The Meaning and Wonder of Art

22nd May 2019

As you’ll know if you follow me on Twitter (jenny_hare) I’m fascinated with the question What is Art?

Up to 542 answers now and I can easily see it going on to 1000 and counting.

Thing is, everyone – everyone! – has a different take on it. And that’s without ever getting into listing the subjects of artworks. It’s just about the intrinsic meaning of art.

I became curious as a mature (mature – what me? mature? – I’m only 15 in my head!) student at Art School some years back when the tutors stressed what they thought Art definitely wasn’t – beauty, lovely colours and flowers and horses – the very things I love to paint! They were determined to get me away from what and how I loved to paint and have me explore ugliness and dark emotions. I wanted to pass the exams so did my best to go along with it. But hey – try as I did to embrace their theories, my faith only deepened. Painting for me is my joy and happiness. And when that radiates out to you and others who resonate with and fall for one of my paintings that’s fabulous too.

I do sometimes paint darker things – art is, after all, a reflection of life (oh – is that on my list already? – have to check!) and we all have sad, bad times – and when I was an agony aunt I had a personal understanding of just about every problem that came my way to try to solve or at least guide someone through). Someone once said to me “Jenny you look at the world through rose-coloured glasses.” Not always – like all of us sometimes I have tears of sadness in my eyes. But oh, I try to remember always to have the rose coloured glasses close at hand, even if I’ve had to take them off temporarily. We all need a pair. I hope you have a pair too.

Put them on if ever the blues descend. Look for the light. It’s always there for us even if we can’t see it right now.

Art: Another thought – how about letting all the artists who, like me, prefer to paint beauty and positivity and love and tackle problems on a daily basis, take over the reins of Brexit negotiations? But there again . . . fear not, politics is most definitely not my thing!

What I would LOVE to take over is (with friends who like beautiful, uplifting paintings and wonderful colours – me, you and Matisse???) the RA Summer Exhibition selection committee. Can you imagine how amazingly fabadoodlous the exhibition would be – a joy to wander through.

Thank goodness in my own painting I can stick with my lovely colours, dreamy landscapes of our wonderful, wonderful countryside, meadows, funny cats and wild hares, and the magic – pure magic – of flowers. (And now and then a moody winter landscape or seascape – but always striving for the beauty of it.)

And I’ll continue to wonder about the wonder of it all and keep pondering What is Art?

And feel the joy, pure wondrous joy, when I paint and it begins to work – and when someone sends me a lovely message to say a painting has passed the joy to them.

As ever, your thoughts will be much appreciated. (on art, that is, please please not Brexit – enough already) 😊

With love and light, Jenny