The Art of Presence: Finding Flow in Painting and Life

Back home after our long journey to Brisbane in our RV, Billy, I’m so grateful to be here. My spacious studio, with its beautiful views, invites me every day. How privileged I am!

I have to admit, though, I’m finding it a little difficult to get into the flow, even with the beauty surrounding me as I look out the window. Perhaps it’s the start of a new year and everything that’s been happening around me. I’ve become increasingly aware of how art—and painting, in my case—reflects life.

It’s baffling, really, how someone can be so fixed in their point of view, unable to see beyond it. It’s similar when painting. I’ve been painting the same subject matter for years, much like someone who only holds onto one perspective. Sometimes, it feels like no progress is being made. But then, on one special day, I suddenly ‘see’ my path forward more clearly. I’ve experienced this same shift in my opinions in life as well.

What continues to amaze me is that neither painting nor life can be mastered by simply following a set of neat instructions. Take the pears I love to paint—they improve through the careful application of paint, through mark-making, or what I like to think of as "paint language." To me, success lies in the softness of the line or brushstroke, in the mark left on the linen.

Mark-making, both in painting and in life, requires practice. I’ve learned that working with negative space—the space between objects—often leads to more subtle, beautiful results. This resonates with my idea of practicing saying less and being more present.

There have been times when I’ve wanted to give up, but showing up again, trying once more with sensitivity, often restores the flow.