What's the Point?

I'm middle aged.  That means that part of me wants to explore everything, from Japanese quiting to playing clasical ukulele to living in a trailer (a fancy one though) because I have an aged-base visceral knowing that the clock is ticking and evernually I will not only be old but REALLY old!

At the same time, I hear this cracking voice, a raggity guy drinking under the stairs, my mother in law "expert opinion"...someone  barking..."  Its too expensive.  Stay home. . Spend your savings on a sprikler system", downsize, find some guy on-line.."  "Im too old, to tired too burdened too smart too too too.." and each croak is followed by the musical phrase   "Whats the point"?

I used to detest that phrase "what's the point?"  Most of the time it was, understandably, from a man, trying to weed through all the fuffy language and hemming and hawing I diished out .He was probably  honestly attmpting  to understand what I was trying to say.  Today,  I honor and appreciate the sincere ability  to "cut to the chase" but in earlier years I honestly didn't have a clue how to "cut to the chase", and only wanted "to be heard".  I used to read ""Whats the point? " as a brush off. Now I see it as a way to eliminate the unnecessary to get to the necessary.

In fact, the minimalist/color field painter Hans Hoffman said just that.."To get to the necessary you have to eliminate the unnecessary."  That line has always inspired me, but has also caused me difficulties.  There are two parts to Mr. Hoffman's notion...the first is the assumption that one actually knows the difference between the necessary and the un-needed.  The second part implies that one is able to eliminate the unnecessary..that is a hard thing to do...to erase, to let go.

You see, all of life's lessons can be learned through the act of painting. Paint over everythig you don't like (ouch?"), add what you think is needed, then paint over it again because you realize it is unimportant, and then you do that fifty times.  You may be back where you started but you are now warmed up and you have many past experiences caked in the memory bank of your seeminly pointless picture..You have who -knows -how many layers that have been painted over.  Start here.  You can't "do-over" or  eliminate the past, just use it to make your painting richer, deeper, more mysterious.

Life's continual lessons.  Learn about life by picking up a brush. That's the point

 

"Eliminate the Unnecessary"    Encaustic on Panel    10 10"     cynthia schilhauer