Art is Passion

February 1. 2008 by Keegan Hall.

Art has alway been a major part of my life. Above are three pieces of my own art (you’ll have to excuse the glare on the pictures- I was too lazy to take the art out of their frames). The first is a pencil drawing I did of my wife for her birthday. The second is a self-portrait created using charcoal. The third is- you guessed it- Disney’s Sleeping Beauty that I made with colored pencils. Even as a small child I can remember drawing nearly every day. When I was in 6th grade I won an art contest to design our school yearbook (I drew a growling husky- our mascot). I’m not sure where I derived my passion for art. Neither of my parent have an ounce of artistic ability (they were both incredible athletes) although they have always been extremely supportive. I suppose they should get their share of credit for allowing me to develop my talent.

When I was in high school I began to take are more seriously although my true passion didn’t fully blossom until I began taking art classes at the University of Washington. All of a sudden I was surrounded by other artists who take their craft very seriously- maybe some too seriously. I have never been overly complex when it came to creating my art. I would draw a picture and, for the most part, what you see is what you get- there was no hidden, deeper meaning. I was completely astonished when I would hear my fellow art students speak about their work. If you’ve ever taken a college art class you know what I’m talking about. I think people just make things up as they talk. I mean really- if you could have heard some of my “peers” describe their artwork you would want to instantly commit them to a mental house. I guess that makes you “good artist”.

In the end, it’s all about the art. Although I have not been creating artwork as often as I would like- when I do it’s extremely relaxing. The feeling of “escaping reality” and being lost in your own creativity is very refreshing and invigorating. Not only do I get to administer my own form of self-solace but, in the end, I have a finished piece of artwork that I can be proud of. I think this is where my passion for art is fostered. And it is this same reason that I will continue to create art for a long as I live.

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