How I make time to paint is such an interesting question, I wonder why it never occurred to me.This is an excellent question for all of you beginning for the first time as well as those painters with busy schedules.
The flip side of making time to paint is how I make time for taking care of myself, quality time with family, being a friend. Writing a blog to me is an outreach to creative friends.
Of course there are the everyday chores I make into art experiences. When it is time to vacuum, the first thing to do is rearrange the art on my walls so while doing repetitive chores, my mind is busy seeing new relationships between my paintings.
My patient, supportive husband deserves a great deal of credit. He shares grocery shopping, house and yard work as well as helping me prepare the paintings to be hung. The whole house is a staging area for my half finished paintings and sometimes when my husband and I are together, I am as though far away looking at my paintings.
The number one thing I have in common with those just beginning to paint is finding a medium that is best suited to my lifestyle. I am still looking for ways to increase the quality of my painting time. Cooking is creative and enjoyable to me but cleaning up afterwards not so much. The day before yesterday I purchased an Oster 12" electric fry pan with a ceramic surface. It heats fast and cleans with a simple wipe with a wet towel. It holds promise for a variety of cooking methods so for some jobs step aside Instant Pot. I will have more creative time now.
Very important is having work areas that can be easily setup and put away quickly. I carry an on the go bag for travels whether I am going from my studio to the patio or to just pick up groceries or a larger bag for vacations.
Just this week I found that 2 small pocket Van Gogh palettes half filled with pan watercolors are working the best with dilute gloss medium in the adjacent empty wells. The Van Gogh palettes have the right amount of paint and mixing surfaces for the 11X14 inch canvas boards. These boards are fine to carry in a suitcase.
The prepared plywood boards take considerable work to prepare for painting and I don't like the rough feel. I will continue adding more coats of gesso and plaster. The translucency and wetting ability of the paint respond so interestingly to customized surfaces, I don't want to go back to unmodified machine made surfaces.
Very important is having work areas that can be easily setup and put away quickly. I carry an on the go bag for travels whether I am going from my studio to the patio or to just pick up groceries or a larger bag for vacations.
Just this week I found that 2 small pocket Van Gogh palettes half filled with pan watercolors are working the best with dilute gloss medium in the adjacent empty wells. The Van Gogh palettes have the right amount of paint and mixing surfaces for the 11X14 inch canvas boards. These boards are fine to carry in a suitcase.
The prepared plywood boards take considerable work to prepare for painting and I don't like the rough feel. I will continue adding more coats of gesso and plaster. The translucency and wetting ability of the paint respond so interestingly to customized surfaces, I don't want to go back to unmodified machine made surfaces.
The next most important suggestion is immersing myself in seeing. Even when not actually painting I think how I would in response to what I see. I enjoy looking with painting in mind every day and plan the next painting series.
Please take a minute or two to vote on topics that would be useful to you on making time to paint.Answer in comments but if you prefer I will be happy to get your email at dondianewenzel@msn.com
1) A series of blogs about my on the go painting paraphernalia.
2) Inspirational books and web sites to jump start painting.
3) More about my progress in finding a way to work outside doing watercolors that are durably finished, ready to hang without frame and glass.
4) My remedies when a laps of time has occurred when I couldn't paint and I find it hard to start again.
5) Do I have to paint every day to consider myself an artist?
Please take a minute or two to vote on topics that would be useful to you on making time to paint.Answer in comments but if you prefer I will be happy to get your email at dondianewenzel@msn.com
1) A series of blogs about my on the go painting paraphernalia.
2) Inspirational books and web sites to jump start painting.
3) More about my progress in finding a way to work outside doing watercolors that are durably finished, ready to hang without frame and glass.
4) My remedies when a laps of time has occurred when I couldn't paint and I find it hard to start again.
5) Do I have to paint every day to consider myself an artist?
2 comments:
The only response I got so far from the invitation to vote on topics indicated that I am repeating myself. So coming this Wednesday is a post titled, "Contemplating the Passages of Aging". If I get requests for any other topics, I will be happy to address them in future blog posts.
I think the subject of how we make time is very appropriate and true for any creative endeavor that might not be profitable in a monetary sense. Do we only value what brings in $$$s or is something else of more value? Society can be condemning when it has only money as its value for anything. Sad commentary if so.
Post a Comment