How does that sound for a blog inspired by mindfulness written by an artist? Ok so it's not the most original or inventive but it'll do for now!
This painting is titled "A New Beginning' - apt don't you think? Even though the kids are now grown up I still think of August as an end and September as a beginning. All those years of living by school terms leaves their mark, especially as my eldest is a teacher!
Beginnings and endings; both topics that preoccupy an artist's mind. We all have different approaches to starting a painting
- sketchbooks
-photography
-journalling (written or pictorial)
-en plein air referencing
-intuitive markmaking
-sloshing paint around aka expressive painting
What's yours? There's no right or wrong way, and I change it up all the time. I've always found a physical sketchbook restrictive, I prefer working on loose, large sheets of paper and then these get collated into sketchbooks (or collaged into paintings) I do like journalling, getting ideas, thoughts, feelings out of my head and down on paper, again this process often continues into and onto a painting. Those initial layers are always the most exciting and the more feeling, emotion and intuitive mark-making that happens the more exciting the finished piece. It's as if some of that raw emotion finds it's way to the surface.
En plein air thumbnails, sketching and photography are also favourites of mine especially when I'm thinking about a new collection of work. Just being outside, in nature, sparks creativity. My phone camera is a handy tool on a dog walk. The photos above are being used as collage paper inspiration, textures, scale, composition and tone...
So how do you begin a painting? With meticulous planning or a headlong joyous dive into paint and creating?
Lots of love x
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