Painting with Passion: Why Feeling Matters in Art

Happy and Excited For Everything

I love, love, love the name Bree created for the painting she fell in love with when she came to the studio with her mum. They shared the really sad and unexpected passing of their much-loved dad and husband last year, and it is so lovely that this painting is helping Bree feel happy and excited for everything. Sometimes art is where the magic is. As Picasso so sagely said, “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Joan Mitchell once said, “Put your feelings in there. Don’t just paint some shit like you don’t care.” As simple as it sounds, this quote holds the power to transform a painting into a living expression, a canvas brimming with raw emotion. But why is it so essential to put our feelings into our art? What difference does it make when we truly care about what we create?

When we’re willing to dive into our feelings, our work becomes more than just shapes and colors on a canvas—it becomes a story, a glimpse into our heart. Art that lacks feeling may look polished, even perfect, but without emotion, it can feel lifeless, like something is missing. I believe this is what Mitchell was urging us to recognize: a true artist doesn’t shy away from intensity. Instead, they embrace it, letting vulnerability, joy, sorrow, and rage guide every brushstroke.

Art driven by feeling transcends trends and resonates across time. This depth is what invites viewers to pause, look closer, and feel with us. It’s that gut response, that “something” that connects artist to viewer. Joan Mitchell knew that the world didn’t need more art without substance—she knew we craved art that speaks directly to the soul.

So next time we pick up a brush or step into a creative space, let’s remember to care deeply. Let’s pour ourselves into our work, to paint not just what we see, but what we feel. When we’re honest in our creations, we give others permission to feel too, and that is a powerful gift.

Happy and Excited For Everything, Cassandra Gaisford, 2022

This painting is sold, to view available artworks in a range of soul-enriching colours:

#ArtWithHeart #JoanMitchellInspiration #ExpressYourself #EmotionalArt #PaintingWithPassion #LiveYourArt #thejoyfulartist #healingart #healingartsscotland

Posted in: Blog