Why Paint? Why Not?

My art exhibition has ended. There were forty paintings. Two paintings were sold. Fortunately they were two of the more expensive paintings. I can afford more canvases and paint now. That is all that really matters.

Here is a portrait of Mia the German Shepherd I recently painted. I am quite pleased with it. Not entirely though. I never am. I once explained this lack of a satisfaction in my work to someone who asked, by telling her, if I thought my work was perfect I might give up trying. I am not sure if this was an honest answer. I have never found a reason to explain why I paint except that I enjoy it. I have heard some artists explaining their work and it almost always leaves me feeling confused.

Mia German Shepherd Bain
Oil on canvas
16in x 12in

I once painted a still life of a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine and a tin of sardines. That's all it was. A still life. Someone remarked that it reminded him of Jesus and the feeding of the five thousand. So that is what it became; an allegorical (I hope that's the right word) painting. But truthfully it really was just a still life. Others paintings I have done have also taken on a meaning only after they were finished. As far as I was concerned they were just paintings I wanted to do.

Of course I have painted scenes that meant something, such as moments from my childhood for example. But in the main, as I say, I paint because I want to paint.

This painting is the first one done on the 'new' easel I made from off-cuts and an old table. It worked well. Saved myself a lot of money too. New studio easels are expensive.

Mia is fed up with posing.