Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Possibilities


This painting is of a man on the edge of his life. And he is wondering. There is a question before him, it comes as reliably as the seasons and it is always the same. “Do you have the courage?” He doesn’t look out of the window, it isn’t there. He is looking out of his now. He isn’t thinking of how he hates his job though he is often certain he does. He doesn’t think of his tiny apartment though he can feel its walls surround him. They close in on him like the uneasy feeling that chokes his dreams in the lonely hours before dawn. He doesn’t think of those things. Instead he thinks of the road ahead, the one out there. Feeling the winds of change blowing through his mind and the eternal warmth of possibility upon his face. He remembers a time when he believed he could be something, someone. And he wonders. He wonders if this time he will be brave enough, if there enough strength or imagination left in him to take that step into a new future.
This is the story of a man who has not yet begun. It is the story of a man on the edge.
What mysteries await his discovery?


Many people ask me what I paint. They wonder what medium I paint in but mostly they want to know what style and subject I paint. Not surprisingly I am pretty well stumped for an answer. I have put together plenty of bios, résumé’s, descriptions and introductions but have never believed in a single one. I don’t paint from life and my painting buddies have stopped asking where my reference photo is. They know by now that there isn’t one. Of course it might seriously help if I used one once in awhile. Often artists refer to painting the truth of what they see. I try to paint the truth of what I feel. The rest of it is just the vehicle. My work is easily grouped into cohesive shows but to say that I paint a certain subject matter or in a particular style never quite seems to fit. It would be more accurate to say that I paint with a particular voice.
Thank you for listening.

11 comments:

  1. I really do get the feelings you describe from the painting, maybe because I have felt them before. I don't know much about painting or styles, but I do know that I make a of choices based on how I feel rather than what I know is the best thing. I love this painting, the color and the "feelings" I get when I look at it.
    If there was one thing I wish I could do it would be to draw or paint, you have such a talent.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, LeSan. Great painting in thought, in the way you've painted it and the colors. Most of us stand at this 'edge' at one time or another, or many times in our lives. Bravery, aaaahhhh. There is a key. Will we or won't we.

    Thanks for this thought provoking post this morning. A great way to begin today.

    FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  3. LeSan, I cannot see your picture! Do I have something turned off? What can I do? I want to see it, too!

    I think you have a wonderful talent. I have enjoyed the paintings you have shown us. I wish I had that talent.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LeSan,
    I am so glad you shared these thoughts. It is just what I needed to hear today. Thanks for this insight.

    Rosey

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree with Janie...you have a great talent. Paintings do evoke emotion...from the painter and the viewer. Sometimes, when viewing a painting, it's hard to tell what the painter felt, because your own emotions take over. We see with our feelings, as much as our eyes.
    Thanks for sharing your work with us.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Painting with a particular voice works for me! This painting resonates with me as it reminds me of when I have been at the edge and wondering if I had the courage to move forward.

    I also (suprise, suprise) make decisions beased on my feelings or intuition rather than what might be the 'right' thing to do. Sound familiar?!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi LeSan,

    People say that galleries want to have a clear idea of what we do, but look at the painters in the blog world, they paint different subjects all the time. This is a beautiful painting. It makes me think of the Paul Simon line, "Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance, everybody thinks it's true.

    Take care,

    Super glad to see your wonderful art.

    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  8. So great to see your painting LeSan! Beautiful colors and composition... and yes there is so much feeling in your work. Carol

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are such an interesting person, LeSan, I can see how your art will reflect the richness of your life and perspective. How wonderful to be able to capture your thoughts and feelings through the power of art.

    I love how such a simple act, of the artist waiting and pondering, evokes how we all are at crossroads in life.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  10. CATHERINE~ I am so pleased that you understand the painting. The only goal I have in a painting is to convey an expression of those fleeting moments we share only with ourselves. Thank Catherine very much.

    FLOWERLADY~ Thank you for saying this. You’re right, we all do face crossroads and the thing of it is that I think we face them on a pretty regular basis but we often dismiss them. I always think of them as opportunities to avoid regret.

    JANIE~ I think you may have had something turned off. Did you have your coffee yet? Hehe. Thank you for the compliment though and I hope you did get the chance to drop by again…and that you could see the painting this time.

    ROSIE POLLEN~ I imagine you as a person that sees the crossroads. Sometimes every day can be a crossroad, an opportunity to re-evaluate our next step. Sort of like a Word doc that asks you if you want to “save these changes” before closing.

    PATCHWORK~ You’re right that the viewer is the owner of the feelings evoked by a painting. I rarely ever tell a client what the painting is about. I let them tell me instead. If I don’t say anything it leaves the painting open for interpretation which in turn allows the viewer to own it. I prefer it that way.

    NUTTY GNOME~ You bet it sounds familiar! Why does it not surprise me to learn that you make decisions based on your feelings? I think you seem like a pretty smart Gnome and I suspect that your intuition is a lot more informed than most peoples certainties.

    BARBARA~ Thank you for stopping by.
    Yeah, poor little galleries heheh. They just need to know who their selling. I always get tongue tied when strangers ask me what I paint because I really can’t just say “Oh, abstract oils or I do portraits.” Thank you for the Paul Simon line. He is a great poet of our time to be sure.

    CAROL~ Thank you for this compliment! I was so pleased to read it.

    PINK INK/ JEWEL~ From one artist to another Jewel, thank you! I know you do understand. You meet your crossroads head on.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love this one, too. It could be my son. He is a manager in a pizza restaurant. He dropped out of high school his senior year. Shortly after getting married, he got his GED, and did very well. He took a few classes, but while taking a break to save more money or something, his wife got pregnant. He is bright, and would have loved to study herpetology or something outdoor related. We have a newspaper article saved for him, because someone he used to and may still know was shown teaching about reptiles. I know he will want to read it, but it's also going to hurt some, because he really does not like the job he's worked at around 9 years or so.

    Well, your painting brought out some feelings in me! As I've said before, I am in awe of people who can paint or draw. I love the details in this one. (I made it larger to see more.)

    ReplyDelete