New, new, new

Flower sketch
watercolour, acrylic and black marker on
Arches watercolour paper
Barbara Muir © 2009

In North America we are obsessed with new, which is why
13 year old girls get modelling jobs in glossy fashion
magazines. They are new -- barely hatched. What I
loved about Europe when we visited England, Sweden and
Germany a couple of years ago was this deep sense
of history -- a very hard feeling to acquire in a country
that is only officially 142 years old (Canada).

I think art has always moved forward ineluctably,
because artists have to live with themselves and
work by themselves. Corragio (courage) is a
requisite job definition. New matters. The
dilemma is balancing the need for new, with
the need for meaning. Some new art like the
thirteen year old with the glossy face, is
immature. The adolescent model will
grow up, maybe use her wonderful money to
study medicine, etymology or even art. In the
case of superficial "fashionable" art, a worse
fate may be waiting. That of the dumpster. But
that gets us into a whole other question.

Do you paint with the hope of an artistic legacy, or to
satisfy your desire to make something today?
I love what Edward B. Gordon, the prolific and
wonderful blog painter said. He paints to
improve his craft, not to be a great artist.
His craft grabs the viewer immediately. His
paintings resonate, delight and satisfy. They
are both new, and steeped in practice over
time -- he's long past the 900 days of new paintings
in a row point, and still painting something glorious
every day. So I say -- new maybe -- but
craft -- Yes!

Have an enjoying-learning-your-craft day.