From the beginning, school was an uncomfortable scenario for me. I did, however, love two things, running around at recess pretending to be Wonder Woman (the Lynda Carter version to be exact), and the art-making portion of class.
When art time came in class I got very enthused, stood at my desk, created more than one piece of art at a time, and felt comfortable, happy, and fulfilled. A contrast to the rest of the day, feeling anxious, shy, and generally out-of-place.
Not much has changed since preschool. Standing in front of a surface, making marks, is my home. It’s where I belong. Painting is what I was born to do. It's the time of day, I feel at ease, relaxed, and calm.
Choosing to honor this art-making practice in my life has not always been easy. Despite the risks, I made the choice to live the life of an artist. The life I was meant to live. It's not a very practical lifestyle. It's not a very convenient life, but it's important for me to honor painting as something I have to do in this life. My paintings, and my teachings of painting are what I'll leave behind.
I paint, therefore I am… That's all.
Thank you for reading.
M
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