This painting is the result of several experiences : The physical act of flying in a small aircraft close to the ground, rushing over the landscape, the photos taken on that experience, the memories of the flight, the music I listened to as I painted ,the palette of my childhood in Africa.
This painting is also a result of years of painting, experimenting, failing and succeeding, taking chances, pushing boundaries and learning to listen to my hearts desire. I used to want to paint like others. I poured over paintings of the masters, worked alongside artists I admired, coveted their eye, their skill, their tools. I wanted the brushes they had, the easel they used, the paints they liked. Yet still, I did not paint like them. I painted like me.
Maya Angelou said something like ” If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” Powerful stuff.
So I changed they way I thought about myself. I let myself take risks, go down paths I was unsure of, tried new things, stopped doing things that were not helpful ( comparison is the death of joy) and painted whatever I wanted to paint. I celebrate the bad paintings as much as I do the good ones because I learn from each and every one of them. To me, there is no such thing as a bad painting, just a lesson that has been learned.
Artists are hard on themselves and I am no different, but mindful thinking and being open to opportunity and learning, following your heart and being prepared to fail in order to succeed is the key.
Painting for me is now about more than what I see. It is about how I feel, how I have felt, how I remember, how I imagine, how I want my world to be, a bit of magic and some very good music.
“Sway”
Oil on Canvas 30″x 40″
I painted this after painting several paintings inspired by a flight in a small , two seater aircraft over the New Zealand landscape. I also painted it listening to some glorious music, on repeat, allowing me to enter a meditative state. I used the experience of several paintings under my belt, the music, my quiet rural environment and my delight at having a morning free to paint to influence me.
Image Credits
All Images Are © Jennie de Groot
Jennie de Groot Artist Bio
I am a modern impressionist painter. I paint from my home studio in New Zealand. I paint in oils , both in my studio and plein air. I am self taught.
Website: The Distracted Painter
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