A Couple of Artists Looking at the Same Thing

Two Very Old Artists Looking at the Same Thing

I watched as two older artists talked about
that thing called painting
One said she was amazed at how the paint
hopped from her bucket onto the canvas
dripping this way or that as it would
Surprising her the next day by how it had dried

She said she never wanted to be a famous artist
just a really great one that let the paint do the work
while she took the credit

The other artist spoke of rolling paint over slippery glue
Dictating situations in which the paint
would dry into chance patterns
Nudging chaos in lovely and mysterious ways
Surprising him the next day
by how it had dried

He said he never wanted to be a famous artist
just a really great one that let the paint do the work
while he took the credit

I watch these older artists talk about this activity
this phenomenon called painting
This fixing of paint to canvas into shapes and forms
regardless of the excuse of which or whom
is in control of how the paint will settle
I am always surprised the next day by how it dries

I didn’t crawl out of bed to write these words down
only found myself seated here
Because the cat purred me up
He wrote this
I blame him



visit Sandy Kinnee.com

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