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Rock me baby
I have witnessed, time and again, through the eyes of many of the students I've had the privilege to teach, the dream of finding "the correct answer" for any problem. Being safe is basic human nature.However, this quest for rules to dictate how each situation should be properly addressed is the ultimate avoidance of personal responsibility in picture making. This kind of formulaic blueprint can only lead to redundancy, in my opinion, a far greater danger to producing lifeless painting than all other rocks combined.
When I see the work of any artist which remains essentially unchanged over the course of time (same colors, same composition, same complexions, same brushwork etc.) I see self imitation, not painting. I believe by being motivated by fear and insecurity and by avoiding taking chances, artists put themselves between a rock and a hard place!
Therefore, I feel it is my number one responsibility to squash this dream and make people realize that the opportunity to create, discover and invent new solutions is what made the great masters great.
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