Dad’s Painting and Wise Words From a Friend

I want to share with you one of the few paintings my dad ever did. (You can see it below, but make sure to read the rest of this post for context.)

Dad's Painting, 1972
Bob Scott, 1972

He painted it in 1972, some 53 years ago. He was 26 at the time and lived with an artist friend named John.

He told me the following about the painting:

“My house mate John said anyone can paint, don’t overthink it, just do it. So I went out and got some house paint which seemed better value than artist tube paints. This was the first painting I attempted. I did very few after that time. I keep the painting as it makes me remember sitting in a London garden with half a dozen pint pots of house paint. You will note there is no subtlety in the colors of the painting. This would have been difficult with this house paint. I didn’t follow it up when John moved out as I never considered myself to have any real art ability. Just took it up as a challenge at the time.”

What a great example of initiative and doing what you can to get the job done. Too often we get caught up trying to find the “perfect” brushes and paints, when the basics will do just fine. That’s not to say you should start using tins of house paint. But rather, it’s okay to make do with what you have available.

I do wish he painted more. I think he could have been a great artist if he stuck at it. But it can be hard to overcome the idea that you aren’t the artistic or creative type. That’s why encouragement can be one of the best gifts you can give someone. Help them believe they can do it, because anyone likely can with enough practice.

Anyway, thought you might find it interesting. There’s a lot of history and energy in paintings like this. They don’t need to be by world-renowned artists.

And thanks Dad for allowing me to share this with everyone. It’s not easy to put your work in front of others, especially early work. But perhaps it will encourage someone else to pick up a brush and give it a go for the very first time. Who knows?

If you ever want to learn more, check out the Painting Academy.

Happy painting!

Dan Scott

Draw Paint Academy

Dan Scott is the founder of Draw Paint Academy. He's a self-taught artist from Australia with a particular interest in landscape painting. Draw Paint Academy is run by Dan and his wife, Chontele, with the aim of helping you get the most out of the art life. You can read more on the About page.


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