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Varnish Night

Has been a quiet Thursday night in the studio. Painting has come to stop temporarily as I try to figure out where I'm going with it. Lately I feel lost with my art, I love what I do but I keep hearing too often by friends that I'm all technique and no passion. Yes, rough words to hear, and I do understand that to many an onion or tomato may not mean much, but when looking at a painting you're not just looking at the subject, but the art object itself. This is something I will not get into further since I can go off for a while. So to keep myself busy and to warm up before picking up a brush, I decided to varnish some paintings that needed it. Varnishing makes such a difference, colors pop out more, the paintings become alive.
Happy in seeing some of the intense colors in my work, I began working on this panel piece. So far everything is going on the right direction, besides me stopping for a few days because of doubts, this painting is moving right along.
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Unknown said…
Luis, I totally hear where you are coming from. My husband and I just had a discussion about my art. It has been a struggle for me...sometimes I feel like I am no technique, no ideas, nothing...and because of the frustration, I begin to lose passion. I am not sure where the friends comments are coming from, because while you have technique for sure (it is amazing) there seems to be passion behind it because you do it. You don't just sit there and paint like a robot -- you want to do it, you need to do it, no? I don't know if I am making sense. I should be in bed but I am waiting for my muffins to cool. Anyway, Kevin (husband) was telling me I am always looking to have a backstory behind my art, not letting it speak for itself, (why can't an onion be just an onion, he says) while I am always looking to do "well I printed this chair to show the angst of growing up girl in a male society" or some bullshit like that...I think he is right. I just finished a piece that had meaning but no aesthetic. I felt I needed to continue what I started but the passion wasn't there because even if it told a story, it was a boring one that didn't appeal to the readers and they couldn't really get anything from it and it wasn't even enjoyable or intriguing to look at. Sorry, I am so babbling. I think there is some what of a balance to achieve between technique and *meaning* *perhaps*, but it seems to me you have found your passion. And I don't need to have some deep meaning to hang one of your beautiful paintings on my wall (and I promise I will soon). "Did Luis paint these onions because he wants to cry?"...sorry for the ramble. In a way, I feel to be in a similar place. Good luck! You'll figure it out!
10:47 PM
Unknown said…
P.S. haha, i wrote more than your post itself! sorry!
10:48 PM
Luis Colan said…
thank you very much Bethany, I appreciate your long long comment...hehehe. I love what I do, and like most artist, I question myself...this is the never ending battle of criticism, both from outsiders and from yourself.
11:37 PM
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