“…the act of painting is not an intellectual act dictated by reason. It is an act that is swept very physically by the sensuality of the brushstroke.
“I’ve always felt that some kind of intellect, some kind of preordering, some kind of criticism of the thing before it is done, has always interfered with my ability to do a painting.”
Poet Derek Walcott, interview “The Art of Poetry No. 37” in Paris Review, Issue 101, Winter 1986
It’s a fine line dividing decisions-whilst-painting from making judgements on the overall outcome or result as we’re still wrist-deep in creating the piece. Making judgements about what we’re doing as we doing it is part of painting and impacts what we do next. Do I swap to a smaller or larger brush? Add more X to this colour to make it more Y? What do I do to get that bit to where I want it to be.