Illuminating the Soul

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures” – Henry Ward Beecher

I love this quote because it is how I feel when I am painting. The vision for a painting bubbles up from within and with it butterflies. I daydream about it until I can carve out the time to sketch and paint, to breathe it into existence. During the creative process, I experience ups and downs, times when I believe in my ability to fulfill my vision, and times when I doubt that ability. For me, it is a continuous process of opening up, of quieting the mind in order for my soul to speak through color and shape, uninhibited by oughts and shoulds. When I paint this way, I feel free. I feel as though I am being myself, my naked self with no explanations or excuses, no make-up or pressed clothing. When I paint this way, I feel I am living my essence, and that this essence is expressed on the canvas.