Thinking Art

Not all artists are privileged enough to be able to do their craft full time. I actually own a web design company and have for 20 years. It’s full time, plus some. I love my job and wouldn’t have any other job. Some people think that since I’m self employed and work out of my house that I can just paint whenever I want. All I can say is “I WISH!!!”. But, I do think ART all the time. I am creative all day when I work on websites and clients graphics.

That’s a whole different kind of creative process than being an oil painter. With my graphics and web work, it’s digital and the only thing I touch is my keyboard and mouse. When I’m painting or just artsy playing, my hands are a very active part of the process. And, sometimes my face and elbows and arms (I usually end up with paint everywhere).

This picture is of me today. I have been at my desk for about an hour and the only thing I can think about is that painting that I’m working on…can’t you see that on my face? I think art all day long. It might not be a conscious process, but I do. Sometimes, doing research for a client, I’ll run across an image and it sparks that “yes, I think that’s the color I need” or ” hmmm, I wonder how something like that would play into the painting”. And, I do sometimes, jump up from my desk, go into the studio and give myself a few minutes of ponder.

An artist may not be a full-time artist due to circumstances, but an artist is full-time in their artistic thinking. It never stops and I bank on that.