There’s a curious moment that occurs once in a while for an artist. And if I’m honest, they’re the moments I create for because they are so completely rewarding. The moment a collector connects with a painting on such a deep level that it’s declared to be something they need to own. I’ve reflected on this moment many times and had the opportunity to ask some of my collectors what happens for them. They often reveal that it’s a special kind of recognition- the painting reminds them of something important. That ‘something’ can range wildly from reminding them of a difficult time they’ve overcome- a state they wish never to return to and the painting holds a power to remind them, to a sanctuary of calm and beauty, the ‘something’ more akin to an aspiration than a memory- it just feels good to look at. Whatever draws a collector to that moment of connection what I’ve discovered resonates deeply is my own honesty as a creative. Each painting I create has a vulnerable part of my own experience or thinking imbued in the paint. I like to think my collectors can sense that openness to express my experience and perhaps see their own reflected in the imagery I’ve created.
In this way, being an artist has a kind of sacredness to it. Like a secret language we can share, our ways of being in the world can be shared, in a captured sense, on canvas.
Why do you collect or aspire to collect art? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.