Why do you paint?

[Papadan]

Just wondering why you paint and what motivates your methods!

I paint for my enjoyment and to see paintings that I normally do not see. I like bright colors obviously and the feeling that I get when viewing subjects that are a little bit surreal. Painting that make me feel good I suppose I could say.

The methods I use are not controlled by what another has done before me. They are not attempts at reality, I have a nice Kodak for that.

I certainly do not care what another thinks of my paintings but must admit that I appreciate the fact that quite a few people like many of my paintings. What I guess I am trying to say is that approval does not determine when, what or even if, I paint another canvas.

When I finish a painting I can look at it and know that there is not another in the world completely like it. It would not exist except for my efforts. The painting will endure far into the future after I am ashes. Someone will look at my painting and never know me only what a colorful imagination I must have had. In this way maybe I will time travel a little bit.

When I sit down to a blank canvas the conclusion may come in 1 or 2 hours or 1 or 2 days. I really do not know what is coming until it is finished. This is the reason I use no drawings, photographs, or existing scenes in most of my paintings. There-for I have turned down all requests for commission work. It helps that I am retired and do not have to depend upon my paintings for income. Would probably starve if I did.

I greatly appreciate the artists on this site and admire your work. I also appreciate this site and wish it the greatest success.

Thanks for letting me bend you ear,

Dan

[smb]

Thanks for starting your new topic and I hope that some of the members will be able to find the time to reply also...

For myself, I paint purely for enjoyment.

It has been a while since I managed to reach a 'state of flow' during a painting session... That was a long time ago, when I was less busy during my leave periods from my job at sea - and I could afford the time to really get in to it. But I still enjoy painting whenever I do get the time.

I am lucky in that I am able to rent a vacant property right next to where I live. It is mainly for my dogs, (two Siberian Huskies - not the easiest of dogs to look after in the Philippines!) The dogs have 'the run' of the yard and, of course, I have got the house itself as my studio. So far, I have only painted in pastels and I enjoy the media so much, I don't see that changing any time soon. The floor or my 'studio' is tiled, so the mess and dust from my pastel painting is very easy to clean-up - and I course, I can just leave everything 'as is' when I run out of time - and just come back to it at a later date. Sometimes, when I am away at sea and then other things take up my time when I do finally get home, a painting can be sitting there for up to 6 months in various stages of completion.

[smb]

Right... Now I have to set-up my new printer so my youngest daughter can finish her homework (school assignments...)

I might just get 5 minutes for painting later on this afternoon!

[Papadan]

Thanks for the reply.

Getting ready to fire up the grill for early fourth of July company. I suppose some folks celebrate the 4th. in the Philippines with so many Americans living there.

Enjoyed hearing about the dogs. Ol' Scooter 'helps' me paint. He is my 10 lb. Chihuahua and Pomeranian mix dog and thinks he must lay directly under my easel and

I have washed paint splatter off him more than once.

One day you will have more time for your art and you will probably enjoy it even more then.

[smb]

I am looking forward to that day!

'Just done a bit of research on July 4th in the Philippines.

'Found this quite informative:

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090703121344AABokVh

[smb]

And here is the background as to why the new date of June 12 was chosen for Philippine independance day:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Declaration_of_Independence

In fact, Filipinos are not really celebrating the day when the US graunted them full independence... They are actually celebrating their Declaration of Independence in 1898

In my experience, even many Filipinos get confused over this issue. I remember well the hullabaloo in 1998 when the Philippines was supposedly celebrating 100 years of 'independence!!??!!!!!!'