Paintings revived in isolation

It all began with a fine human being adding me to the Ertoba group. In general, I tend to be skeptical towards groups, but I decided to take a look with an open mind, merely as a sign of consideration towards this person. I actually liked what I saw and thought to myself: “Why not?! I, too, can post a painting of mine here.” At this point, I had only painted a single series.

The painting was greeted with such positivity that I immediately bought more canvas the next day and tried again. In the meantime, I realized that I was enjoying all this quite a bit.

In general, kudos and compliments tend to double one’s motivation. The same happened in my case: it was the right moment at a wrong time.

I used to paint in my childhood. But hadn’t painted since. This context naturally led me back here. I realized that I had missed painting and let myself get lost in it completely. Positive feedback from the audience doubled my enthusiasm. Numerous people even expressed interest in buying my art, but I have been reluctant so far. In a strange way, I somehow want to keep all this to myself for now.

I am a photographer. Hence, painting skills are a great asset for my professional work, making me better at shooting—the two have a lot in common.

Being an emotional one, I need to be able to express my feelings in one form or another everyday, so painting has proved to be an ideal distraction from reality and a great source of relaxation—particularly at a time when stress and anxiety are inescepable.

I now try to paint for at least three hours everyday. However, since I have to work remotely, I am unable to dedicate the entire day to this activity. One thing that really helps you deal with stress is talking to your friends. At times like this, I forget about everything, so I try to allocate a portion of my day to such conversations. I can think of lots of activities that can help minimize stress: books, cooking, films, writing… What really matters is to not give in and follow your inner voice, which is perfectly capable of dictating the right pastime.

Initially, the process was very smooth, but once I ran out of canvas, I became anxious. I felt like my one and only fuel for hope slipped away from me. I like wooden boards a lot. As I looked at the board, I realized that this was precisely what I needed. Luckily, I still have a few left, but once the stock runs out, I may even proceed to painting my walls. At the end of the day, it’s all about inspiration and enthusiasm—not resources.

Author: George Van De Kamp