My Art of Self Discovery

I believe there’s nothing more satisfying than pushing boundaries and further developing my art style. And I’m not talking about commissioned pieces or creating art just because I know it has a high chance of selling.

I’m about to start a new 120 x 100 cm oil painting that will probably be the most technical and time-consuming painting to date.

This whole thing, it’s a discovery process to find what gives me satisfaction. Being an animator as well, I love to include a good narrative. I know some of you have followed my journey so you’ll understand how I get from point A to B in my work. Just to note, my current thoughts and ideas are 6 months to a year ahead of any of my now-finished work so they may not exactly reflect any new releases.

When I start with a blank canvas, the first question I ask myself is what story I want to tell.

I’ve found that I love complexity. There’s something mathematical in my decision-making when it comes to the geometrical shapes, tones and colours I choose.

I now know that I’ve reached ‘perfection’ in my artwork when I look at it and feel that despite its complexity, there is chaotic harmony. Instead of the eye feeling drawn and glued to a specific location, my eyes want to feel completely free and move around the canvas or lose focus if I keep them fixed.

Understandably, some artists prefer to direct their viewers to specific points and guide them through the painting. I no longer want that. Preferably I want the viewer to discover a narrative within my art on their terms. It’s as much of a discovery for them as the experience of making it is for me.

This is a type of satisfaction that I get often when I look at abstract expressionism. The difference with my work is that I’m not making it so abstract as to lose the narrative I intend to find.

These kinds of pieces for me go beyond any materialistic desire, whether for wealth, fame or recognition. I do it for my own deep satisfaction which maintains my sanity. If I’m unable to express myself I enter into deep depressions. My life has no purpose without creation. The money that comes from it is like a subscription model that allows me to continue.

Maybe I’m just trying to interpret the universe and man’s place within it but I don’t know for sure. I’m still exploring. Whether I venture into more realist or further abstraction is currently unknown to me. One thing I do know is that experimentation and finding a decent reflection of myself and the universe through it will guide my decision making.

I want to lose myself in the universe and allow the universe to express itself through me. Music opens my mind often times to access ideas and inspiration.