In my workshops it seems like almost a regular part of my artistic talk, or philosophy as one commented, is that when we learn we do not need to put undo pressure on ourselves. What I mean is, we don’t have to be perfect and we don’t need to necessarily get a painting out of the learning exercises attempted.
I try to help my painters, of any age or experience level get the concept better by relating it to math class. When we where in math class not every time we did our exercises did we take the paper home and stick in on the refrigerator or put it in a frame and hang it on the wall. Some of those D’s and F’s, let’s be honest, never made it home to Mom. Most times we just learned.
We don’t have to always show, look see what I have done. Sometimes we just sharpen or improve the tool. Our self.
Well in painting, I believe we need to give ourselves time to grow and succeed. Not every painting is going to be a masterpiece. Some need to be discarded, or better burned and discarded. Don’t want them showing up on my next-door neighbors wall.
I keep digital records of all my paintings so I can see my progress or learning. Not to mascaraed as some great painter that like a machine turns out masterpiece after masterpiece. I try to be honest about my learning. This is my way.
As the painter, or anything else for that matter, I believe that we should give yourself ample time to experience, fully understand, experiment and then implement. This could take a lifetime or longer.
There are no magic buttons, miracle pill to loose hundreds of pounds, sorry if I ruined that for anyone, or magic paint color. It is through understanding and hard work, with many failed paintings behind us that we find our few successes.
Light a match and say a prayer.
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© 2012 Daryl Urig
