There was a time when all of my attention was put into my art. I was literally living, eating, breathing art. I had a such a sense of urgency and I have come to learn that my creative verve was quite normal for that stage of my development. When I began painting I had little knowledge of the discipline, or the materials. I was anti gallery, anti establishment. I had a tonne of talent, albeit undisciplined, and was very ambitious. Now some ten years later I have mellowed out on that a little bit, the urgency that drove me to create at a feverish pace morphed into a meditative state, painting calmly and expressing a bigger picture than just my own two cents. I have come to realize that although the world seems fast, nothing really does happen overnight, and when it comes to discipline, that never really goes away. I recommend you study painters, living and otherwise, and similar to a writer rewriting his favourite novel, explore the language, and with stamina and some gumption, find your own voice, made solid by a foundation of mentors, teachers and wisdom. Painting for painting’s sake is healing to the practitioner, if you are interested in making art that speaks to the human spirit, or evokes emotion from a viewer, as I am, than be prepared to put in the work, be prepared for rejection, be prepared for the chance of doubt, and keep a good head space as best you can throughout and you will see your work come into a wonderful fruition.

fotoMahaloness – at work in he studio back in the day circa 2005