I try to put as much human composition, being Mind, Body, Soul and Spirit, into my art as possible.
Mind
Before any art can come to mind, there has to be some sort of inspiration or stimulation. This usually comes from external visual or audible stimuli or once in a while from one of the other senses. However, I believe it can come from brain chemistry or spiritual inspirations.
“Le Cerveau de l’Artiste à vendre” from the L’Espirit Libre
After the inspiration, I use my mind to think of all the possible ways in which to paint it artistically. Sometimes the inspiration can be so strong that it can override or cut short my mental thoughts. This can be great for getting a painting started, but typically I like to think through all aspects of a painting before I begin. This can take anywhere from a couple hours to days, or longer.
This is one of my therapeutic paintings from my “Inner Canvas” Art Therapy.
Body
The primary elements of my body used in painting are my eyes and hands. However, I go from sitting down in heavy concentration, to standing and moving about. The process is one of communicating my mental images to canvas thru my body. The aroma of the paint and the flow of the paint are mesmerizing.
Painting on The Church at Auvers (Van Gogh) in a makeshift room above a horse barn in Auvers-sur-Oise, France.
Soul
The soul, being that part of a human which gives life, is what I try to transmit into every painting. I think that is what makes art great when an artist is able to transfer or reflect their soul in their art. I believe this is what makes a painting that may otherwise appear non-technical to really resonate with people. When an artist puts their soul into a painting, it matters less what it looks like because the feeling is always there.
Artists are all fishermen trying to reel the viewer in.
Spirit
Spirit is hard or nearly impossible to specifically detect in a painting because it is a communication between the artist, God and The Universe. In a conversation with Picasso, Matisse is known to have said that an artist prays through his painting. I believe he was referring to this spiritual aspect. It is an aspect of a painting far beyond evoking even strong emotional feelings and no one would likely be able to understand it like the artist – even though they may recognize “spirit” is in the painting.
Can you see or feel the spirit in this painting?