OK, so the actual day to begin to paint for the season has arrived. I’m going to take notes of each step, and photos, as I take the plunge, but first there was one thing I had to do before getting here:
Step 1
Go through all my materials to see what I have and what I need. Buy supplies.
P-DAY (as in PAINT day, get it?)
Step 2
Repair the easels as much as is possible. It’s kind of cool that I’ve worn out so many easels in 14 years I can’t remember a number. I think this should be one of your goals: Paint SO MUCH that your easel breaks. Yeah! I think the next bit of wisdom is that I finally need to pay the big bucks and spring for a very high quality easel. That’ll be something to be proud of when I can break one of those!
Step 3
Pull out a blank canvas I’m inspired to work with. Choose a couple completed paintings or incomplete pieces I want to paint over. (This is critical. Never take yourself so seriously that you can’t paint over something you’ve done. I’ve plastered over pieces that have hung in galleries).
Step 4
Put on music. Get past the uneasiness. Get GOING!
Step 5
START! Base coat the first old piece. Revel in the absolute pure and simple bliss of putting brush to canvas. I was BORN for this! I’d forgotten how deeply satisfying it is. How do I ever do anything else? Follow the inspiration to draw lines with a pencil. Hmm, cool. Made me think of sacred geometry. Do the second one. I’m sort of on fire now! Plaster the big piece.
Step 6
Acknowledge everything is going to have to dry for 24 hours before I can add layers. Bummer. But I knew this going in. It’s why I work in multiples. After today, something will always be dry and ready to work on.
Step 7
Know, as happy and fired up as I am now, it’ll be just as hard to get into the studio again next time. Why is that?
Step 8
Take Kelee for a walk on the Llano. Honor the wisdom that it takes more than time at the easel to make a painting. This walk on a gray winter’s afternoon, being with the horses, breathing, listening, a coyote’s song bringing us home: It is part of painting, too—allowing the space for inspiration to be born and to germinate. Never let anyone guilt you into believing that making art is all about grueling, disciplined hours at the easel or the idea of having to put a certain amount of “work” time in if you’re a “serious” artist—or that a painting must take weeks and weeks to make to be valuable. Art requires soul, and play and beauty. Find yours. Do whatever it takes to express your vision.
This article was useful when looking for:
- beginning to paint (22)
Thank you for showing your process. I love to see the basic steps you take in preparing…very inspiring my dear:) It makes you so human and REAL. lol. I can always see the Goddess in the human named Jeane.
XOXOXOX
Grace
I’m glad you found it inspiring. I was hoping people would. I think it shows that even those of us making a living with our art just take a series of simple steps–totally non threatening–to make a piece. And let me assure you, I am, oh, so VERY human! I’m grateful you always see my Goddess. As always, she’s just a mirror of you.
ohhhh and I ADORE Step 8’s first photo of the clouds across the mountains…ahhhhh
I’m glad it moves you. Every single day offers beauty, different from the days before. We don’t get a lot of gray weather here so I rather love it when it happens. It’s gray now. We’re getting some SNOW!
Forgot to tell you: The blog’s back in the studio tomorrow. More process!
Jeane,
On this your 100 blog anniversary:
I don’t know if you realize how inspiring it is to see you in your creative process… I know it does me:) But I am an artist that put away her design drawings and paints and pencils and switched to computer generated art many year ago….I enjoy the play with photos, but I feel my body wants me to move away from the computer and back to a standing position:) We shall see how long my body needs to talk to me before I get out the brushes or oil pastels etc. I did buy some basic acrylics in red (I LOVE RED), white and grays a few months ago when Sofi our 17 year old Aussie e visitor was here…I loved being with her youthful silliness…so much like my own in the past AND now. A reminder of that expectation of forever and stepping into what pulls us into each moment. What fun we had. So I am working toward a busting out. lol. Wish me luck…I know you do.
XOXO
Grace
Yes, more than luck, I wish you the joy of inspiration and the bursting out of your beautiful artist self into some of your older materials–not that there’s anything wrong with your current computer medium 🙂 There are a couple of posts coming up on March 3 & 4 that may be of help to you–A Great Art Project Part 1 & 2. If I can inspire you even the tiniest little bit, you make my blog a success! Thank you!
YAY!