The secret gallery’s blog

Joseph Beuys said ‘Everyone is an Artist’, I agree with this statement and think that Joseph Bueys was a terrific Artist himself, and one of my greatest influences. Much of the art made since Beuys has the same sentiment; that everyone is an artist, yet it is often this very art that many people feel alienated from, or baffled by, it is such a paradox! I notice this with my own art sometimes. A reasonably skilfully drawn, recognisable and framed piece, where people feel that they could not technically draw it themselves is revered above the pieces that are more inventive, imaginative, creative, original, and playful, and there are many other qualities that can be associated with art and life which are available to everyone and you don’t need to go to art classes to get them! We work with what we have available to us at any given moment. As we change constantly so will our art. One day we can be present to making a certain type of art but the next it does not seem to fit where we are at that moment. Sometimes it may never fit!

If I do not have a steady hand to paint fine detail with precision or the temperament, this probably means that I wont be painting the fine intricate masts of the ships at sea, that I remember being in owe of as a child. However my strengths as an artist will be somewhere else, and the same applies to every single other person. Making art related to what you are passionate about and not faking it is a good start! Just because you like Rembrant, it does not mean you have to be like him and reproduce his work. Sometimes I am shocked by what I create and have to leave it for awhile to catch up with it, but this work-play helps me to grow; it is all part of the creative journey.