How do you start your paintings?
Do you leap out of bed at 3am with a vision of your new creation crystalizing in your dreamy bed-head?
Do you brainstorm with a coffee in one hand, pencil in the other and a stream of consciousness pouring onto your sketchpad?
Or do you stare into space looking for clues in the universe and then stare at the white canvas waiting for the universe to direct your hand?
I used to have a naïve idea that Artists were driven by some powerful inner force and their Art just erupted out of them. They were as in awe of the mystique surrounding the process as Joe Blog on the street. Which is why they failed to explain or elucidate their inner workings and the meaning of their creations to their gasping audience. I think it suited some artists to perpetuate this myth.
But me, I’m as mythical as marmite – ie. not at all.
Do I start a painting with a rush of inner erupting energy? No.
Is there planetary alignment as I lift my loaded brush? No.
There IS sometimes coffee involved, NEVER a 3am start, rarely a sketchpad or a pencil but often a hairdo which could be mistaken for severe bedhead – just a result of neglect, lack of time and I’m getting old, so who cares?
Some people agonize over starting their paintings, which is a shame really because it’s like setting off on an adventure – but the best sort of adventure. You don’t have to scale heights, get wet, lost or hungry, you don’t even have to leave home. But you ARE venturing into the unknown with very little idea of what will result from the experience.
However, you have complete control of the compass. You decide the direction you’ll take, the materials you’ll use, what to leave behind and what to lean towards. It’s exciting.
Other people love starting and will venture forth full of hope. They march stridently into their work, dibbling and dabbling into everything, getting knee deep in the mess and muck and loving that it’s just the beginning. They don’t have to think, just experience and play. Devoid of judgement and analysis, they love the freedom.
But when they eventually get the compass out and look for a direction they find they’re lost – there are a multitude of possible directions, each with enticing possibilities - but which one to take?
When you’re wanting to find a new direction with your Art, starting can be even more daunting. You don’t want to fall back into old practices to reach outcomes you’ve seen before. How do you start in a new way to make something you’ve never seen before? I want to make something, but I don’t know what it is…
I believe the best way to start a painting is not to think about the end. My process is one of discovery along the way. Here are some examples of the beginning and ends of some of my paintings. See if you can match the beginnings to the right ends of these paintings – just for fun!
If you’d like to know more about my process of making abstract Art I have a course called stARTs where I lead you step by step through 6 different methods to create an abstract artwork.
It’s not so that you will learn to paint like me, but rather that you will make your own discoveries, just as I do, along the way. So that you can create work that you love, using colours, marks, methods and techniques that resonate with you.
If you’re interested in hearing more about this process, I’m doing a FREE Webinar on May 27th.
I’ll share my story with you. Explain how I found my style and way of working and give you the next steps so that you can find your style too. I’ll be sharing my process which takes away the stress and anxiety of reaching a pre-determined outcome, so that you can explore freely and find the best way forward in your own work.
If you’d like to find out more and register for the Webinar click on the button below.