I wanted to share a bit of real time creative process/art issues before I actually leave my studio/apartment to venture out into the real live world and interact with human beings. Seriously, I spend A LOT of time with my paintbrushes. I’m having a harder and harder time convincing myself that going outside is better than staying here. More on that another day.
About two weeks ago, I started experimenting with color palettes for the 24×36 inch canvas that I’m working on now. I like using pastels for this process. I love the feeling of putting them on paper and the vibrancy and blending of the colors.
Next I started to create small works on paper and experiment with different mark making styles to give myself an idea of what I wanted the larger painting to look like.
I don’t usually work like this. I often start with an idea in my head and go right to the canvas or paper that the final artwork is going to be painted on. But I wanted to take my time and really sit with some of the color and style decisions that I was making.
Then it was time to move on to the 24×36 inch canvas. I started with a light pink background layer then made some larger brushstrokes over it.
Then I started making some of the more detailed marks. I added some that I often use in my abstract cityscapes and I also tried some leafy/feathery marks between the “buildings”.
This marks the last spot of where I had any hope left for this painting.
Here’s a close-up.
Some time later that day, I had covered this piece in marks. The promise it held died. I couldn’t see any way around what I had done to it. I don’t know if I wasn’t focused enough, if I was too focused, if I got caught up in the energy of making the marks and just couldn’t stop going.
Whatever it was, I knew I didn’t like the outcome. But maybe the effort was something that had to come out. Maybe I needed to blend all of those colors together on a canvas, then drown them in marks to get to the other side…which in this case meant gessoing over the entire painting and starting again. Fresh. New.
While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I created a mini-moodboard to explore a new color palette. Click on the mood board or this link and click the photo on Instagram for (beautiful!) image credits.
Then, it was time to start over. Explore the idea again. Remember what I learned from before. See what feels right.
If you want to see what happens next, I’m sure I’ll share it faster on Instagram.
For now, I’m going outside. xoxo
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