I let go of everything I know Painting

The title, ‘I let go of everything I know’ is a play on the process of the creation of this Abstract piece. I had the intention of creating a series of Abstracts using only shades of black and white and with this lack of colour, only creating simple shapes - this is how this piece started. Underneath the many layers that now exist, there are two rectangles, one is white and one is black. It wasn’t that I didn’t like where it was going, because I did, it looked aesthetically good, but it didn’t challenge me, it felt really safe, almost like it was a piece of art you’d buy from Ikea or similar, it was decorative art, it felt unimaginative and very commercial. Nothing wrong with these things but not a place I am in right now with my creative process. So I let go, I let go of everything I know. I wanted to begin a change. There can be a real comfort zone for artists. I can easily get stuck in what I know and forget that most of my work has been born in these moments of new beginnings & letting go. So after I made the decision to rework the painting, rather than starting a fresh canvas, because, a) I didn’t feel comfortable with selling a piece to someone that could have bought something similar in a ‘decorative’ store! and b) I wanted this to be a hidden layer in the finished piece - it becomes part of the story. I had to first of all admit to myself that I had been letting my mind lead the process, once I could do this and let go, I was able to let the process lead me, in some parts I let the complete lack of process lead me, which is also a valuable lesson in letting go. But the most valuable piece here for me, was quietening the mind and letting the heart lead me. When I say the heart, it could be the soul or any of the terminology one might use for that higher part of ourselves. This is flow for me, being in the zone, this is my place and I am completely awake and alive when I am here. I didn’t have a reference or a narrative or a brief, often I’ll work from a photograph or an idea i’ve jotted or sketched. What was interesting and often is in these places of creation, is the powerful feelings, emotions and energy I feel. I do believe there is some form of energetic connection we have to each other, the earth and living things we share the planet with. It is in these moments that I feel the most connected to this place. This was a lesson for me in opening myself up again, losing judgement and allowing things to flow, losing the resistance to change - ‘begin change’, two words stencilled into this piece. There is a lot in this artwork and there is more than one story to tell, but it makes sense, there is a clear narrative running through it, whether that be my version or yours or neither of ours? I’m in no rush to sell this piece, it’s hanging on my wall, an unusual accolade these days, I need a bit more time with it as there are a number of things it still needs to tell me.

Painting:Acrylic on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:48 W x 36 H x 1.5 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.