The painting felt like a cruel teacher from the early 1900s that hovered over my back with a ruler ready to snap my knuckles the minute I made an incorrect mark.
Of course, it wasn't the painting. It was me, and I was being much more vicious by strangling the work. If it squirmed, I tightened my grasp. The paint strokes and forms were lifeless with no intensity whatsoever. I was working too tight for the composition and it was stunting the entire process.
I had to let go.
Now the painting is almost finished. It has been a good teacher no matter how it turns out.
I have a goal that I would like to make public on this blog. I am aiming to create 100 works this year. It was arrived at a couple of days ago, and it will be a good exercise. By having a more prolific studio practice with a measurable goal, my skills will have no choice but to improve. It will also help me overcome the tendancy of tightening up so much on the canvas or drawing that the joy is lost. I will not have the time to be overly critical - my inner critic will be hushed a bit, so that more rapid progress can be made.
Too some this may be a foolish goal with such a focus on quantity. Maybe it is, but my curiousities are too strong. Can I do it? What kind of work will be created within those 100 works? What kind of evolutions will occur? Will I have a crazy meltdown and create stick figures by the end of the year? Haha!
Well, let's see, shall we? I'll keep you updated on the progress. Maybe I can find some sort of tracker application to put on here. If any of you know of one that would work, please let me know.
Thank you for reading and for your support! Love to all!
Of course, it wasn't the painting. It was me, and I was being much more vicious by strangling the work. If it squirmed, I tightened my grasp. The paint strokes and forms were lifeless with no intensity whatsoever. I was working too tight for the composition and it was stunting the entire process.
I had to let go.
Now the painting is almost finished. It has been a good teacher no matter how it turns out.
I have a goal that I would like to make public on this blog. I am aiming to create 100 works this year. It was arrived at a couple of days ago, and it will be a good exercise. By having a more prolific studio practice with a measurable goal, my skills will have no choice but to improve. It will also help me overcome the tendancy of tightening up so much on the canvas or drawing that the joy is lost. I will not have the time to be overly critical - my inner critic will be hushed a bit, so that more rapid progress can be made.
Too some this may be a foolish goal with such a focus on quantity. Maybe it is, but my curiousities are too strong. Can I do it? What kind of work will be created within those 100 works? What kind of evolutions will occur? Will I have a crazy meltdown and create stick figures by the end of the year? Haha!
Well, let's see, shall we? I'll keep you updated on the progress. Maybe I can find some sort of tracker application to put on here. If any of you know of one that would work, please let me know.
Thank you for reading and for your support! Love to all!
2 comments:
Best of luck to you!! I've made a goal to sketch at least 5 days out of the week for this year. So far, so good! You can do it :)
Thank you, Kae, and good luck to you as well on your sketching goal. I also want to tell you that it was wonderful that you illustrated your Great Uncle's childrens story about Herman the Peacock. That is so cool! Great job!
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