Autumn, Loudoun County #3
oil on panel 8" x 10"
"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart
that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
It seems to me that this line from "The Little Prince", r elates to the state of mind one must enter into when painting - a kind of faith that what one feels before a subject is most important. Of course, seeing with the heart requires one to be immersed in the sensory experience of the place in order to feed the heart or spirit. A necessary freedom from the 'things' before the painter coupled with an abandoning of concern for finished product are both necessary. This all reminds me of a saying - 'In order to make art one must have the mind of a scientist, the openness of a child, and the the heart of an explorer.'
Enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment or an observation.
I wonder if the artist is compelled to record an image which left an indelible impression on his/her soul ... as if they fear they may never see such wonder again, temporal, fleeting, never bearing repetition. I am reminded of that exchange in Wilder's OUR TOWN:
ReplyDeleteEMILY: "Does anyone ever realize life while they live it...every, every minute?"
STAGE MANAGER: "No. Saints and poets maybe...they do some.”