What is the meaning of painting?

Painting: the action of applying a colored pigment, paint or medium on a surface. 

It sounds so plastic and meaningless when you put it in simple words like that. You can see that even the animals can create paintings. Perhaps, in the future, even the robots will be able to paint and create original art. So, what is so special about creating art and painting? It’s more than just applying paint on a surface.

I’ve been painting my whole life, but only today I asked myself what is the meaning of painting. But is there any meaning at all? I believe in painting the same way I believe in what I see. Sometimes I think that my reason to live resides in my ability to see and to use my left hand for painting. I believe that if I were to lose my sight, my life would be over. In my humble opinion, my purpose on this earth is to paint and create art.

When I think of what is the meaning or painting, I can only answer from my own perspective.

In painting, I can pour my entire soul and emotions. When you create a painting, it feels like you are creating a human being. Actually, I felt like giving a child for adoption when I sold my first painting and when I offered the first painting as a gift. You create something, you put soul in it and you give it to the world. On a more abstract line, it sounds like you are a sort of god. Perhaps, you are a God in the world of paintings.

The meaning of painting is, in less pompous words, to grasp that image you keep seeing in your mind and recreate in the real world. I believe that there is nothing more intimate than to take your mental and emotional world and transpose it on paper, canvas or clay.

We put a lot of soul in many things we do daily, but this is, by far, the most emotional.

I heard many people that there is no meaning in painting. Perhaps the most hurtful words came from the closest persons in my life. You will hear this especially from the people who don’t believe in the spirit, inspiration, and creativity, but only in the material gains and resources. But they forget something very important. Everything they have in their life, their money, objects, houses, and possessions were once a figment of imagination in the mind of some inventor, architect or artist.

I don’t know what are the emotions that people feel when they see paintings. However, I know how the people who received my paintings feel. Some tell me they feel calm when they look at the painting and some tell me they are happy. Rarely I paint sad sceneries, and if I do I never give or sell those ones. I believe in energies and vibrations, and I wouldn’t want to transmit negative emotions through my art. Anyways, I can only paint when I am happy and loving.

So, if you’re trying to understand what is the meaning of painting, I ask you, “What is the meaning of anything in this reality?”