Artist Rant

John Mayer

Dave Matthews

And Bono

I had the joy of being able to work on some paintings today. Some honest-to-God real media paintings. What I've posted above are crappy pictures taken with my phone but I was so thrilled to be able to work with real paint for the first time since the Spring semester that I just had to share.

While I was working on these paintings, I of course had ample time just to think, and something occurred to me. A lot of artists and art forms are changing. They're going from traditional to digital media at a steady marching pace with digital artists in higher demand by a greater number of clients. I've done digital work all summer, especially while working at my summer job as a graphic artist, and I have to say that the traditional experience was shockingly different.

I find that working on the computer can be a huge distraction and I'm always wanting to check my Email or the weather or CNN.com or any number of dumb websites I frequent. But in the studio, I had all the time in the world and nothing to distract me from my work. Working on a bare canvas in a quiet environment was so much more intimate, peaceful, and liberating. It was just myself and the painting, and I found myself lovingly stroking the surface with my brush, rapt by the texture of the canvas and the blossoming colors it took.

I am not demeaning digital media by any means and I believe that neither medium is superior, but I have to encourage all artists out there to take up a brush every once in a while. If you're having a stressful day or you can't seem to settle down, break away from the screen and settle down with a canvas. Take some time out for yourself and your art to be intimate and bond. Playing around in traditional media is like making love to art itself, using your own hands to bring pleasure and satisfaction to yourself and your 'partner'. Digital media makes things somewhat impersonal, like using a toy for sex instead of your natural, beautiful body.

Agree or disagree, like what I have to say or not, I think we can all benefit from some traditional media play every now and then.