A Lifetime of Art and Still so Much to Learn

Story and artwork from Patrick O'Connell

I started doing art when I was young by copying from comics. later I found oil paints, pastels, watercolor, colored pencils and airbrushing all these had their own charm and challenges. Life moved on and I drifted about but no matter where I wandered art would follow and provide inspiration, peace and a pleasure not found in other endeavors. Even when I married and was blessed with a family I still found time in a busy life to hide away and paint. I have been many things over the years, a store-man, fishing trawler deckhand, farm hand, builders laborer, Iron foundry worker, I was in the Australian Navy, and also a network administrator. Not one of these was a lifetime career and I never did one more than once, but art has always been a part of my life.

Art is always with me, I look about at Gods creation and see the beauty and wonder of it all. I just want to put pencil, brush of pastel to paper and tell others of how it moves me. Life in itself is an art form we all play a part on its stage, some with words, some with song, some with dance but I paint and so it is a part of me and so it has been over the past 55 or so years.

I have come to believe that if you say I know it all you know nothing so if I say I know nothing I will never stop learning. I know what and how I want a painting to look but it never reaches my expectations. My challenges in art is to learn the skills to produce what I want, when I want and believe this will take the rest of my life. Another challenge is to never give up the dream of producing art that will move people for generations to come. To never think I don't have a long way to go.

What do I want to learn in art? That is very simple, All that I can.

From the video's I have watched I can see that there is a great wealth of talent and knowledge to be shared to guide me in improving my skills in watercolor. I see there is a range of classical and expressive styles in the teachers to inspire and motivate me in learning and growing in my ability as an artist.

I want to win the Watercolor Academy course to improve in my passion for watercolor. I think it is one of the most difficult mediums to work in and is less forgiving so above all it is my desire to move on in knowledge and skill (master is a big word) in the medium of my choice, watercolor.

I want people to vote for me because I hope to make art that will bring them and me into a love of life and all around us to take eyes of the hardship and hopelessness that can be life and to view the beauty that is sometimes so close yet unseen. To share my hope with those who see my art. This is why I need votes.

Kind Regards,
Patrick O'Connell

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