Nigel Fox Artworks

In the Bible, Jesus speaks of the heart and says “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” (Luke 6:45, NLT)  Or another translation “Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.” (The Message)

Simply put, you just can’t fake who you are.  This will come out in your words and actions; no matter how much you repress, trivialize, spiritualize, legalize or lie.  The you in you will always shine through.

This maxim is true for all walks of life, from business to relationships.  The compass needle always points north.

I often find myself trying to not speak about certain things and trying not to touch on certain subjects.  The reasons for this often vary, but it is usually just to avoid embarrassment.  When I speak/paint about those who matter to me, I always try to keep the “damage” down to a minimum, because you never really know how people are going to react.  Sometimes this is justified and sometimes, it is completely irrational.  It’s just that when “representing” people, it can sometimes bring out the best in others and sometimes the opposite.

Some people ask why I paint landscapes so often.  After all, they know that I can do portraitures and I’m not so bad at northern style westcoast art, either, if I do say so myself 🙂  So, why do I paint landscapes so often?  Personally, no matter what people say about seeing naked women or faces and whatnot in my landscapes, I think that it has to do with my love of geology.

But painting from what is on my heart is the ultimate reason why I paint.  So, whether it is a landscape or a portraiture, my best paintings are always the ones that I put my heart into.

“The same is true for anything, including ditch digging”  someone once remarked to me.  It’s true, a ditch dug with passion and skill is better than a ditch dug without.  *But* very seldom does anyone walk by a ditch and say, “that’s some fine ditchwork you done there, man!  It really moved me.”

I said it before and I’ll say it again, good artwork reflects upon who we are; great artwork reflects upon who God is.  Art is always a reflection upon something.  Reflection always comes from the heart and from the abundance of the heart. 

So, to all those reflective people out there, I encourage you to work with passion from your heart!

Today we had the honor of hearing the artist Roy Henry Vickers talk to the class. Roy is energetic, enthusiastic and totally engrossing in his speeches. He covered topics ranging from his life history to design. Roy had a way of capturing the attention of his audience with a gentle, yet responsive tone and always was sensitive to his audience. I know that a few times during the presentation he answered questions that I had without me even having to ask them. One of these questions was about where he got such amazing story telling skills. Roy confided to us that he gained these skills from two people, one person being the poet and scholar Chief Dan George and the other person being a gentleman who spoke in his village when he was younger. Roy said that Chief Dan George taught him to speak “from here”, pointing to his chest. Roy also mentioned that one of his elders taught him to speak from the heart, because when you speak “from here”, you speak to others “right here.”

Roy went on to discuss his gallery, the Eagle Aerie Gallery, in Tofino; his family and children; and some of his key prints. Roy described his experiences with tears and laughter. Roy described his prints in tones of emotion and reminiscence. Roy touched upon various issues that are close to his heart, such as the protection of the rivers and waters in the area from potentially destructive influences such as the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project and the suspended Shell Coalbed Methane development. Roy said something that is true about the rivers–they are the lifeblood of the people. Kill or polute these rivers and you seriously injure the traditional ways of the first nations, possibly forever.

Roy went on to talk about what makes a print valuable and even what makes a print an original work of art. He said that when you make an edition, especially your first edition, your reputation is on the line. To me, he impressed upon me to make my first edition a high quality one and never another cheap old giclee edition.

Tomorrow he will be discussing prints and computer design. Stay tuned.