Intimations:  New work by Kristin Eames

 

Intimation: An indication or hint. The action of making something known, especially in an indirect way.

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So, you want to make a painting. Not just any painting, but a special one, a good one.  A painting that is inspired. A painting that has a life of its own, that almost vibrates off the canvas with an unmistakable, yet undefinable magic.

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Kind of a tall order. How do you express the mystery of life in a painting? You have ideas, you know what paintings you like. You come to your canvas with your education, skills, experiences, talent, your influences, maybe even some very interesting concepts. You have a plan, a strategy in mind. You've drawn it out and know exactly what you're going to do.

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Ready to make your first mark, you move the pencil towards the panel with a decision. And then, in the space between lifting your arm and making contact with the canvas, a thought occurs, "Over a bit and down a smidge..."  What? Who said that?

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It's just a nudge, just an intuitive hunch, just an inkling of a thought, but it changes your course. It happens when you've turned off your planning brain for a second. Those moments are where magic enters the work. Your plan was just a starting point, something to get you to put your pencil up and direct it toward the panel.

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The accumulation of those intimations adds up to the extraordinary painting you were looking for and can lead to truly unique and expressive work. Intimations are the reason art is so satisfying. They allow the artist in on the discovery.