Why?-- Art School and Toddlers

Why? -- Art School and Toddlers

I've discovered that going to art school is a bit like hanging out with a two-year-old. The commonality? Regularly being asked, "Why?"

And in my case at the moment, regularly not having the answer.

I have painted in a from-the-gut way for the last several years. I sketch things that come to me. Then, I paint them. Sometimes, I'll have a feeling or experience I'm trying to convey. Just as often, it's simply instinctual or images from my subconscious.

Apparently, this is not the way of serious art. Or at least the way of art school. I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet. But, in an art school environment, one is expected to have an objective with his or her artwork. And then to make choices -- every detailed choice-- in support of that objective.

Why this color? Why these lines? Why lines in this direction? Why all this texture? Why this size canvas? Why canvas at all?

Looking at my art in this way is a brave new world. It's a world of questions, and hopefully, eventually, answers. I have a lot to think about. This one simple word, "why." It feels a little frustrating, and frankly, a bit paralyzing. It's hard to know which foot to put forward. Or which tube of paint to reach for, or which type of brushstroke to make.

But it also feels like it could be an adventure.

Part of me would like to stick with the whatever-comes-to-me approach. But now, I suspect that what comes to me is bound to be different. Simply because a door's been opened, and I've been asked to think about it.

For now, I'm pondering the question. I'm curious to see what answers I'll come up with, and if I find an increasing sense of a "why."