I get asked a lot why I use a sword
Spoiler alert…it’s fun!
My Process
I use swords…
Painting with a brush taped to the end of a sword isn’t easy, and I get asked a lot WHY I use a sword. The simplest answer is that it is fun! It also allows me to literally step back and focus on the things that I believe are important in a given image, and release some control over the creative process. Some paintings like to exist to amuse themselves, while others take themselves entirely too seriously. As an artist, I have very little control over how serious a painting wants to become, the sword allows me to exist as a conduit for inspiration, as opposed to an oppressor attempting to exert external control. The result is lovely gestural brushstrokes, bold colors, and what I believe is an essence of feeling. It's wonderful. I love doing it.
But there is a deeper reason for swordplay in the studio. The truth is that we spend so much energy striving for perfection that could be spent elsewhere. We believe that we should be something more or other than what we are, and we believe that we should have control over every aspect of our lives (and art). I know I'm guilty of falling prey to the ever present expectation vs reality dilemma.
The sword is a constant reminder that the only thing I can truly control is myself. Our environment, the people we interact with, the conflicts we face, even our own physical bodies at times are all external elements. We can work hard to make all those things work in our favor but at the end of the day, there will always be factors we cannot control.
Nothing I ever create will be perfect. It is silly of me to ever have the expectation that it will be. But I try anyway. We all do.
HOWEVER, no matter how good I get with the sword I NEVER expect that it will be perfect. In fact, the complete opposite. Every time I pick up the sword I expect that things will be a complete disaster. How could they not be? There are just too many factors.
And you know what? That's when the expectations drop, that's when I can be free, and have fun. That's when I can embrace the chaos, the unexpected, and that's when the magic happens.
You've got the magic too, and it isn't because you are perfect. It is because you are chaotic, and flawed, and a work of art. Embrace it.
I'm very much at the whim of inspiration and different thoughts, reference images, children's toys, etc. inspire me in different ways, and I do my best to ride the wave wherever it carries me. If I hadn't given in to inspiration and taken some chances, some truly wonderful pieces wouldn't exist today. I've found that when you give yourself to inspiration and embrace those things that may seem silly, or outlandish, or unexpected, that inspiration gives back to you 10 fold.
Collaboration
…and my Kids.
Painting with swords isn’t all I do, and the sword isn’t my only secret weapon to staying loose and feeling free in the studio. The other occasionally present element of chaos in my workspace is my children. I first let my kiddos “help” with a painting when my oldest was just under two years old.
A child’s instinct for art is incredible. I learn daily from the freedom of expression, the choice of technique, and the choice of color used by my children when they enter the studio. My oldest, Keaton, has assisted me with MANY backgrounds over the last year, and quite a few pieces in my portfolio maintain some of their brushstrokes, fingerprints, and influences. My youngest still has some gross and fine motor skills to master before we move onto paint brushes (or swords), but I look forward to seeing what I’ll learn from them once they are ready.
Outside of literally putting brush to canvas to contribute, my children are constantly inspiring new pieces of art. They remind me to stay positive, playful, and open to the unexpected. I would not be able to do the work that I do without their incredible influence.
