Moving Toward the Light

I remember walking along the Arno river and I saw this old man painting these little brilliantly, colorful impressionistic scenes of the local scenery full of energy and light. I was in awe… I was completely captivated. He painted many of them in one day and they were lined up along the bridge and around his feet. I imagined him to be some type of artist sage with his long white beard and paint-stained hands with little messages of light. He rarely, if ever, looked up as if he were unconcerned with the world around him. It seemed like the only thing that mattered was what he was painting at that moment. What impressed me the most was how it appeared that painting was a part of his nature, it seemed as effortless as eating. I don’t know how many times I walked past him trying to get more tidbits of “light” without being obvious that I was observing him intensely. To this very day, I think of that artist often as without ever knowing his name, he has inspired me to this day. These new pieces I’m working on fill me in some strange way. Just a few months before Katrina hit, I’d began working on a series of paintings that were simply waterscapes with sunrises. They were big and beautiful and at that time, I was still hooked on using oil paint. Unfortunately, they were all lost in the storm. But slowly, over the years I still painted my waterscapes here and there.

Here is a picture of one I did in 2006. Before, I think it was more like an excercise or practice, as I was fully engaged with my mind. But now, I imagine that as I “flow” into the colors, which I only choose with my next breath, that this is how the artist man on the bridge must have felt - unconcerned with the world, but completely connected to the present moment and the present color and how it blends into the canvas of colors I’ve created thus far. Its like a symphony, as I build up to that peak moment where the light peaks through in one area of the canvas. At moments I struggle, but I feel a real sense of calm wash through me as I look at the canvas and think to myself, “what would the creator do?” And every time, the same still, sweet, very soft message passes through me to keep moving toward the light.