million ways.