Mitchell’s Cypresses

Joan Mitchell has been a great inspiration of mine. She was against the idea of a signature style. Talk about a truly liberating approach. Accepting that would mean that even if an artist doesn’t find their own, unique signature style, that’s okay. What a relief! I played around with copying Joan’s “Girolata Triptych”, showing her impressions of three cypresses. I did it at first to see how she’s done her marks, but it actually made me think a lot about art in general and its processes. I just love those three “Girolata” canvas, combined into one painting. It’s so much more interesting to see the way she saw those trees rather than have her (or anybody else for that matter) to try to depict them in a more realistic way. I guess that’s what I love about art and painting in general - that the perceived reality - in this case nature - is filtered through another human being’s consciousness and brought back to us for our enjoyment. 'Every artist dips his brush in his own soul' - said Picasso, and Mitchell demonstrated that wonderfully through everything she has created. And that’s what makes art so worthwhile.