The Beauty of Enough

I’m kind of a sloppy cook. I will only loosely follow a recipe, if I use one at all. When I prepare food I lean heavily on the help of the Muse. It is another art form with texture, color, smell and flavor being my palette. And, especially if it is a raw food concoction, I will allow my taste buds full rein as they pursue their creative urges.

That said, there is nothing like a simple meal of sliced apple and raw almond butter. No frills, nothing elaborate, still it fully satisfies the palate and the body. It is enough.

When I am creating with brush or pen, it is a process of joyous meditation. The lines and colors reveal themselves as I lean into the feeling of bliss. At the same time, it is a process of quiet discipline (even if the stereo is blasting and I am dancing through it), where every so often I pause, step back and check to see if it is enough.

There is a balance point. It is the artist’s journey to seek this pinnacle, and stop – at enough. Beyond it is too much. The beauty starts to fade as the paint becomes muddy. The mystery and grace can get lost in too much busy definition. Elegance can become jaded. Once I have watercolored or penned past this point of sufficiency, there is no traditional way to reclaim the original fresh beauty than to start all over with a whole new piece of paper.

In this regard, graphic design has been my redemption. Utilizing the magic qualities of Photoshop and Illustrator I can excerpt that exquisite portion from one painting, combine it with another painting, a photograph, texture, or some beautiful plain white space. Muddiness can be cleared up. Busyness can be eliminated. Simple elegance can be retrieved.