Why do I paint…..

Standing Tall
 Pastel 9 x 12 on Canson
Available from Artist
©Randy Hamburg

Mountain Retreat
Acrylic on Canvas 40 x 30
Available from Artist
©Randy Hamburg

Recently, a friend asked me why I paint.  It’s something I’ve never really put a lot of thought into, it’s just something I do.  If you ask ten artists why they paint, I would bet you’ll get ten different answers. But for most there’s a common thread, just for the sheer enjoyment.

I find a joy in both the creative process and in the finished work but I paint just because I enjoy it.  When I’m painting, I get lost in my own world, it’s just me and the canvas.  It’s a way to “escape” the daily grind we all go through.  It’s amazing the process I go through without ever realizing it.  What will I paint?  How will I lay out the composition and each color mass?  What colors to use, how much detail and what do I want the painting to say?  I spend time painting and the results are either successes or failures. 

Being the optimist I am, I look at each failure as simply a chance to learn something.  Was it the mark making, or maybe the colors came out muddy because of too much mixing?  By spending time to determine where the painting went wrong, I learn not to repeat the same mistake.

But then, there’s the painting that really comes together.  Everything falls into place and I’ve created something that surprises even me.  The two paintings above fall into that category.  I hope you like them.

Keep painting!