Collaboration :: Part 1

This summer my daughter, Paige and I started a collaborative painting. We took an old canvas that had a poster glued onto it and ripped it off. Some of the poster was left behind for texture. Next we painted a layer of warm colors with acrylic craft paint and let it dry. Then a layer of cool colors. This step was really fun for both of us because it didn't matter what we did since we knew it would be covered up. We turned the canvas several times while painting to even out our unique painting styles throughout the canvas. After each layer we would photograph and hang the canvas back in its original location over the fireplace. Each time it would look like a new piece of beautiful abstract art.

I Want To Be Great, But I Can't Get Started!!!

"You don't have to be great to get started,
but you have to get started to be great."

~ Les Brown

Today I'm having trouble getting started. I have what I need to paint...time, a clean work surface, quiet and no distractions. My environment and my heart say "Yes" please paint, but my brain says "NO!" My computer isn't cooperating and I don't feel like cleaning-up the Christmas decorating disaster that has taken over the house and I don't work until 1:00. So what's keeping me from painting?????

FEAR? Yes, it's got to be fear! Fear of frustration, fear of not being able to let go and just paint, just play, just enjoy the process. I'm reading "Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go" by Shaun McNiff. Everything he talks about makes sense and while I've been reading I've been really excited about trying some of the exercises. The only thing is...while I've been reading the book, I haven't painted once. Nope...not one single time. I'm all about getting ready to do NOTHING! I'm always so worried about the end product or making a mistake that I freeze up and can't think of anything to paint. If I approach the painting with no expectations, how can I mess it up...right? Why can't I just LOOSEN UP? My gosh...is it that hard? Why can't I just paint 50 paintings of nothing and not care? I'm not getting ANYTHING done anyway...what harm could it do? I'm kinda getting frustrated with myself...can you tell? Anyhow, I'm just in that kind of mood today...do you ever get that way? Please say "YES."

My 52 Words Project

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon Leslie Ackman's 52 Words Challenge (see it here) just in time to start from the beginning. She posts an uplifting word each week to think about. I have chosen to create an art journal with one page for each word and just let myself PLAY. I'm using it to explore different art techniques and color combinations to continue my quest for finding my "STYLE." As hard as it is for me, I'm trying to work quickly not giving what I'm doing too much thought. The idea is to try new stuff and not get hung-up on creating a masterpiece. At the end of the 52 weeks, I'll have 52 words and my thoughts about them. Someone reading my art journal will get to know me just a little bit better and in the process I hope to know myself better too!

For Week One the word was GRATITUDE. I know I like blocks of color and muted colors for that matter. See my post on this discovery here. I created this page with uneven blocks, subtle details, a journaling area and hand painted text. It's funny, lately while I'm watching TV, I notice the artwork on the wall in the background. They often have contemporary paintings with blocks of color and simple shapes often with collage elements. I'm very drawn to them for their simplicity and color. That's probably why they use them, so as not to distract the viewer from what's going on in the show. Anyhow, I'm getting distracted!

Week Two word was BLISS. I couldn't really think of anything I consider Blissful, so I depicted just that...Bliss that is out of reach! I started out with watercolors and then moved on to acrylic craft paint...I consider watercolors very challenging and always end up with mud! To save time, cut hands from a magazine. This page was fun to create, however, didn't really try anything new or STYLE enhancing!

The third word was ORDER. I went back to the blocks of color and muted tones. I like this color palette and added a wash over the top to bring them down even more. Didn't add a lot of details here so I could stress the order I like in my life...no frills!

I hope you check out the 52 Words project and if you play along, I'd love to know!