August 24, 2019
As always, the caveat is, it’s done for now. I’m happy with it, in fact, I’m so happy with it I want it in MY ROOM. I seem to have this belief that I can’t really paint people well, and then I’m surprised when I do. Hell, I’m surprised when they are recognizable! *Shakes my head…* Sometimes the inside of my head is no place to be.
Have I been comparing my work to other artists’? Yes. Sigh.
Does my art continue to improve? Yes!
Do people enjoy my work? Yes!
Do I still love what I do? Yes!
Then I’m on the right track!
One of my goals for this blog is to point out that becoming an artist, frankly becoming anything, isn’t a straight line. I’ve seen so many blogs where everything is sweetness and light, and everything moves along swimmingly according to the “Master Plan.” This certainly hasn’t been my experience, and it is how we handle these challenges that make us who we are.
Most of my paintings feel like ongoing problem-solving sessions. The last thing I do each day is to create a punch list of what I want to accomplish the next time I sit down to work on it. Creating this list gives me a good starting point. This continues to happen until I near the end of the process and THAT is when I usually start to feel the energy of what a painting can become. My teacher, Rose Adare, hits this point before she even puts a mark on the canvas. (That’s why SHE’s the teacher!) I’ve only managed that a few times so far, and each time resulted in a spectacular piece.
It is important to become aware of what your process is. Everyone has rituals that they go through as they work on something. Become aware of your self-talk and recognize what you are saying to yourself. Find a way to check criticism, self-doubt, and judgment at the door. All that negativity does is make the process take longer to accomplish something that was going to happen anyway. This painting took at least twice as long as it should have because of all the negative self-talk I was dealing with. In some ways, it is a reverse Dorian Gray. All the angst, frustration and judgement went into this painting and came out as a sense of peace. It was worth the journey!
