The Fleeting Beauty Of Personal Experience
Jackson Square Pigeons
Every so often I begin a new painting not knowing or caring about what is driving me toward a particular subject matter or artistic expression. I just get to work and let it happen.
As I was stretching a new linen canvas, I got the urge to paint a composition with a few pigeons, so I started the piece, first drawing one pigeon at a time with a graphite stick, then painting a little and adding more pigeons where I saw fit. I let it develop organically, never really intending to include more than five birds or so.
As the artwork was developing, there at my easel I began to feel a child-like joy. I took a step back and wondered what It was I was experiencing, then memories of the days spent feeding pigeons in Jackson Square were flooding my brain.
It was the whole adventure that was exciting really. Making my way to the French Quarter from our home in Metairie, buying a bag of cracked corn from Central Grocery on Decatur Street, and then feeding the pigeons until the bag was empty which was always too soon. I spent a lot of time outdoors as a child and this was the only situation where birds came to me instead of keeping a safe distance. I remember being just enthralled, and thats how I felt staring at my new painting in progress.
I list the "fleeting beauty of personal experience" as one of my biggest influences, and I'm still learning what my own words mean.
"Jackson Square Pigeons" | Oil on Linen | 24 X 36 Inches