The Art of Not Giving a…

It all began with the rough demo below, stuffed away in a “class demos folder” which I had created several years ago in my art classes for my awesome junior artists (awesome because I TOLD them they were awesome and they believed it, and produced awesome art )..

I’m thinking,.in retrospect it was quite a cool demo. A spontaneous jumble of colours and shapes, trying to show my young artists in the making that it doesn’t matter how good it is… JUST DO IT! And HAVE FUN doing it. Take your marker pen for a spontaneous wobbly walk around the paper….Had I the teacher forgotten how to do that?

So I produced this painting. And it immediately sold. The buyer said she found it very amusing.

Ironic, since while painting it I was actually in a rather dark space in response to my growing conviction that the world has gone completely bonkers. Aside from actual war, the media is flooded with warmongering arguments about #wokism #genderidentity #cancelculture #comedycensorship. Does my head in. And its a serious creativity killer. John Cleese gave a brilliant and hilarious interview about Wokism (There’s also a longer interview as a footnote. Well worth listening to.)

The best tonic to cure toxicity over-exposure. #rickygervais a comedian I love and greatly respect.

I am sure many artists share my periodic moments of angst and doubt. Is my art relevant? Am I being truthful to myself in my art? What am I meaning to say in my art? Then my Right Brain kicks in and tells me these ultra-analytical ultra-critical questions only serve to stifle my creativity. Too much over-thinking. The Left Brain is temporarily silenced but I know that inner critic will be back, usually when I am feeling directionless. A time which actually is perfect for happy- and at times frustrating -exploration. The cure is to let go of those creativity stifling self-imposed dictates –purpose, meaning, direction— (oh and the BIG killer “Will it sell?”) And just PLAY. Always keeping in mind there is no such thing as a failed painting; its an essential part of the learning curve, a stepping stone on the path of discovery.

I’m now hooked on this style of painting faces. It feeds my love of layering colours and textures.

It has chaotic undertones, reflecting my current perception of the world I live in. And it allows me to visually express myself using sarcasm and satire. I am after all a child of the 50s so my delight in both has been well fed from long-term exposure to the Great Comedians who changed the course of British comedy: Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, The Goons, Monty Python.

So I’ll keep going. This style of painting faces will likely morph and mutate, and I know I’ll be locked in battle with the ever present urge to be more minimalist, which is always biting at my heels. But I’m a story teller, a long-winded opinionated story teller. ..<<– (That’s the Inner Critic voice speaking. In knife-throwing mood, as usual. I’d rather just say I have a lot of stories to tell, long-winded opin—oh shuttup!) So perhaps in the act of creating loud busy colour-bursting silly funny paintings. I am simply being true to myself!

John Cleese talking about creativity. Click on link to listen –> War on Wokism…have to give him the last word. Well, for now…