I’m passionate about my art medium, oil painting, because I think that being part of a tradition - or a conversation - as old as oil painting is really beautiful. I’ve only been painting for two or so years, but in that time I’ve seen and learned all different styles and techniques of painting, and so many different approaches to painting the same subject. Yes, oil painting is impractical nowadays ( with digital art and acrylics being much more efficient ), and it can be really frustrating. But in that impracticality I really feel like I’m part of something, a narrative spanning thousands of years. It feels like every day that I find a painter I hope to emulate, a deficiency in my own work, something I’ve been doing wrong without even realizing. My goals in painting seem to grow farther and farther away. But in my struggles, in every area I need to improve in, I find more motivation, and more room to grow. There's no doubt that the artists I idolize at one point had to overcome the same issues I face today. But of course, none of this would matter if I didn’t find painting to be enjoyable.I find that there is no greater feeling than sitting in front of a canvas and just attacking it with paint. Focusing on my subject, and watching the day go by. It doesn’t bother me that I’m in a class surrounded by painters better and more experienced than me, or that I’ve just spent my weekend painting in the corner of my room. Because whether it be from imagination or from life, I find art to be enjoyable all the same. Painting has enhanced my life by giving me purpose. Through my journey with art, my life has only gotten more fulfilling. My weekends used to be spent in front of screens, whereas now they are spent in classes, facing various canvases and subjects. I have always struggled with procrastination, and finding something to focus on. But art gives me something to do no matter my mood or schedule. It’s so gratifying to have a vision for something cool to create, and just making it. This ability to create anything from an empty canvas is something I will never take for granted. And through art, I feel that I'm able to express real feelings and emotions that I could never put into words. I just love everything there is to love about painting; the earthy smell of linseed oil, the many ( although costly ) brushes, and the feeling of my bristles on canvas or board.