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Monday, August 3, 2009

Creative Therapy: A Dream Come True

Seeing Red Part II

Not the painting, silly, you! Painting this weekend was so frustrating, but your responses to my quandry, were so helpful. When I started blogging, just over a year ago, I had no idea what the purpose of an art blog was. I soon discovered that it's the relationships that you form based common interests. Then, something amazing happens, and you start to care about these people that you've never even met in person, and then, lo and behold, you have new frends. So many of you have much more experience than I do, and I learn so much from you, but, more importantly, I just like sharing things with you: art, experiences, words. Saturday you helped me regain my perspective and helped me start having fun again. I took your advice yesterday and just played. After making a postcard, which you can see below, I went back to my painting and played with that too. First, I slapped a bunch of turquoise paint on in the upper right and lower left corners. I thought it looked harsh and didn't add anything good to the composition, so I covered it with gesso. Then I used a Sharpie to add some black scribbles in some flat spaces. I don't think you can see them, but up close and in person, they might actually add a little interest. I also layered on some pages of old books (Babar, in fact) because I used some book pages in the first stage of the painting, and like the text, but all the paint and gesso obliterated it. I also liked the magenta tones of the flowers in the lower right corner, so I added more of this color in the upper left. I like it, but I think that there might need to be some transition between the crimson and the red violet. What do you think? Has it gotten any better? What does it need now? My mother used to use a couple of words to describe me when I get in a determined mode. The nicer one of the two was "relentless." The other one was "hell-bent." I think the second adjective most accurately describes how I feel about this painting right now. A couple of times in the last two days, I've almost just put it away and decided not to finish it. I don't know what point there is to it. I don't like it, but I think I should work through this. As my dear friend and muse Kim, the Queen Of Arts, told me, "They can't all be mistresspieces." I'm pretty sure I'm learning something from the this process, but, even if I'm not, I just too stubborn not to finish it. Hell-bent, in fact.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sitting here applauding for you! I've often thought that more of us need to post our "mistakes" or "nonmasterpieces" more often! I can end up feeling pretty inadequate when I'm looking at all the eye candy out there and then look at the mess on my art table. So, thank you...it's so good to know that others get frustrated. Not that I wish that on anyone, but I think you know what I'm trying to say. I hope so!
P.S. I've been wanting to tell you that your music is what my daughter chose for her 1st dance as a married woman!

*jean* said...

gosh you make me giggle, al...do YOU think it's better? we will all say it's lovely (because it is) but what do YOU think of it??? i wish i could see it up close, it looks fabulously rich in texture....perhaps some dark blue wash to add depth...or dark green...very light glazes might work too...washes with water glazes with mediums...keep an absorbant towel handy to wipe it off if you don't like it...I find this the great challenge when working with so much texture....

snort....hell bent...you might want to try the stairway to heaven instead....giggle....

and as far as "mistress pieces" go, you'll know when it's finished....just like writing...sometimes you have to keep going back...don't let the "perfectionist" take the lead...it's about feeling good...took me a long time to get there, but bloggy art friends help alot!!!

*jean* said...

me again...i'm lovin the idea of the turquoise...do you have a way of making some smaller sample pieces with a duplication of your wonderful texture layers? that way you could slap the paint on those and see if that's what you want...

and i was thinking a darker purple mixed with a touch of black and a little gloss medium for your dark color...

do you mind if i ask what kind of paints you're using? i have a couple favorites in the golden line that i'm thinking would be good....

if you want to know, just pop me an email...

another wonderful trick it to put your painting at the end of the hallway and walk all the way to other end and keep track of your first reaction...

Unknown said...

It's wonderful to tap into this blog support of friends to get those creative juices flowing...

AND!!

Thank you for posting the Dia de Bloglandia!!!

x..x

Sandy said...

OMG this is colorful.
Fantastic painting and great structure. Love them.

Kim Mailhot said...

Hey there girl ! I am so glad you found the fun in it all ! And yes, Blogland friendships blow me away - I get so very much from them...they mean so much to me now...and I never would have guessed that there would be such closeness through the computer screen and the kep board and lovely hearts for my friends ! How lucky are we, right ?

I am loving the painting - my first thought was what about some shading in the yellow some how...give your figure some depth ? Just a thought...may wreck it totally but hey...;)

As a quick-to-give-upper, go-with the flow type of gal,(his nice word for it) married to a hell-bent, bull-stubborn, tenacious (our nice word for it) guy, all I can say is it takes all kinds.
:0)
Wouldn't it be great if we could all learn some happy medium ? Oh well, as long as we keep playing, I think we are all good !

Marit said...

I'm glad you felt inspired and had fun again... I don't know what is missing but there IS something missing... not much of a help huh... sorry. I DO LOVE the paper visible (Babar you say? Oh, I want a Babar book too!!!) Wishing you luck and fun and spirit!

Staci Danford said...

I've been so busy this past week that I haven't gotten to play in my BLOg land.. I had to go back and catch up.. Your studio space in just the BEST. I'm with you.. I need to SEE fabulous in order to think fabulous.. LOVED it...
Staci

Courtney Putnam said...

The vibrancy of this piece reveals your vibrancy of spirit! I love it!

Keep following your intuition, listen to your body as you paint. What does your belly tell the piece needs? What about your toes? Sounds silly, I know, but tapping into your body may be a helpful. Who knows!

hugs,
Courtney