From the Heart

GrapeExp150What does it mean, to paint “from the heart”? Perhaps this could mean different things to different artists. For some it means to paint a subject that they are passionate about. I have friends who love to paint the flowers from their gardens or the horses they raise. Yet even for these artists, I think it goes beyond the subject. Plus, I’ve certainly had abstract paintings that feel like they are expressing something very close to my heart. What is the secret ingredient?

I think it has to do with being personal. Personal with colour choices and brush strokes – with shapes and lines and all the elements that make a composition. That’s part of what’s so wonderful about art – the variables are endless. The longer that you have been painting, the more skill you have and the more personal your expression can become. Here’s another key: The artist senses that they are sharing something intimate about themselves when they show others that art.

Sometimes I get completely immersed in painting and it’s a sensuous dance of colour and motion. There are moments when I can’t tell where my emotions start and the brush ends. It’s not easy to define “painting from the heart”. I hope you experience it – as an artist or as someone who appreciates art. What do you think? How do you know when a painting is “from the heart”?