Painting is easy when you don't know how but difficult when you do - Edgar Degas (French artist)

 These actors are amazing painters!

I know this subject isn't new but recently I saw a short film about Jim Carrey and his paintings. I have seen many of his films and don't consider myself a fan, but damn, he is an incredible painter! Also, his philosophy on art and the attitude about art was impressive. His paintings and the reason he went back to it after many years was touching (click his name in the link below to watch it). I showed the video to my husband who informed me that Billy Dee Williams is also an accomplished artist. My personal definition of 'accomplished' is that the work would still be gallery worthy without the star status of the actor and chose some of the ones that would thrill me to have in my own collection. With a little research (and personal opinion) I think I dug up some pretty good stuff. 

Jim Carrey:

Billy Dee Williams on being a painter: When you're painting you just lock yourself up in your little private world. And it's all about you and your imagination and nobody else interfering with that. It's a great exercise because you really start discovering who you are and what you are without a lot of assistance … and the moment you come up with something interesting it's a success that's really based on your own personal, private sensibility. (Source Everything Zoomer)

Pierce Brosnan on being a painter: I paint in oils, I paint in acrylics. I paint figurative and landscape portraits. It’s all in my own kind of style. I’m self-taught. I was a commercial artist when I left school, but luckily I became an actor. I’ve painted for many, many years. Now the last few years it’s gotten more serious. (Source Huffington Post)

Anthony Hopkins on being a painter: “A friend of mine, Stan Winston, who created ‘Jurassic Park,’ was a bona fide artist. He’s dead now, sadly, but he saw my paintings and … he said, ‘Don’t train. Don’t do it … just do it.’ So that’s what I do, with music, painting, with acting. And I leave it to the judgment to the audience or the observer to make up their mind about it whether they like it or not, that’s up to them. (Source Page Six)

Rosie O'Donnell on being a painter: I started painting on canvas after 9/11 - before that it was mostly journals - collages - pictures of my kids mixed with news events of the day. (Source Bilotta Gallery)

There are also many musicians who can do a canvas proud and I was so impressed by these two that I had to include them.

John Mellencamp on being an artist: I think that painting the human condition is a very high form of art. No matter how you present it - if you present it in a traditional, let's just say a "Rembrandt-ish" way, or if you present it in a very abstract way - it's a very high form of expression. I think it may be a higher form than songwriting. I write about people in my songs, and I paint people on my canvases. (Source Artsy)

Miles Davis' work is also worth a look:
I used to draw Mickey Mouse and that airplane of his. Dick Tracy, he was easy, all I had to do was draw his nose. And Flash Gordon, I could do him. I did a drawing of Gerry Mulligan, that was in the '40's, looked exactly like him. Making art was like therapy for me, and it keeps my mind occupied with something when I'm not playing music. (Source Culturekiosque)

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