Why do I create Art?

         The question is why do I paint?  For me it’s the same as saying why do I breathe.  It’s what I do, it’s who I am.  I see the world in terms of color and in light.  I always have and was astonished when I realize no one else saw the world that same way.  I’ll be on a walk with a friend and I’ll have to stop and just look at the sky.  I’ll say isn’t the sky beautiful?  They’ll say “yeah, it’s blue. No, it’s not just blue, it’s all kinds of blues.  The clouds have purples and blues even yellow and greens, shapes and colors, beautiful amazing.  It’s different every day, every hour, and every minute. No it’s not just blue.  That is one of many reasons I really like to go for a walk alone. My favorite place to walk is Laudholm Farm in Wells Maine.  You can park your car, walk by the main house and down any number of paths, out to the fields, into the woods and my favorite, down to the beach at Drakes Island. When COVID hit this walk become my muse.  On March 15th 2020 COVID 19 hit, so many choices were taken away.  Shelter in place orders were laid out.  Wear a mask everywhere.  Stay 6 feet away from everyone.  Wash your hands, constantly.  Wash your groceries, always.  Because I am in the age bracket of “at risk” shop at 6 am only.  Buy for as many weeks as you can, on and on.  With so many choices taken away and so much time on my hands I needed to focus on what I could control and that was how I saw the world. I am an artist.  I’ve always been an artist.  I have done theater, acted, done historical storytelling, and was a professional costume designer but it always came back to painting.  I even looked at my costume design as moving paintings on stage.  So when COVID 19 hit it gave me time to pause.  It gave me time to regroup.  It gave me time to return to oil paint.  For the last 15 years I have been painting in sumi ink with a splash of watercolor.  I had discovered Sumi Ink when I moved to Maine and joined a drawing group in Ogunquit at the Barn Gallery.  Two of the artists were masters in the media and I loved their work.  Sumi Ink is the traditional Chinese ink used in traditional Chinese painting.  It is different than regular ink in that it flows when water is added.  Regular Ink is pretty static.  I loved the challenge to control the ink while letting it be out of control.  It could have a fresh, impulsive, spontaneous look or it could be just a mess!  ~