I love painting light. Maybe because Light is what I want to bring to this world.
This painting is called “Step into Eternity”. It is a commissioned painting for my beautiful clients from Vancouver. It's a large 6 x 6 feet (183 x 183 cm) oil on canvas. Second one of my originals in their private collection.
This painting reminds me of reason behind my art. It also reminds me of my beginnings and how it changed for the better.
I used to paint all sorts of things. Things that I thought will sell. Things that I thought others will like. I was quite desperate to be recognized. It wasn't until I was completely broke, that I had my first major breakthrough.
It came in a moment of silence, when I was sitting on the floor of my studio, wandering what I am going to do with my life. I had enough money for maybe 2 or 3 more months, then all my savings would be gone. That was about 3 years after I quit my last job in Finance and started to paint full time.
As I was sitting there, weighting my options (pick up a job and paint in the evenings only), a realization hit me. I wasn't given talent to please the market, to try to make it as an artist, to become rich or famous....but to bring joy! To myself in the first place, and all others as a result of it.
That day was a marker in my life. I started to paint what my heart felt. Exclusively. Suddenly, lots of Buddhas came to my inspiration, and LOTS OF LIGHT!
Here you get an idea how a large painting like this starts. This is the first layer, executed in about one hour. It is very thin. Once it dries I keep on putting more layers with more details on it. Great advantage and beauty of oils is transparency, shine, and layering.
I stayed true to my calling, despite some initial critics of “friends with good intentions” who thought I should keep on painting heritage sites. The less I cared about the potential buyers, the more I created my own niche market. Until one fine day, money wasn't issue anymore.
Because I painted to give Love and Joy, I attracted people who were happy to paint larger and larger sums of money for my work. In those moments, when I got commissioned for paintings that would make me earn more in 2 weeks than in the entire previous year, I had to remind myself of my true mission. Of course I stumbled many times. Money is easy to get attached to. Human ego is intrinsically greedy because it is insecure. But I got back on the path, sooner or later, with pure heart's desire to bring joy on canvas, keeping the thoughts of what I'm gonna get paid for it out of equation.
Me with my client Tracy (her husband was taking the picture) and their first original - "The Humming bird in Light". Order for "Step Into Eternity" came shortly after.
I was asked couple times, by art “connoisseurs” who were observing my career, if I can paint more of my dark side, my demons. I though about it, but I had to be honest- Nope, I can't. I have no interest in darkness, at least not now. I am here to bring light, to feel light. I want people to feel GREAT when they look at my art.
I want them to forget the never ending drama going on in their minds, even just for a while, and come back home, to the infinite beauty of their forgotten hearts. And if I succeeded, for a moment or two, then all my efforts were worth it.
I love this moment when people get captured by my art and their problems vanish. July 2015, "Awakening" solo exhibition in Vancouver Chinatown.
Lots of people come to my exhibitions lately. Apparently they love my art. Most of them cannot afford to buy my originals. But they are exactly the people who I paint for. People who go out of their way to come see my paintings- they stand in front of it for a long time, soak it in, sometimes they cry, and when they hug me, they always thank me from the bottom of their hearts for what I do. I keep on telling them- it is not mine, and it's not me. I just deliver the message from Universe. I'm just a simple courier boy.
April 2016, "Face off" exhibition in my studio. I am in front (you can see the top of my head) giving speech and drawing the charity raffle. Part of proceeds of all my shows go to charities which make a real difference. This show has been so packed that it spilled to the hallways outside of my studio. So grateful!
These are the people who I paint for. I make no money on them, but they make my whole existence worthwhile.
Painting saved my life. It keeps on opening my heart wider then what I thought possible. It showed me who I really am and what I'm here to accomplish. I know that I'm just getting started here, because Love has this funny effect- once you stop creating for selfish reasons, it shakes all the limitations out of your system, and out of your way.
From the same show. I am just about to draw the main price of my charity raffle- a $4000 original I painted in 2014. Proceeds of the raffle went to Yoga Outreach (yoga for prisoners and mentally challenged youth) and Callanish Society (Help for people living with and dying of recurrent cancer.
Sky is the limit? No way. There are no limits for Love! My next goal? Build a Charity foundation. Unlike all others. Something as original, as Buddha surrounded by penguins. Give more, expect nothing in return. A solid step into Eternity.
Thank you for reading,
Much Love on your journey brothers and sisters!
Jan
100% steem, 100% love
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