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March 08, 2005

passion or skill?

Which is the more important, passion or skill? Undoubtedly skill with no passion is just pushing paint. But passion without the skill to communicate it can be just as pointless. As with everything on-board Spaceship Earth, it’s a balance.

I need skill because my passion for the body needs skill to communicate what I feel. I don’t feel messy and scratchy and woolly about the body. I feel sublimely seduced by its gentle form and powerful presence; and to get that down on a panel in paint or on paper with charcoal demands a degree of skill.

I admit that too much skill can stifle the passion, and I have to let go often. Drawing in particular I can be led down the path of objectivity all too easily. So instead of an HB pencil all pointy-sharp and accurate I go for the charcoal which serves to confound the parts of the brain that would wish to label everything as fixed and generally nail the lid shut.

Choose your medium wisely, let your skill express your passion.

Posted by john at March 8, 2005 10:17 AM

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