This is the painting (Virginia Sky) that was done from a photo I took while visiting my son Max in Virginia. It won an honorable mention in an exhibition, and was recently juried in to another. I think it’s pretty good. Sometimes, though, I wonder: “what’s the point?” I see and read a lot about art and artists working today. If you look at the artists who get all the accolades, attention, and press you see that it is nothing like what I do. It tends to be abstract or avant-garde – it has some “deep meaning” (which by the way, I usually find needs to be explained to the viewer). So, I wonder-what’s the deep meaning in my art? It makes no political or moral statement-it makes no comment on universal truths. Why should I bother with it then-what’s the point. Depression and lethargy set in.
In our dining room hang two paintings done by a Czech artist in the 1920’s. These paintings and several others were always hanging in my Grandparents’ house as I was growing up. I tried to find out more about the artist (L. Orlicky) even taking them to the antiques roadshow! Nothing. Two beautiful paintings by an artist that no one knows anything about. What was the point of painting them? Yet I love them. The subject (two farm scenes), the brushstrokes, the color, the captured light. When I was a kid they made me want to be able to paint. They inspired me. Deep meaning? No. but worthy of love? Yes.
So I suppose I can reconcile the fact that though my art has no “deep meaning”, it does have meaning. What’s wrong with creating art that (hopefully) brings beauty, pleasure, and perhaps inspiration to others. Enough with my deep meaning doldrums! I’m gonna paint on!