Only When Time Turned into Melted Cheese That I Became Serious

You know you're an artist... the moment you spot a really cool painting somewhere and it gives you a major artsy boost to start a project! 

Well for me... definitely!
I stumbled upon this piece while searching online for subgenres in art and came across the word "surrealism." Out came this fascinating yet bizarre picture filled with pocket watches that looks as if they're made of cheese or jello. It blew my mind. I had never seen anything like it. Seriously.

"The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali

The one you see here is the upside down version of a 24x18" poster print of the famous painting which I bought over 2 years ago. Apparently, that's twice the size of the original! Now I've looked over this piece a number of times before to try and figure out what it all means and to be honest, I still can't come up with a clear idea for it! 

But here's the thing: when it comes to viewing art, whether it's realism, surreal, or abstract, you're not expected to understand it. It's not like a diagram of some unknown species that you need to identify the parts. To try to make sense of a particular work is to lack appreciation of the creation itself. In my own understanding as an artist, when I create something, I am not so much concerned about how it will come across to people if they find it worthy of praise (that was my aim at the start) nor do I expect some reward offered for my hard work. Instead, I create what simply comes from the desire to express what I feel or show what images my mind can produce which is all demonstrated by sheer precision and attention to the finest details, or in a very loose manner just enough to retain some control of the tool.

More importantly, the more I devote my time into the process, the more consumed my mind is in making additional details to fill the white spaces. In other words, I get a little carried away with the small stuff.