“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.”
—George Bernard Shaw
I don’t understand art. I don’t know how to go to a museum and think deep thoughts about art. I don’t know how to tell a good art from a bad art.
I only know how a piece of art makes me feel.
I don’t understand how people make art. It’s mythic. It’s astounding. It’s beyond my comprehension. I find it fascinating. I cannot draw or sketch or paint or sculpt.
When the kids were little, they would ask me to draw things sometimes: a person. Okay. I can do that.
A house. Okay, I can do that. I can even do a row of houses. Squares and triangles and tinier squares. I got this.
A horse. Nope, sorry kid, you’re out of luck.
Here is the face I will make if you ask me to draw something more complicated than a square with a triangle on top of it:
Why would you ever ask me to do that? What is wrong with you? No I cannot. I do not understand how anyone could.
Fortunately for me, enjoying and appreciating art is possible even if I don’t understand art.
Because enjoying art and appreciating art is about how art makes me feel.
If it doesn’t make you feel anything, it could be good art, great art, the best art, but maybe not the art for you.
In the last few months, I’ve had the opportunity to be surrounded by art because I’m living with an artist. Her website launched today and I want to share it with all of you because her art makes me feel something.
Sometimes it makes me feel powerful. Sometimes vulnerable and open, like the fragile new leaf of a plant, full of potential but tender, so tender.
Sometimes it makes me feel seen in a new way. Sometimes fierce. Sometimes a little bit called-out.
Sometimes it’s a feeling of expansiveness and joy and wild possibility.
Sometimes it’s tender and quiet but so, so strong.
I still don’t understand it. Here’s where you can go see how it makes you feel.
What art means
Wow ! Katie is very talented.... amazing, gorgeous paintings.... bright and prismatic..... she captures color and makes it breathe with such joy !!! Simply, WoW !!!