Thoughts on Painting by Andrew Lukach When one starts to paint one is an emulator, painting only what one can see. Once having achieved the technical ability to paint what one sees, the individual who is blessed with sensitivity asks that there must be more to painting than this. Through study, exchanging ideas with other painters and observing paintings from the past, one discovers that the art of painting is filled with complexities. A painter deals with tensions, rhythms and patterns, color harmony, balance, shapes and forms, division of the surface, tonality, texture and other esoteric elements‹always striving for resolvement. In the Fifties I gave up portraiture because I had to please the subject... I firmly believe that a painter has to be selfish and paint for him or herself. When an individual paints to sell, it becomes a commercial endeavor because one is painting a pretty picture to please the buyer. In reality one should paint to please oneself. If you can combine the two - so be it.