I’m not really a writer but it often feels like I approach my work more like a writer than strictly a visual artist. What do I mean by this? Well, most of my paintings begin with a story or a narrative that emanates from either something I’ve felt or experienced or seen or a combination of all of these. Often the story builds, grows and deepens as the “idea” for the work sits and germinates in my mind for weeks, months or even years before I commit it to canvas. These stories are not really fictional, far from it actually, they are always based on real experiences, fact and history. “Fact is stranger than fiction” or as I like to say, “Fact is more powerful than fiction if presented in a manner like fiction”.
So back to the question, ”Why a Blog?” Unless I purposely communicate these narratives that lay beneath the surface of a work it is left up to the viewer to take from a work what they will. That is perfectly fine with me because a viewer will often see or sense something in a work that I didn’t intentionally set out to express. Indeed that is one of the unique and magical qualities of art, that it takes on a life of its own in the mind of the viewer, but this blog gives me an opportunity to add a bit of insight into the work as well as personal anecdotes, some behind the scenes previews and revealing insights into my whole creative process in general which hopefully will heighten the viewers understanding and visual/emotional response to the work and possibly learn a little bit about me in the process.
There will be no set schedule for publishing new entries but I will post notifications of new blog entries on both my instagram and Facebook pages so be on the lookout for those. I will try to keep each blog entry as brief as possible but thorough and hopefully entertaining and enlightening!
So, with that said I’d like to welcome you aboard “Tradewinds & Treasure” and I truly hope you enjoy the journey!
