They say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." For visual art, the answer is easy. Good art is "eye candy". You will find that it is difficult to draw your eyes away from it. Perhaps it is the combination of colour, the textures, or the way your spirit is drawn to the meaning of the piece. My own art may mean one thing to me, and another to someone else.
The art of music is the same way. Ever since I received my boss' preview tracks of his new Christmas CD, I can't help but be drawn to listen to it over and over - the lyric and music attracting my attention in new ways every time. I play it in my car to and from work, play it while I exercise (I can think clearer then), and while I paint. It inspires me to paint in new and creative ways, and also to meditate on God and how He uses music as a key to open doors in people's hearts.
A poem or book can draw one's attention so that you want to read it twice, thrice and more. You inhale the words and the oxygen of certain mixes of words can be intoxicating.
Good art is in the eye, ear, heart and mind of the beholder. I suppose if many people can "connect" with your art, you are a blessed person. My boss once asked me what I would consider success in my painting career, and I gave some quick answer involving a major art exhibit. I've changed my mind drastically since then. Fame is fleeting, popularity is meaningless. My true joy is when a painting of mine connects with a special person who finds meaning in it's dabs of paint. It is then that I know my art is good.
The painting shown is called "Isaiah 35", inspired by the lyric and music of Steve Bell's song "Oracles", on his new Christmas CD "Keening for the Dawn", coming out this fall. The prophetic utterances of Isaiah unfold like a rose in bloom as we learn about the coming of a King who will be born of a virgin. The actual lyric of the song are written into the design of the painting.
