december-movement

Movement is an important part of any painting. There must be some kind of path for the eye to follow to be intriguing. It seems to me, we are addicted to movement and crave it as the essence of life. Our world is in constant movement so movement is the norm, while true stillness is actually nonexistent in our physical life. Even when I am staying completely still, life is moving. Even in the stillest meditation or soundest sleep, there is momentum driving every molecule of existence into some kind of dance. I wonder about the concept of stillness within this paradigm. As I paint, I witness my thoughts moving through my mind; my body moving with some kind of natural rhythm; my paintbrush creating evidence of life’s creative process. The moment is changing as each brushstroke changes, and I remember the saying, change is the only constant.

I move through this world guided by some unknown momentum. I have never doubted that I am living for a reason, so I trust this momentum. A willingness to experience life fully often overwhelms me. While painting today, I found myself scattered by my own momentum. I found myself wanting to try so many new ideas that I could not focus on just one. I may be influenced by the holiday craze that is building, my up coming show, or I may simply be carried away by my own creativity. This is not the first time I have felt like I cannot keep up with myself. Today I tried a few paint experiments that failed (if there is such a thing)… and yet I did not slow down. I chose not to fight it. I decided it was okay to explode with whatever is trying to burst out of me. I am reminded of fireworks or a nebula. This energy is grand and beyond logical explanation.

The movement I paint mirrors the movement I feel inside. The paintings I have worked on with this energy are catalysts of change. They carry a spark that is beyond me and beyond what I have ever experienced before. I never know which is which, am I creating the painting or is the painting creating me? Change is evident either way. It will, no doubt, be integrated with a soft acceptance and deep breath in the days to come; yet in this moment, I celebrate all that is moving and changing. It is a spectacular and dynamic adventure that wants to be seen.

Creatively, Britten