While walking the dogs this morning I had an epiphany. I look forward to my routine walks with our two dogs and so do they. They love the freedom of wandering free over our Central New York farm fields following the various scents that cross their paths. In my own way I am doing the same thing, following wandering thoughts that are crossing my mind. Every once in a while I have an epiphany and I had one of these “ah ha” moments the other day.



I found myself thinking about what makes me different from the abstract artist and as I was thinking about that, the path I was walking on split in two and it was at that junction that I had my “ah ha” moment.

There are two types of artists, those who paint pictures of places with feeling and those who paint feelings into pictures. I fall into the first category. I paint places that exist with feeling. They are places that either I have been to or places I long to go to. I paint what I see realistically, grass is grass, a tree is a tree and water is water. My goal is to bring to life all of the emotions and beauty of an actual place to the canvas.

The second kind of artist, the abstract artist, paints feelings into pictures. These paintings come from the mind, they are abstract thoughts, thoughts portrayed with use of random colors and shapes which evoke different feelings and emotions depending on the thoughts of the one viewing the painting.

For me there is a sense of security in painting what one knows a connection with what I know exists. Perhaps the second type of artist dreams more and is less connected with the Earth. It’s going to take another long walk to figure that one out.


While walking the dogs this morning I had an epiphany. I look forward to my routine walks with our two dogs and so do they. They love the freedom of wandering free over our Central New York farm fields following the various scents that cross their paths. In my own way I am doing the same thing, following wandering thoughts that are crossing my mind. Every once in a while I have an epiphany and I had one of these “ah ha” moments the other day.

I found myself thinking about what makes me different from the abstract artist and as I was thinking about that, the path I was walking on split in two and it was at that junction that I had my “ah ha” moment.

There are two types of artists, those who paint pictures of places with feeling and those who paint feelings into pictures. I fall into the first category. I paint places that exist with feeling. They are places that either I have been to or places I long to go to. I paint what I see realistically, grass is grass, a tree is a tree and water is water. My goal is to bring to life all of the emotions and beauty of an actual place to the canvas.

The second kind of artist, the abstract artist, paints feelings into pictures. These paintings come from the mind, they are abstract thoughts, thoughts portrayed with use of random colors and shapes which evoke different feelings and emotions depending on the thoughts of the one viewing the painting.

For me there is a sense of security in painting what one knows a connection with what I know exists. Perhaps the second type of artist dreams more and is less connected with the Earth. It’s going to take another long walk to figure that one out.