The Painting With No label

When I began painting I began by painting only what I saw. In my opinion I was never ever very good at this, although friends used to argue with me all the time. I listened to other artists telling me about their painting experience, how engaged they became in the art they were producing. How I longed to feel this but no matter how I tried it never seemed to work. It was only when I gave seascapes a try that I began to understand what people were talking about. I so love the sound of the sea and I find standing on a beach alone watching the waves rolling in, touches me in the depths of my being.


I thought I would venture into the area of abstracts. The first thing I discovered was that they were not easy to paint. They called for a total commitment. That said they made me feel like nothing else I had ever experienced before. The big question was, and still is, could I convey this feeling and emotion to others.

Sometimes I did and sometimes I failed miserably. Somebody said to me about yesterdays abstract that had it not got the title I had given it they would have been totally lost. I know that feeling. This particular abstract I painted while listening to Dmitry Shostakovich, Jazz Variations. I painted in a total mist of emotion.

Friends who saw it had so many ideas of what they saw in it I decided to leave it without a label other than, “I am whatever you say I am.” This one stirred up loads of emotion like, dislike. One particular person fell in love with it. His words not mine. He had been made redundant and life was not treating him well. He tells me he still gets pleasure sitting on his own late at night looking at it in subdued light, the best gift he ever had.

A year later, it still has no label.

I discuss labels onmy musing on my other blog:-The Fidget