Essay

Why I Create Art

Within the book entitled Drawing to See, the Italian architect Carlo Scarpa states: “I want to see, and that is why I draw. I can see an image only if I draw it”. This sentiment holds true for me as well. When I create art, I am able to see more deeply into my curiosities, experiments, surroundings, and even into myself and others. The process of creating my art is like an archeological dig where I excavate to unearth otherwise hidden treasures. These treasures are new ideas, new questions, and new insights that inspire, amaze, and delight. Consequently, I am driven to learn even more; and thus, I continue onward to create my next painting or sculpture.

The Art of Seeing Deeply

Yet, how do I “dig” when creating a work of art? And how do I know when I find treasure that inspires and deepens understanding? For me, creating art is a performance recorded as a dance of the soul through painting or sculpture. A work of art that profoundly speaks to me and others, is one that resonates between my soul as artist and the souls of those that experience my works.

Through my art, I strive to help people awaken to themselves, each other, and our natural surroundings in new ways not experienced before. In other words, as I “dig” to discover new possibility, I am looking for moments that enlighten, inspire, and bring vision for the actualization of new frontiers: whether for myself, for the future of architectural design, or for the future of humanity. To create a better world, it is my hope that we all may awaken to the dance of our soul.