I am not a particular fan of the paintings by Piet Mondriaan (1872-1944), but I do love his journey from starting out as a traditional landscape artist to becoming the modern icon he still is today, even 75 years after his death.

If you look at his latest abstract work without knowing the history, his paintings don’t make much sense – “what’s the fuss, even a child can paint this”.

The difference between art and craft is that where craft is based solely on skills and technique, art expresses emotions, feelings, a vision. Art is the result of an artist’s journey to challenge an established way of thinking and doing. As did Piet Mondriaan, best shown through his series of paintings of trees.

SPARK OF THE DAY

It doesn’t matter what your starting point is, transformation is a journey, where every step we take is a stretch away from the previous; where you only realise the leaps you have been taking over time when looking back.

So don’t forget now and again to look back at your own journey and appreciate how far you’ve come…