Adding Purpose to Paintings

Like the aspiring young author who spends years perfecting his grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but forgets to tell a story, artists need reminding that it is the story that is most important.

Portrait of Skip in his Studio
As a teacher I encourage students to share their own personal stories and beliefs through their art. I feel that most forms of art education today put too much emphasis on technique over content. That’s not to say that technique and design are not important elements to a successful painting – in fact they are necessary. “You can’t write a great novel with a five word vocabulary,” and the same is true of painting.

However, what many new and old artists alike are lacking is purpose, the reason why they paint. I have found that the most extraordinary paintings - the ones that really grab my attention - are those that tell a story unique to the artist who created them.

It is one of my goals as a teacher to help students create their own stories and illustrate them through their work. The reason I teach this way is simple - the thrill of making something beautiful does not come from perfect technique and design, but from making something that is an honest sharing of experiences, ideas, or observations from one person to another.

- Skip Lawrence -