When you know, you know Painting

I paint today from a very personal standpoint and entirely from my imagination (in contrast to my previous approach (using photographs/sitters, etc). I have no plan whatsoever when first going into a painting - which can make a blank canvas a rather daunting thing. I really have no idea what’s about to come out. I don’t even plan on capturing a person/character (although I normally end up doing so) which makes it a very special moment for me when a character pops out seemingly from nowhere. As weird as it feels to write, it’s like meeting an old friend for the first time. And it can be a pretty special moment when that happens. The way this painting came together was a very special moment for me. As is normally the case, the initial layers (over the period of two or three weeks) were doing my head in - for want of a better phrase. On the day of the final layer, two figures emerged and I immediately knew what the painting was about - having had a conversation with someone a day before about the term ‘When you know, you know’. It’s worth noting that the preceding layers are far from lost… I see many hidden details including partially formed text and sentences. And the texture benefits greatly. There’s a lot to be said about trusting the process! Following the creation of the final layer, I sat back and smiled, taking it in, for quite some time. Often, painting can feel like a fight (and all of the emotions that go with that), and I immediately connected with this one as soon as I’d put the brush down. It means a great deal to me.