Why Do I Paint

 

Why Do I Paint?

---

Why do you paint?

I paint to enjoy the joy of creativity and also to relax. Painting is not my profession. Its my passion. By profession I am a Software Engineer. After spending most of my thinking, energy and time working on the computer, I try to relax. The creation of a good painting gives me lot of enjoyment and makes me more energetic even when I am tired.

Artists dislike talking about an underlying philosophy in their art, but consciously or not, it is there. What about your philosophy? What is it?

I think my philosophy is realism. When I see anything that is beautiful, first thing that I think of is recreating it in my painting.

Are there any personal references that continue reappearing in your work? Describe.

Yes. People and nature continue to reappear in my work. I enjoy mostly doing portraits and landscapes.

What is difficult for you (in painting)? Describe.

I think the most difficult thing for me in painting is: I can't start a painting without having a reference or without making up my mind about what the final outcome would be. It requires me to do some groundwork before I start painting. I can't imagine something and start painting instantaneously. I need some kind of reference- a real object, model, landscape, photograph or at least a clear picture in my mind.

What do you look for in a "good" painting?

First thing that I look for is 'the richness'. The richness of a painting could be either in color, contrast or texture. I also try to look for the meaning the artist tried to convey through the painting, whether I get it or not.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Giri