As artists we are given the gift of holding a soul in our hands with each subject. Whether it be that of a fallen tree or a clear blue sky, it is the soul of our subject that inspires us. Our choices of colors, which brush feels best - it’s all being revealed through the soul of our subject.
A model may reveal their body, but it is their soul we are looking for as we work. A face, weathered with age, wears it in the wrinkles that came from years of smiles, or frowns of worry and pain. As artists we are given the privilege of seeing and holding it. It is when we understand that privilege that we also realize it is our own soul we seek, too. While on that hunt to capture a likeness of our feelings we also reveal their kinship to others and the gift of a greater understanding of the world.
Our purpose isn't in the green of the trees or the rosiness of those cheeks that we hold so important, it is in knowing who we are. A clear vision of ourselves forms on our canvas or in the watercolors that run across our paper, and that is our prize and reward. The ribbons, the gold medals, those huge checks are all incidental compared to those feelings that come from within when we see who we are in this world.
