Motivation takes many forms. When a commission is due, I paint because someone is counting on me to deliver the finished product. When I am working on a gift for a family member, the motivation to paint comes from a different place - a place that involves emotion. When shows or exhibits are coming up, paintings need to be completed and prepared for public consumption.
What about painting for the sake of just painting? Very often this involves lots of experimentation with new materials, new ideas. Some of the very best work comes from this type of motivation. It has a sense of the spontaneous, a freshness.
Since before the holidays, I have not painted for paintings sake - nor have I painted at all! Who knows why? I guess I just needed to take a break - do some photography for a while. I now feel like I can move on and get my hands smeared with those wonderful colours again.
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