Art Adventures - by Patricia Banks©
Published Aug 2018 in Nanaimo Magazine and Voyager Magazine
Published Aug 2018 in Nanaimo Magazine and Voyager Magazine
“Like the sundial, my paint box counts no hours but sunny ones” Arthur Rackham said. With brush in hand, I stand at my easel studying the enchanting scenery before me, all conscious thought seems to disappear. I see shapes and colour and value. I have escaped the linear logic of my left brain. As I ponder the horizon, I have made an unconscious shift to the right side of my brain. My creative muse has taken over. My thoughts are intuitive, rhythmic, and imaginative. My feelings are holistic and subjective. I am in harmony with the universe: free of language and time; transported.
Creativity becomes the vehicle that transfers me to this meditative state that allows my intuition to flow into my painting. When creativity takes over, nothing matters but the moment to moment problem solving required by the painting. I squint my eyes and the major shapes blur everything together into strangely associated masses. All detail disappears. I search for interesting patterns of light and dark, an attractive variety of shapes and lines to stimulate my mind, and just the right colours to suit the atmospheric mood that draws me into my subject.
While I enjoy completing my paintings with fine detailed work, this stage must wait until I have captured the overall mood of my subject and the painting is nearly finished. My heart is joyful and sings in silence as my brushes move swiftly across my canvas. The day’s light is elusive and constantly changes when painting outdoors. Good paintings are blessed by the magic of light. When an artist is absorbed in the moment, time is not tallied, and happy hours slip quickly across the face of the sundial, disappearing into the darkness of night. I count my blessings for the peace of mind inherent in the gift of creativity. And I forward these blessings to you!
Creativity becomes the vehicle that transfers me to this meditative state that allows my intuition to flow into my painting. When creativity takes over, nothing matters but the moment to moment problem solving required by the painting. I squint my eyes and the major shapes blur everything together into strangely associated masses. All detail disappears. I search for interesting patterns of light and dark, an attractive variety of shapes and lines to stimulate my mind, and just the right colours to suit the atmospheric mood that draws me into my subject.
While I enjoy completing my paintings with fine detailed work, this stage must wait until I have captured the overall mood of my subject and the painting is nearly finished. My heart is joyful and sings in silence as my brushes move swiftly across my canvas. The day’s light is elusive and constantly changes when painting outdoors. Good paintings are blessed by the magic of light. When an artist is absorbed in the moment, time is not tallied, and happy hours slip quickly across the face of the sundial, disappearing into the darkness of night. I count my blessings for the peace of mind inherent in the gift of creativity. And I forward these blessings to you!
