While painting today I started drawing comparisons between the underpainting I was busy with and my life. The old masters used to paint a complete one-toned painting underneath, in a shade that complimented the finished work. This underneath layer was often out of proportion, a bit off and served as a starting point from which the artwork was build up in layers.
Isn't it true that we as humans also have an underpainting? That first incomplete layer that's only a mere suggestion of who we will eventually be. I don't believe that anyone of us is a finished work yet, but we are all still being layered. One thing interesting about the underpainting is that it shines through. Almost like DNA it is always present in the final work.
Our roots, where we come from, how our lives where shaped early on, has a profound effect on our creation process. Some learn to fix the little disproportionate bits and add a little sheen. Others let it purely shine through, leaving the first rough strokes as part of their lives.
It probably doesn't matter how many layers or how finished our painting becomes but rather that it was representative of a life lived.
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