[Today’s featured artwork for Day 20 of the 365 Days Project is by Carpin.]
The greatest works of art have integrity: they are created from deep experience and knowledge, inspired by curiosity and ignited by passion.
#20 – One of the secrets to producing great artwork – create from what you know.
I sometimes wonder what my art would have looked like if I had started working as a professional in my twenties. It definitely would have been more superficial, lacking the rich depth of the work I’m creating now. I had no clue who I was at that age; I needed to live more, to experience more.
The artists I know who create extraordinary work are those who have a deep understanding of their subject, their materials, their color palette. It might take years to develop as they travel down many paths or they might hit their stride in their youth.
My own artistic research brought me back to my childhood. I always felt comfortable wandering in the woods, even at a very young age. I pushed that aside to live in a city, but something kept pulling me back to my rural roots. After years of travel and city life, I moved back to my small hometown to reconnect with the organic forms, textures and earthy colors I knew from my youth. My work changed drastically. I set up a permanent studio in the old homestead where I grew up, nestled in the foothills of the mountains I knew as a child, where I can still go to wander in the woods.
I soon realized that this deep foundation for genuine work cannot be learned intellectually or merely copied. It has to be experienced.
“A painting should contain more experience than simply intended statement.”
Jasper Johns
Carpin’s artwork can be viewed at Carpin.
The 365 Days Project
In 2012, Serena Kovalosky committed to writing an article a day for 365 days as an exploration into the lives of artists and the value of creative thinking in our society.
Experience the full evolution of the project! Click below to read the entire collection of articles.
Descriptions of the images included in this post:
Patichu, kamarádi! (Quiet, my friend!)
Carpin, Czech Republic
Oil on canvas
Krčma (Tavern)
Carpin, Czech Republic
Oil on canvas
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