My latest painting, In search of the muse, took me eight months and about 500 hours to complete. That's a lot of time sitting in a darkened studio, looking at a bunch of stuff collected from junk stores. Is it worth it?
I recently read that the average time a person in a museum looks at a painting is only 17 seconds. That's not much to get a sense of what a piece might mean or why the artist created it. There's a movement that advocates for slowing down and engaging more mindfully with art. It's centered around a global event each year called Slow Art Day when people are encouraged to not just look at art but to really see it. A lot goes into creating a work of art, even one that looks simple, and spending time trying to understand it can have a profound effect.
My paintings aren't just made slowly, they are made to be enjoyed slowly. They are full of details and symbolism that tell a story. My hope is that when you look at one of them, it triggers curiosity and inspires you to discover how you connect with it.
