thoughts, words, deeds

the value of a painting

"A good painting to me has been like a friend. It keeps me company, comforts and inspires." Hedy Lamarr Do you feel this way about a good painting?

I am actually confused by this statement, mostly because I don't find that paintings (or any artwork) keep me company. I am fairly surrounded by artwork--two of my sisters studied art extensively. Joyce as a ceramicist and Rose as a painter. I have spent time in the studio helping ink stones for printmaking or turning clay on a wheel. I paint (not well), I doodle, I sketch, and even with all of that, the final product doesn't keep me company. I am comforted and inspired by them.

But if I want to have good company I don't rely on a painting that I can just look on and become mired in my own thoughts. Which means getting out my writing because I can't just sit and think and not do anything else. I nearly always have something in my hands. Instead, I go to a book or to human companionship.

That's not to say I don't have good memories of paintings. As I sit, there are six different paintings in my view, two prints (of a painting and of a drawing) and three photos. And I am comforted by their memories. I have used them as inspiration. But they do not talk to me. They do not make me feel less lonely when I'm alone. When I'm alone with them, I still turn on some noise so that the room feels warmer. So, I guess my answer is more that a painting is not like a friend. But it is important and holds the past inside it where I can visit when I need to.