by Jared Steinberg

Created on: May 12, 2009

As a visual artist, I create first and foremost for myself. To me, art is an expression of passion and though I think the question of creating a lasting message through art is an interesting one, it is not typically the first thing that comes to my mind when creating any given work. I do, however, believe there are several key factors that would help an artist achieve such a work, whether they stem from the artist's own inclinations or the merit of the art itself.

Passion, or perhaps inspiration, is the impetus behind any art; it is the force that compels an artist to action. Art can be an idea that forms into a well-thought expression or it can be an impulsive reaction to feeling. Either way, there must be a spark that sets the artwork in motion. The nature of this inspiration must have a ring of truth to it in order to connect with a wider audience that spans beyond the fleeting present which encompasses trends and other specifics that will eventually be outdated. If an artist has any hope of creating a sustaining message, the essence of that message must be true to that artist, first and foremost. Picasso once said, Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth. I believe the lie is the veil of beauty in the impact of the art itself.

That impact draws a wider audience. It is the intangible connection between an artist and viewer. It is not something that can be forced upon; it either exists or it does not. An artist cannot pre-determine their art will connect at all with the public and this is the part that makes creating a lasting message subjective. All an artist can do is put their soul into their work; the rest is up to the universe.

Through my paintings, I have been fortunate enough to have connected with a broader audience in several ways. One approach was creating a work or series of works that resonated through a common experience. For me, it was the universal language of music. As an artist and a musician, I have been able to merge these two passions throughout the course of my career. At first, I began by simply listening to music as I painted. The moods created by a particular artist, song or album all served to inspire me in the way I worked. Later, I began to play songs on my guitar as I contemplated a given work. The meditative ritual provided me with the space necessary to see my paintings from a new vantage point, allowing me to calculate my next steps in the process.

Eventually, I began to employ musical themes as compositional

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