First I have to get rid of the pat answers like, “I’m not that broke yet.” What pops up next is the cowardly, “Who would buy them, anyway?” Getting offers kind of squashes that one. Beginning to dig gives rise to the question, “Why do I even make art in the first place?”
I remember asking that of my first art teacher and he replied, “To have something to look at.” That’s true; I’m not tired of looking at my artworks yet. Why put them in galleries, then? Pat answer: Not enough wall-space at home. That’s true, but I deeply want others to look at and appreciate these children of my muse.
I think it starts with the idea behind each painting, before I get the canvas dirty. There’s something inside that wants to get out, rooted to something I’m gazing at that begs to be seen.
Pause here for a quote from Henry Miller: “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
Like that.
I’m good. I know I’m good and I’m not modist about being good. I worked hard to get good and I’m sometimes in awe at just how good I am. Somehow this art flows out of me while I’m in a state of focus I call “art trance.” I will emerge, look at what I’ve done and wonder how the heck I did that. There is a sadness when I realize that the painting is done, that it has all it needs to be itself. But I can look at it and appreciate it down to each brush stroke and every thought.
I was fortunate to discover and study under Charles Becker, who opened my eyes to a whole ‘nother level of seeing. I realized how special his teaching has been when someone approached one of my paintings and tried to find his reflection in a painted silver goblet. Magic.
Would you sell your children? Me neither. I tried once to put prices on my art, based on how much money it would take to ease the pain of separation. A viewer once asked me, “Why do you price these so high?” which is kind of an insulting question when you think about it. I just said, “Because I can.” I realized that I didn’t want my paintings to hang on just anybody’s wall.
Now, I have taken commissions because they are from sincere people wanting symbols of what they deeply care about. I’ve done wedding and valentine and baby and hero and “here’s a portrait of you I made because….” Most often for free. This is different. This is heart to heart art.
Blue Light Press is a scruffy gang of poets. They had a workshop at a place where I hang and someone made a poem based on one of my paintings, and it got published along with the painting itself. This is also appropriate heart art. Today I’m sending off jpegs of some of my paintings for Blue Light poets to riff off of in the future. That’s so cool.
Why don’t I sell my art? It’s precious.
Jim Fish
is Colorado born. Raised there and in Florida.Masters in Education. Math and Science teacher for some 50-odd years. Also stage, group and close-up magician (club founder and author). Recently retired. Oh yes, also an artist.
G&E In Motion does not necessarily agree with the opinions of our guest bloggers. That would be boring and counterproductive. We have simply found the author’s thoughts to be interesting, intelligent, unique, insightful, and/or important. We may not agree on the words but we surely agree on their right to express them and proudly present this platform as a means to do so.