I came across some old critiques from my intro to painting course back in undergrad. I believe this was from 1999 where I learned to stretch my own canvases and paint at a larger scale using oils. It was a learning curve for me but I am thoroughly grateful for it. Some of the lessons I learned didn’t kick in until decades later. What some pointed out in their critiques was that I have a (unintended) focus on singular objects. I never wanted to work on complex compositions, not because I found it more challenging, I just found it claustrophobic. To this very day, even when I work on a portrait or tattoo, I require a certain amount of “air” or space present in my work. That space is not empty to me, it is full of energy that I can feel. I believe it to be implied when one is looking at it. Nonetheless, it feels very uncomfortable for me when I break this harmony and peace with something, for the sake of it just being there. I find this in my furniture tastes, where I am likely to get very minimal and basic black book shelves for everything. Or how I can feel it when someone is standing what I consider to be too close to me (which is typically a normal distance for most). Interesting to look back and see it has always been there. Icons.
