Undiscovered Continents, 2014
"...I feel convinced that for me and for you who read there lie ahead undiscovered continents of spiritual living compared with which we are infants in arms." - Frank Laubach
“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now...Come further up, come further in!” - C.S. Lewis
Someone recently asked me what I typically thought about while I painted.
Despite the fact that most artists have specific intentions and drive towards certain things (through color, form, etc.) to communicate those intentions, I almost feel like what I do is simply take the dust covers off of art that I've never seen before. That is, I never know exactly what’s going to happen when I paint. Yes, I choose certain colors, and use certain techniques that I’ve developed, but as the paint moves things around it can change everything. What I thought was a great detail a few minutes ago (in painting time) can be totally different after another pool of paint is applied and moved. Other times I end up sacrificing certain elements that I really liked so that the piece as a whole can come together.
What’s ironic is that while I don’t usually know where I’m going, I know when I get there. And part of what I love about the whole thing is that unknown element. The unknown in life is often scary and exciting for the same reason, and in painting I can take some of the fear of the unknown out, and just savor the excitement.
But what's even better is what this painting above is all about. It's taken from the quote above by Frank Laubach and I love the thought that we have no idea of all that's ahead for us. That we're currently just 'infants in arms', and that no matter how much we learn or know, will always be able to go 'further up, further in!'