Creating Art With Substance

Let’s talk about what moves you and how that gives art substance.

Skill and Technique are great but…

When creating art with substance we can be sideline focusing only on improving technique. Pursuit of technical skill is important; however, art has always been so much more. It is a wonderful human expression that gives us an opportunity to create works that moves us. In fact, art often precedes society and influences greatly. Given the right platform that is.

The transaction between artist and viewer is connectivity initiated by conscious artistic choice. Sometimes relatable, sometimes not. It depends on what is being created and who is viewing it. What we create is determined by many factors. So how do we choose thoughtfully? How can we connect with our collector or viewers on a deeper level? Please indulge me as I attempt to illustrate one of my own thought processes when creating art with substance; a particular painting which inadvertently led to winning the Fredrick McCubbin Art Award.

Let me preface by saying, when you birth a heart message through art, it may not always be saleable, but its impact can be profound.

A little backstory

Through the enforced solitude combined with internet noise of recent years I felt an urgency. I needed to switch off, drill down on my creative deficits and try to make up for lost time. I wanted to paint more selectively my unique creative voice. Not to sell or win anything (though finances where important), but to grow more rapidly artistically, putting voice to what personally matters most. As we age or mature as artists this often becomes more substantial. This was the case with me, as I’m sure it is with many others. The good news is, that with each new day, it is never too late to do a new thing.

The questions I asked were:

• What paintings matter the most?
• What is worthy of my time?
• What do I want to learn and what parts of my creative voice would I like people to experience?
• Also, how do I express that well?

Have you meditated on this for yourself? I know I need to more. The answers can make our art making more valuable outside external reward.

Mine Your Motives

During the Victorian lock-downs and unrest that followed, I found myself witnessing a surreal swell of communal chaos. I became quite heartsick and needed a way to process it. Never had I seen Australian communities behave this way before. It disturbed me greatly. Working with NDIS clients early on, I knew art to be incredibly therapeutic and a wonderful healer. I thought, why not utilise this for myself? Artists can be more sensitive to their environment and perhaps part of the attraction to create in the first place. How wonderful it is to totally immerse ourselves in the mysterious, beautiful world of wonder and betterment that art can be.

What Deserves Your Artistic Time?

One day I happened across an Instagram account flooded with images of children; victims killed during the holocaust. This was far from my usual viewing preference. Examining these young faces one by I had to question; how could social division end up killing all these innocent children? These children were from many countries, not exclusively Jewish. Segregation from one sector of a community grew into hatred of many and one of the ugliest human acts of division and violence in history. Already questioned the potential groundswell of disunity in our own western culture, I sensed to put a voice of warning to that. Could I raise a flag and elicit more kindness? Would anyone listen?

Then one child’s face gripped my heart so tightly, it felt spiritual. The eyes of a Jewish-Ukrainian girl, Sima Rubezhovski penetrated me deeply, as they have others since I painted her. Sima’s eyes where the representation of absolute sweet innocence and a launchpad to expressing this profound injustice. If I could paint her innocence and give voice to this inhuman error of division, perhaps I could sow a seed to encourage us all to stop fighting over what seems to be everything and be kinder. In some small way I wanted to make her little innocent life count for something; to sound a warning into the ripple effect of disunity. If alive to tell her story, I’m confident Sima would agree. We’ve all experienced it. Too often avoidable with reason.

The Process…

Attaining reference permission, I waited for the right time to settle into the painting. Never the intention to paint an exact likeness but to amplify the message in this precious girl’s eyes as expressively and gently as I could. A creative baton for humanity, I would carry the seed of concern of the Instagram account owner and plant another; a new expressive chain created through experiences, skills, imagery and a little imagination. Portraits can be a lengthy wrestle but this one flowed.

My creative intention is usually to bring joy, beauty and encouragement, but this time I was presenting beauty lost to encourage a better way. Art can speak volumes with these considerations. However, the more excellence we peruse, the more visible our creative voice becomes. Our journey as artists is to grow in a holistic way.

Unexpected Rewards

I was thrilled when Lost Innocence – Portrait of Sima Rubezhovski won the Fredrick Mc Cubbin Award at the Roberts, Streeton McCubbin Awards in May. It was my first group exhibition after decades of absence from both art communities and shows. As artist and judge, Paul McDonald Smith read his comments, I trembled and teared up. In that moment I realised how invested I was. He felt my intention. That was so important to me. That and not knowing what my re-entry into the public art world would look after so much time lost. The judge saw and noted the sensitivity. In that moment I felt the painting had worked. I had honoured that precious little girl. I gave her a platform and later the local paper was captivated by her story also. Her baton continues.

When we create with meaning this way, it is not so much measuring yourself by accolades, opinions or sales that matter, it is getting to know yourself better. It’s when a message is felt deeply by other human being. Or delighting the soul when you make a heart-felt difference to another human with your creation. We see it in the works of great masters. They move you and for good reason. They often have a narrative married with great skill. We can aim to do the same in our own work, forever a student of great artistic voices.

Warning Against Critics

It doesn’t come without warning though. When we share any meaningful narrative, it will draw some and repel some. Some individuals will reject or even sideline your creations because of the theme (religious or political work comes to mind). However, we need to know our authentic convictions and have courage to continue. Alternatively, we can go with what is “safe” but that too can too be rejected. Again, we ask ourselves what really matters in our art as the journey is a huge part of our lives?

Creating art with substance

So dear fellow artist, what matters most to you? What moves you that you can give voice to? What’s been left unsaid that would be beautiful to express through your medium of choice. Only you can say it in your own unique way. You are worth hearing, seeing and having opportunity to master that in your own time.

• If it is beautiful trees that move you, paint them.
• If it is strong statements bursting to get out, have courage.
• If it is a bit of both, that’s okay too.

We get one life. We create limited works and yours counts.

Happy Creating!
Kayleen

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Kayleen is now teaching at Federation Estate in the Ringwood Art Studio on a Wednesday morning beginning August 14 2024. She also demonstrates for art groups and societies. Her goal is to encourage her students on any level in skills and to find their own unique creative voice.

Contact her to book or be added to a wait list