Self. Don McLean - Vincent (time-lapse painting)

You loved this last time...

This lovely planet is over 4.5billion years old, which is very old. I am unsure if this means that this is the age of the universe too or if the earth is quite young compared to the rest of the universe, but it doesn’t really matter. What I want you to think about is the age of the universe. For arguments sake let’s say that the universe is 10billion years old.

So, what was around 10billion years and 1 millisecond ago?

Nothing?

Ignoring the fact that time is a man-made concept and no other creature on the planet feels the need to wear a watch, except humans, I believe that the concept of time doesn’t exist in space and the only place the idea of time exists is earth, so anything that happens outside the earth and away from humans (who constantly clock watch and count every precious minute of every precious day) can’t be counted in time; seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades etc.

As far as we know everything that exists does so within the universe, we also know that the universe is forever expanding and one day it will collapse on itself and then once again begin to expand, like a never-ending loop. That’s what we know. With this in mind, I would say that as soon as the universe ended it immediately began again as time cannot be counted between its ending and beginning, as there is no concept of time in space – time can only be counted between its beginning and end.

So that’s what we know.

Therefore, if we return to the question “If the universe is 10billion years old, what was around 10billion years and 1 millisecond ago?” the answer should be “the universe.”

The reason this should be the answer is because there is no time between the universe ending and the universe beginning again.

So the universe is continuous, it’s only everything that is within the universe which starts and ends; planets, animals, vegetation etc.

Stay with me…

So the universe is continuous; it continuously expands and then collapses in on itself time and time again. The universe starts from a big bang of nothing, therefore nothing can possibly affect the big bang, as there is nothing there to affect it, so it must be the exact same big bang each and every time the universe starts again.

Now bear in mind the ripple effect, this is the thought that each and every action you do has a reaction e.g. if you smile at a stranger in the street they will feel happier and they may go on to be nice to someone, who in turn is nice to someone, who in turn is nice to someone etc – this also works on the negative too. All of our actions affect each other and the people we affect go on to affect others, who go on to affect others and so on.

So, if the big bang is always exactly the same as it has no outside influences as nothing yet exists to influence it, then the ripple effect comes into play where everything effects everything else, action and reaction, on and on and on. Well, if that happens, then I would say that we have all done this before 10 billion years ago and 10 billion years before that and 10 billion years before that. I would say that because the initial reaction which caused the big bang must have been exactly the same each time it happened, therefore all the reactions which happened after that would also be exactly the same.

So, even though life often seems chaotic and sometimes it doesn’t seem to make sense, I would say that everything is as it should be and we have done everything exactly the same in this lifetime as we have in many lifetimes before, as many times as the universe has had lifetimes. The universe may be a billion lifetimes old, 10billion lifetimes old or just 10 lifetimes old, or as there is no time in space the universe could just ‘be’. No matter what it is, it means you sat exactly where you are sat right now and wore exactly what you are wearing now and you have read this before, many many times, and you loved it just as much as you did last time you read it and it will affect your life as much as it did – or didn’t – last time.

***

Now, 6million scientists disagree with me, like they always have, but they all agree with me in the end, like they always do, it just takes them a little time to catch up.

There is no way to prove or disprove what I think, as there is no way to do two exact experiments to test my belief as there will always be differing outside influences which will affect the test, except where the big bang is concerned as there is no outside influences which will effect it as the universe is everything and there is nothing outside of it, so really I can think what I like.

Anyway, see you in 10billion years when you ‘like’ my paintings all over again.

Time-lapse paintings

It's very difficult to get noticed in the art world and really get someones attention with a painting as people only really look at a painting between a few seconds to a minute, so I decided to put some time-lapse videos together to really 'show' people my artwork in the hope of keeping my viewers attention for longer.

My first time-lapse painting is of crows flying over Glastonbury Tor. Crows are very intelligent birds and the rhyme "one for sorrow, two for joy..." was originally about crows, therefore I decided that I would include two crows in the painting. Glastonbury Tor is a very spiritual place, linked with the King of Fairies, Avalon, King Arthur and the Holy Grail. If you ever have chance to visit it and look over the surrounding countryside I would strongly suggest that you do and take some time to sit at the top and breathe in the fresh air.

In mythology crows are linked to reincarnation and the souls passing, therefore due to Glastonbury Tors spirtual links I thought it would a great place for them to fly over. The white ribbon symbolises our delicate soul.

Crows over Glasonbury Tor

Music by Dj Food - The Crow: I believe the music goes really well with the video and I am very pleased with the outcome.

After my first time-lapse video I wished to paint something much bigger to really show what I was capable of. I felt the song was very important to the paiting and shouldn't simply be background music, therefore I chose an emotional song which moved me and really meant something to me.

Running up that Hill is about men and women wishing to change places so they understand each other better in their relationship, but I didn't think that wish would stop at simply men and women in relationships. I strongly believe that everyone yearns to be understood and lots of people wish to understand each other better, so I included many different people running up the hill. In the front of the picture there is a woman and a man talking to an angel. The man is ready to run up the hill, but the woman is more reluctant as she doesn't know if a complete understanding of each other is always a good thing and maybe some things should be left unknown.

Running up that Hill

Music by Placebo

With my next time-lapse painting I searched through 100's of songs to find the right piece. I was torn between using music that was significant to me and chosing music that I thought people would like. After some thought I decided not to try to please people with my music selection and I also decided not to use a piece of music that was significant to me in in some way. I have already painted my feelings of the past, so I decided that I wanted to create something new and I came across this piece of music and completely fell in love with it.

The painting came from listening to the music.

The Barn

Music by Yann Tiersen - Comptine d'un autree ete

I was incredibly flattered by the responce and support I recieved from people who watched these videos and I will no doubt make another in the future, but there are so many thoughts and images in my mind that I could paint, which would work with music, that it is hard to pin-point where to start.