Painting - as I see it - is not more and not less than reflecting reality. Reality defined as everything that we are perceiving through our senses but also through our imagination. Unfortunatly our brain is interpreting the outside world while being part of it.
The process: Start with a blank surface. It is representing your freedom of choice. You decide on material, color, style, composition and of course on the subject. The subject is not so important. The interpretation is important. There are only a few relevant subjects out there, but almost unlimited ways to paint them. The art and pain is to make decisions. Step by step during the process you are forced to make decisions, with each decision limiting yourself, until you face the final question: When is the right moment to stop? You almost never know - and you created the highest grade of limitation. Painting is creating limitation and reality.