Expression: Coloring Outside the Lines

What Is Expression?

Expression is communicating your emotions and inner vision. As an artist, this is your way of satisfying the urge to create artwork which can be enjoyed and interpreted by others. Your vehicle of choice may be painting, writing, sculpting, composing, or any other endeavor. How you express yourself in your chosen method is dependent on a number of things.

For better or worse, we can catch a glimpse into an artist's life and mind when viewing their works. When authors write, they can't help but bleed themselves onto the pages of their material. The same is true when painters bleed their feelings and intimate ideas onto the canvas. When you create something, there will never be another artwork exactly the same. You are unique, and not one of 6 billion other living souls on Earth is capable of producing your individual output the way you can.

However, though you are true to your own identity and have your own beliefs, ideas, and style, no person is an island. Isaac Newton said that he was able to come up with his brilliant theories because he had the opportunity to work with and learn from other great scientists. He said, "I am able to see for miles because I have stood on the shoulders of giants." In our communal society, we can't help but be influenced by our surroundings and fellows. Unless you live in a cave, of course.

As we can see with Sir Isaac, sharing our brain power is not a bad thing at all. Our potential is greater as individuals and as a race if we learn from each other's experiences, mistakes, and innovations. When I first started the long and rewarding journey of learning oil painting, I studied Vincent van Gogh because he inspired me. Vincent, when he was first learning art, studied and copied Jean Francois Millet. Millet studied and emulated Honoré Daumier. And so on and so forth.