I started painting and drawing three years ago and applied the meditative concentration to Art.

Painting has been a very fun experience for me. I did not like it for much of my life.

I have learned that painting is more of a state of mind than it is anything else (like life). Art has taught me so many things in such a short period of time. My first hurdle with painting was patience. I initially lacked the patience and also the supplies to really take an interest early in life, though since very young I have enjoyed good art.

Art to me was and still is a great mystery. I think even God practices Art. Behind the mysterious veil of many different pieces of art I grew to enjoy over the years, I often felt this ‘untouchable’ aspect to being able to paint like the great masters of art. But I later learned that that had never stopped me before.

Painting can be enjoyed in so many different ways. You can also enjoy painting a face or painting a landscape. For me, the results can be very different. It is like playing Jimi Hendrix on guitar or playing Van Halen.

Painting is also exciting because it allows me to apply my imagination literally. I can paint anything I want! That is actually pretty cool to think about. Since I have been applying my imagination to paint: I can apply that to other things, like, building and decorating a home, creating artistically outside of painting, pretty much just making my life artistic as much as possible, but not becoming attached to the idea, or egocentric in the process. I also thought, what about, “The Age of Art”? — In higher realms of existence, just about everything is art worthy and beautiful.

I always enjoy learning from others. There were many ‘art groups, like Medium’s ‘writer’s group’, where the artists of old came together and painted the same scene, or portrayed the same model, etc.. all with their unique styles and contributions with each other and for who or whatever reason that was unique to them.

What would the world be today if art had not progressed literally by the hands of human beings? Cave paintings are beautiful and so is the art of today. The evolution of painting from cave paintings to the Mona Lisa is another idea that sparked even further interest in painting. Is this not clear evidence of evolution? It even feels like all of these things would eventually lead to… well… more painting! While I paint: I remember many of these ideas and apply a “Zen” aspect to all of it. Why not make painting a meditative experience?

Over the past year, I have painted almost every day for a few hours or more. Each day my go

al was to paint a better piece than the last, but be content with scrapping a piece also. From the beginning, I try, as I imagine most artists do that want to start painting and save money, is that they want to save materials. When I save materials: it taught me to apply as much or little paint as possible in a way that was challenging. It also told me when I am done, and when I can throw away the no longer unusable paint.

Painting has become more than something fun to do. I have even begun to see life a little differently. When you learn something new and see it everywhere because you are somewhat engrossed in it, that is also what painting does, it develops an eye-for-art. It has also brought me the ability to apply such skills to all creativity and crafting in general. Now, when I use an Exacto-knife to cut a cardboard box: there is an element of art to it which allows me to cut the box in a straight line even better than just looking at it as work.

Some of the artists who have inspired me are: (list artists)

These people have always seemed respectfully untouchable in their crafts, but, how far can I learn from these past masters? I may not be able to listen to them in person but I may be able to learn from them simply by observing their art. What is it about one artist to the next that some would call Di Vinchi a Master, whereas Dali may also be a master but not quite the same level? Why? What is it that makes some pieces great and others meh…? I surely don't want my pieces to be “meh”… So, what is a great piece of art?

Great Art is something rather subjective though not always. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, unfortunately, some things are actually terrible that some would consider “art”. I am not really interested in things people call art but are really just vain and superficially glorified self-expressions. I think really great art is selfless with a touch of the artist’s personal soul, or ego. Many pieces would be considered expressions of the artists, but I like to think of most true masters as scientists rather than egocentrics, though, in my second part of the series “The Art Vs The Artist” (underline), I discuss how sometimes we may overlook the artist personal life if not always depending on the art, in order to simply appreciate art. I always like to think of someone like Hitler being a great artist and everyone appreciating his art still just wouldn’t be something I would enjoy personally, even if he did the Sistine Chapel alone in under a year. It just sounds pretty weird.

I do what I can to make each day’s painting better than the previous one. This allows me to challenge myself. Every little thing goes into the painting - Every emotion, every thought, every movement. Even the slightest joy or frustration will take hold within the painting. I think painting has shown me a lot about Art, concentraion, emotions, self-control, contemplation, and so much more. Art has also shown me a lot about life. Life, for the most part, has shown me the most of it all.

I do not consider myself some great aspiring artist. I do my utmost at the same time to be a great artist. I do that by stepping outside myself in order to view my art literally and perspectively through the lens of other people’s imagination or what I feel to be from the point of view from a mass audience. My overall execution is however based upon what I like.

I have been able to apply this philosophy to many aspects of life. Have you ever started learning something and begin to see it everywhere? That is how art is, plus a touch of many very practical applications throughout the rest of your life and even eternity. In the past three years, I have been able to absorb as much knowledge and information as I could while painting. Some people maybe go blank while they paint. I enjoy contemplation mixed with the palette knife and paintbrushes as the oil mixes and the smoothness of the paint hits the bristles of the brush as it swipes across the canvas. Painting indeed is a mystical experience! I am forever grateful for having the atmosphere to do so and the company which allowed me to grow in so many ways. Art will now and forever be a part of my life.