Picasso once said, 'every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain one when he grows up', or something along those lines. I'm so glad he said this, as it couldn't be more true.
Life is full of so many challenges, many of them are invisible, internal, mental ones that can unhinge the creative flow of the artists mind. The biggest challenge is trying to survive in the modern world, a world that can too often feel like a hurricane of confusion and impassible walls. Artists are very sensitive creatures and can all too easily withdraw to a place of refuge, out of the pandemonium of life. The upside of being sensitive is that ones mind is much more intuitive, and when you're riding that wave, not sinking beneath it, life is the ultimate joyride, you're the master of emotion, the wizard of creation, you just want to express that magic, to live it, to breathe it, to paint it!
It's so important not to loose those child-like qualities that I believe really make an artist, the freedom we all once had, the passion for life, the endless possibilities, the love for simply being, and not to curse ones self too hard when the time for shelter is needed, for whatever reason, things will pick up.
I say this not only on a personal level, but also on a national one too. We, as a nation need to allow that sense of adventure back in to society. Courage, not fear of change is needed, then we all will surely benefit. Keep the vision alive!
Paintings on show at Store Street Gallery in November 2017
in their group show 'Different Perspectives'
