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Support. I always thought it interesting that canvases, boards, and panels are called "supports” in art jargon. Using this term seems rather stilted, as if art needs to claim its place among serious disciplines.  Yet I cannot deny that the formal definition  of “support”… “a thing that bears the weight of something or keeps it upright”…does offer opportunity for thought.  

Recently I have considered the obvious physicality of supports. I have been doing my portraits on panels, rather than on stretched canvas.  I am particularly fond of a product that is so smooth that the resulting oil painting remains shiny after drying.  I am also pondering the less obvious philosophical aspects of art supports. For, without support, the painting would not exist.  This "support" gives aid and substance to the artistic product.  

Now, of course, “support” has other meanings, such as “assistance, approval, comfort, or encouragement,” etc.  You get it.  And, just as a painting requires support, so does the painter. Without the support of others, the painter could not carry on. I suppose that financial support first comes to mind. As important as monetary issues are, I will leave the topics of collectors, grants, commissions, and benefactors to others.  I am certainly not qualified to discuss economic viability. 

For me, the most interesting type of  support is that which artists receive from others…friends and fellow artists alike.  Our friends cheer us on, other artists provide feedback and stimulation. I think that without the encouragement of others, my artistic endeavors would wither. And this works both ways. Supporting other artists is simply nourishing.  We grow together.