Cé Ponsonby

WHY ? Not What!

Isn’t ‘Why’ ? the most annoying question? You only have to ask any parent of a 4 year old. Yet, I have come to realise that it is so annoying because it is the most important question to ask. It should govern all we do, at all times. For me it started with ;

Why paint in oils? Why paint that subject, why use those colours, why make those marks, why that size, why that perspective? … Why be an artist? Etc.

You should be rigorous about your questioning but also your answers! Why, demands a reason, and a good one at that, you can’t just say; because! True conviction needs a follow through. Those who climb the Himalaya don’t just do so: because! Without proper planning, things often end in failure or disaster. Success is often in the detail, the commitment you make to your WHY?

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance (as they say in the military) and so every day before I start , I ask my Why.

A University tutor once asked me jokingly ‘are you looking for a miracle’ ? half way through a project that I had started without a plan. As we know miracles can happen but not very often ! Success, I was told by the same tutor may happen but as he said about his own practice ‘out of every ten works, maybe one, he felt, was a good painting’.

So that is with a plan, therefore without one, you do have to hope for a miracle! if you don’t know why you started that project sit down now and ask yourself Why?.

In order to commit, follow through, and own your failures and successes.

This painting I consider my one in ten!