As an artist, saying goodbye to my artworks is par for the course. It’s not always easy. The painting ‘Trunks’ took a long time to finish. I kept it on the easel for about 12 months. It became part of the studio furniture. Each time I knew what to add, I worked on the painting. Stroke by stroke, layer by layer.

Over time, ‘Trunks’ came together into my best, and most loved work. It felt like this was my signature work. It was the first painting I wanted everyone to see. I really didn’t want to part with it. Yet I put it in exhibitions, decided to place it for sale, and it sold.

Thankfully, the person who bought the painting was moving interstate, and asked if I could keep it until she was settled. So I had a long time to adjust to the idea of it leaving the studio. Even so, it was hard to package up the painting for interstate delivery.

Connections

Parting with ‘Trunks’ was made so much easier because the buyer was a friend and neighbour who saw it evolve. She saw the same references to our shared bushland environment: the light, the colours and the reflections on water. I knew the painting had layers of meaning for her, as it did for me. This isn’t always the case.

The Eye of the Beholder

Creative work, both visual art and creative writing, is interpreted differently by every viewer, every reader. Each person brings their own experience, their own symbolism, their own triggers, their own aesthetic. A buyer may see my paintings completely differently than I do. I’ll never know what it is they see, or how it will fit into their life. I’m only grateful they saw something, and connected with it.

When I consider all of the above, it brings home the importance of painting what I feel. Genuine connections with my work are what I seek. It can take many forms, but ultimately it’s a connection between one human and another. I hope it’s a meaningful, joyful connection.