PAINTING ENERGY

This book presents 100 pieces of the author's art along with his comments about how his work conveys the energy within his paintings. Authentic works of art are more than an instant gratification to the viewer -- it unleashes energy within the mind that reveals new discoveries and new ideas.  


One of the most important concepts needed to understand painting is simply this: unlike a snapshot, a thoughtful painting allows us to see several points of view simultaneously.  Painting is not an instant gratification snap, it is the visual image of a thought process which heads in an unexpected direction far from an original impression.


A painting presents a visual theme, and then explores colorful variations upon it.


A painting results from a consideration of how matter, light, color and thought combine.  Since modern times, painting has become “cubist,” that is, it is a process which treasures analysis over first impressions.  A painting can offer a pleasant tactile experience, but, beyond that, it also challenges sensual perception.  To be authentic, a painting must be the reverse of instant gratification…


The title of this book, then, refers to energy not in the sense of exertion, but the energy of thought.  An alternate title could be Synapses in the Process of Firing, a process which surprisingly results in the discovery of a new idea.  A pleasant physical reaction to color and shape develops into something more—a change inside.