Oh Homey

I went to the Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper exhibit today at the Art Institute (of Chicago). It has left me feeling a little motionless in my steps. Homer's work specifically made me stop and re-examine myself as an artist. I looked at his use of sky, earth, water and LIGHT and I had to ask myself, what the hell have I been doing? Or rather what am I doing right now? I am pleased with my new pallet and the new explorations of colors I have found in and out of myself, but when I look at this great artist's work I asked myself, how seriously am i taking my own work? His work really spoke to me. I felt like I can not continue painting blindly as I am doing now. When I say, blindly, I refer to the madness of my spontaneity within my abstract work. Sure, it is expressionism and I am raw honesty; purely expressing myself to myself, but what of the conversation I could potentially have with myself if I sat down and deliberately choose the words, the language and the visual textual intonations? I have said it before, I often feel I am limited by my own visual vocabulary, but after witnessing the masterpieces of Homer, I realize that i have lazily shirked off my own responsibility to learn more. It is my responsibility to myself as an artist to realize more of myself within my work and what potential expressions can be born if i take the time to learn and explore and learn and explore.  Thank you Dear Mr. Homer.