Sometimes there is little consolation. You do what you can trying to be as honest and sincere as possible with what you are doing. You put your heart into it. There is self-gratification; yes. I am happy to do what I do and I find immense pleasure in doing it. But sometimes it just isn’t enough.
Painting is, for me, primarily a spiritual activity. It is a moment of great healing for my soul. I can forget all of the worries and problems of everyday life. But it is not about escaping. It is about entering. Entering into the world with my eyes wide open. And that includes my third or ‘spiritual’ eye.
However. after an artist produces a work of art, the work enters into the real world as a real entity: an object. And we live in an age where everything is given a monetary value. So I finish my work and I ask myself, ‘What value has this?’ Of course, there is the materials which are used to paint with: each tube of paint, brushes and canvas has a cost. But what is the real value?
This sort of question causes great anguish to me. I try not to think about it much and just get on with my work. Nonetheless, I do think about it. For example, what is worth more, an average pair of shoes or handbag, a nice meal for two in a restaurant, or a painting. This painting could last many generation (a rare object indeed today) or may just end up in the waste bin.
[whohit]-Corso Vittorio Emanuele II_EN-[/whohit]
