Taking Inspiration From The Past
Oil on panel, 5×5 inches, 2021 (Prints are available)
“How could I have done that differently?”
If you’re like me, it’s a pretty common question.
It’s more emotionally charged than just a simple memory, though hopefully not to the point of being burdened with regret.
Just an honest assessment of how you would have acted then given what you know now.
As a painter, I find myself asking that a lot.
Every week on social media, I post a few of my older paintings, and that requires looking at them long enough to think of a few words to say.
Oil on linen, 8×10 inches, 2007
Some of these paintings are more than a dozen years old, and I always find myself thinking about how I would paint them differently today.
Recently, though, instead of thinking about it, I decided to do it.
This week’s painting isn’t a copy of any older painting in particular, but instead it’s inspired by a series of pieces I did in 2007 and 2008 – some of the first paintings that I still think are good enough to share with others.
Oil on linen, 6×5 inches, 2008
It was a great experience and a rich lesson. For better or worse – probably both – we live in a world that encourages constant innovation and change.
It’s good to keep seeking and keep growing.
But it’s even better to balance that with what worked well from the past.
I finish between 1 and 4 paintings every month, and show them to my subscribers first.
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