Thank You

Things have been tight all over; a lot of very experienced and well established artists have had to scale back their painting, and some have even hung up their brushes. I feel lucky because I am actually doing more of everything – workshops, demonstrations, lectures, painting, and it is completely due to the people that have been so supportive of my work. Things are tight of course, they are for most everyone, but I have been able to keep working towards my dream. I don’t know how it is for other artists, but the people that are interested in my art are a tenacious bunch. I put so much of myself into my art; it seems like when someone connects with it they are actually connecting with me as well – at least I like to think so; I guess I’m saying that it makes me feel connected, and that is a good feeling to have.

When I say support I don’t just mean the purchasing of my art, which of course is always a special event for me, but it is the positive energy and feelings that I receive through email and talking with people. Art is a visceral thing for me – it is not only the way that I express myself, but it is also the way that I have come to see the world. I don’t have the luxury or even the inclination to ever stop painting. It would be like a sighted person saying something like, “I not going to see today, I mean I saw all day yesterday – I’m tired of it.” That just sounds silly. Painting for me has become the way in which I know the world; I never feel quite as connected as when I have a paintbrush in my hand. I feel a person’s face – I see them in my mind, and then I try and recreate that image as clearly as I can in paint. For me, it is more than a means of seeing a person – it is more like I come to know them in a much deeper way. It is a way that allows me to praise all of the good things in my life, and to deal with the negative aspects as well.

I see the support that people give me as a gift, and one that I am trying to work hard to earn so that one day I can feel like I deserve all of the warm thoughts that have come to me. I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you because art is a wonderful and beautiful thing, but it can also be grueling and leave you feeling somewhat isolated. As a non-visual person in the visual arts you might think that I would feel that way at times, alone I mean, but I never have. I have always felt like I had a group of people right there with me giving me their support. Thank you.