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Artists use varying methods of creating a connection with viewers.  It might be contrast in color, texture, or subject.  Perhaps it is through scale, very large or very small.  Maybe it comes through the art material itself - glass, metal, wood.  But that connection is important, for without it, the artwork becomes a solitary exercise between artist and art. Collectors (major and casual) who connect with artwork buy artwork.  A simple concept, right?

In the capturing of a scene, it is sometimes easy to forget that we are not simply replicating what we see, but infusing it with emotion and a certain level of magic. The artist is creating a world where they control the light, land, and the way the wind blows!  There is more than focusing on perspective, more than color and line. Creating an atmosphere that connects to viewers is critical to making the art speak. The observer becomes part of the work.

When I have been away from the lowcountry (so often my subject matter), I feel the need to recharge my emotional batteries and go back. I soak up the scenery, the smells of the marsh, the way the mists hang over the river in the early morning, the crunch of the crushed oyster shell trails.  When the easel is before me, those experiences and images come forward and onto the canvas.  I'm wringing out the emotional sponge. Along with those painterly impressions come the love of the land, the connection to what makes it special. A postcard image is not what I'm aiming for -- it's capturing the mists, the long light of dusk, and the morning glow of sunrise.  It is taking my viewer along a sandy road on a long walk.

The life of a working (and selling) artist should be one of balance in being true to what and how you create, and the valuable commodity you have to share. When your art finds a home, and financial reward comes long, the light bill gets paid, and the next order of brushes is covered. It is a happy consequence of being able to illustrate the unspoken, to capture a moment of the mind, and find someone who sees the connection.  Often, a client will look at a piece and say "I feel like I am there".   Art is speaking to heart. That the client is willing to part with money to take that treasure unto themselves is the ultimate compliment. 

But it could be that it matches the couch.  Keep grounded!