Painting the colours, textures , and “inward significance”

Not all artists will agree with this quote, and I don’t agree that all art has to be defined this way. But for me, conveying “inward significance” is an important part of my art, regardless of whether I’m working on an abstract or figurative piece, so I’m thoroughly enjoying the commission I’m currently working on.

The Collectors have chosen 3 of their favourite pieces of music and I’m creating an abstract painting in response to each. This intuitive process of listening to the music and feeling, rather than analysing, my way forward with these paintings feels both daunting and liberating. And I’m loving contemplating the “inward significance” of each piece of music and playing with different textures and colour combinations as I try to express what the music means to me.

Here are the 3 colour combinations that have emerged so far in response to the 3 pieces of music, and crops of little “colour and texture moments” that are making me happy …

Making our lives is a creative act that, much like a painting, is full of choices about what’s important to us, what we want to focus on, and what we want to express. What if I replace the word “art” with “living” in Aristotle’s quote …

“The aim of living is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

As we all move into a new season – be it Autumn or Spring – and the last 3 months of 2023, I’m thinking about what’s of inward significance for me. What’s important to me, and how I’ll notice, create, express, celebrate, surround myself with, and share, more of that.

Wanna join me?

Oh, and hey, if you do … Is there a piece of music that captures what’s of inward significance for you? Go put it on your playlist!