Thoughts From Marsha

What is your biggest fear when you enter your studio to paint, or when you stop at a location to paint plein air?  Most of the time our fear is not wanting to fail when we start a new painting.

So let's ask why! Most of us are trying to create a finished painting suitable for framing, right? I tell myself, and my students, let's call it a study and don't call it a painting! Take some of the pressure off.

What might be a possible answer to these problems? I believe play might be! Playing allows you to be a little fearless. Try playing a little with whatever your vision might be... or whatever scene you come upon if on location. Look at it in some way that might be a story, a mystery, anything except the exact “copy” of what you are looking at. Say something new about the image or scene. Here is one example: maybe the viewer may want to make people say, “I wonder where that road goes?” when in reality there was something there... but you left that object out creating a little mystery! A viewer wants to be engaged.

Many times we look at a scene when on location, or a photograph when in the studio, and continue with the same process we always follow. Have you said to yourself, “what if .... ?” By playing with our vision in some way, and asking ourselves “what if” a new idea just might appear. We may feel silly about some thought, but maybe it is a good idea to be silly. Your gut is telling you this silly thing, so why don’t we try it. This is one way to get outside our comfort zone as far as our process or our vision.

What colors do you not normally use? How about creating a palette from those colors. That doesn’t mean you can’t insert some of your favorites along the way. You are not tying your hands, remember ... it is just PLAY!

Try a new color combination that you just know will not work, but add a transitional color and go with it. Come up with something new for you! You may discover a new way to use colors you don’t like or normally use. What you put with them might change your mind about that color.

Are you always in control? Let loose. Be a little more spontaneous! Use a brush double the size you normally do. Use something other than a brush to put the paint on the surface! Paint with the opposite on the color wheel for your under-painting.

If you use soft pastels, create an abstract wet under-painting with drips and runs. Paint on canvas or linen, and then plan to cover the under-painting with pastels. Start a pastel painting and then use alcohol or Gamsol to liquefy what you have already put down. Or on a pastel surface, and after a couple layers of pastel, take a piece of foam pipe insulation (or a paper towel - use anything) and blur the image. Start bringing out the image slowly and maybe in a different way but leave some of the blended / blurred areas.

So what to do when you get something down and get to that point of being afraid to ruin what you have done? Meaning you love it so far, but don’t feel it is finished. Leave it unfinished! What have you got to lose? Many absolutely wonderful pieces of artwork are ruined by saying to yourself, “I just need to do one more thing!” I know about this because I have done it.

This is just one of many possibilities for learning to play and getting past some of those times of taking your paintings too far ... maybe feeling the joy of playing and learning something only play can teach you.

I know I plan to play more often. I have been doing that more this year and am very pleased with how I am growing and becoming more fearless. It feels good! How about you? Are you ready to play and be fearless?