What Your Approach to Painting Says About Your Fears and Doubts

Devin Smith

What revelation takes place when a tech-savvy graphic designer revisits the world of paint and canvass? Guest blogger, graphic artist and ALFG subscriber Devin Smith shares a recent encounter that says that the way  you live can be seen in the way you approach your work:

…Dread
So the other day I was in the garage getting ready to put the brush back to paintings that I haven’t touched in a long time due to the level of work it takes to make progress on a canvas that’s bigger than me… by a lot!
It’s been over a year, and I have realized that the reason that I have dreaded working on these paintings is the fact that I get tired of fighting. “Fighting?” That’s right. Fighting. What am I fighting? Everything.

…Control
When I step into that garage, the fight bell rings and I put up my dukes. Why do I fight so hard? Because I’m afraid of the outcome of almost every stroke. So much so that sometimes I just sit back and stare at the paintings without making a move. When it comes to traditional media, you work with paint at different consistencies. I don’t care how skilled you are, you don’t have the power to control every movement of the paint.

…Doubt
Suddenly, BAM! God starts to show me that my problem with painting isn’t really a problem with painting. It’s a problem with the way I have been living life in many areas: Afraid to make a move because I’m afraid of messing up. It’s a lot like swimming to me. I still don’t know how to swim that well because I’m afraid of just trusting the water to keep me afloat.  As long as I just flow with it instead of fight against it, I’m OK. It’s the same way with God. The only thing we need to know is that as long as we flow with Him, the outcome is going to be a masterpiece, even if things don’t happen the way we originally envisioned.

So back to the painting. What did I envision in the first place, anyway? What was my desired result? All I ever wanted was to create a masterpiece. When I stop and think about it, I don’t really care how I get there. I just want to know that the end is going to be the best that it can be—that it will be done just the way God Himself would want it done. So what else is left then?

“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better” -Andre Gide
By Devin Smith
Be sure to visit Devin’s website at ArtOfDevin.com

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