Some artists begin a project with an initial vision, focus on a central point and then add the background, foreground, and all the tiny details. Other artists capture a detailed image in their mind’s eye and paint it just as they see it. But no matter how the artist is inspired and no matter how they choose to interpret the information they are transferring onto the canvas, the precise choice of paint and the technique in which they apply it makes all the difference in the world.

Paint is to the process of painting just as words are to writing. An artist must choose the colors of paint, just as a writer must choose words. Artists mix paint. Writers mix words into phrases. Artists blend, shade and highlight on a canvas. Writers sing rhythm and emotion onto paper.

When I sit down to write something new, I may have a title, a phrase, or only an idea that floats around my brain. The more I write, the more I understand that writing is like painting words.

Now, let’s go paint some more words!


Photos by See-Ming Lee and Webgrl at www.Flickr.com