Explaining the philosophy behind ones art is not an easy task. Words are just a regimented method of communication with a set of diverse rules and complexity that sometimes leads to misunderstanding and confusion. And when we read a page of words what we are actually seeing is a picture of marks on paper that our brain translates into meaning.

Pictures, on the other hand, are deciphered almost immediately. Unlike words, we can see the world with stereoscopic eyes in a three-dimensional image. Cave paintings of animals and people were around long before written language.

When we paint a scene it’s generally two-dimensional. With a ‘flatness’ that has been debated, argued and speculated upon by artists and critics since painting began.

Expressing an idea or need to put emotion and meaning into a painting has motivated a lot of artistic movements and techniques – so much so that art has evolved, developed and mutated along many branches.

And then of course the viewer has to interpret the artist’s message in order to understand those intentions and feel of emotion.

To my mind that is why abstract art has developed as it has.  It can be bewildering to the viewer without some form of explanation from the artist. A lot of abstract artworks are personal to the artist – and quite often, especially in spontaneous and expressive works, even they cannot explain what the subject is. But that doesn’t matter. The act of creation, however produced, becomes the art.

I need to have that spark of an idea, a concept, an emotional outpouring that can be designed, planned and executed to reach an understanding audience. My works are not an expressive, feverish or energetic smashing paint onto a canvas.

I’m not an ‘action’ painter. My art creation is more of a soapbox and therapy session. I suppose this is me wanting to have order and meaning and rules for my artworks so that the viewer can ‘read’ the message. I like to portray things in all dimensions and viewpoints including time – but on a two-dimensional canvas.

So the fundamental, and somewhat boring, question ; what is art?

Critics debate and ponder endlessly on this question. And some came up with a definitive answer: Art is a large work on display within a gallery.

To which my answer is; art is anything created by an artist. Which is just as boring.

My advice to the viewer; if they think it’s art, then it must be so. Enjoy.