Dear readers,
Today another day working on the three paintings of 50/50 cm. It is still wonderful to be able to alternate between the three of them. When I feel stuck or uninspired or not knowing where to put the next brushstroke I’ll switch to the other. That one feels usually fresh, even if I worked on it 15 minutes ago.
Because I think of these three as a series, I don’t have to switch my color palette, which makes everything easier.
I can still feel myself alternating between this very free mode and the more constricted and ‘thinking’ mode. Maybe this is part of getting nearer to the finishing the painting (I think I’m now on 60/70 % or so with this one).
I admire painters like Nancy Hillis who stresses to paint free from beginning to end. She uses layers but warns against putting too many layers (thereby spoiling the original fresh marks that you made). But she also covers parts up.
This are questions I live with for myself: am I completely free as I paint? Is alternating between the ‘thinking’ and ‘feeling’ mode is possible? Are the separable?
In the meantime I just have fun painting!
I keep my painting sessions quite short. Part because I have so many other things to do. Part because I just feel that the session is ‘finished’ quite soon. I feel that I would be entering more the ‘thinking’ mode if I would paint longer. This whole paintingprocess is an ongoing learning process. I love that!
Have a beautiful day!
Simone
Yes, and that is a comforting idea. I don’t need a LOT of time to sustain my practice. There is a time of starting up and cooling down too, though, especially while working with acrylic paint. If I am REALLY short in time I choose another medium.
bye!
Simone, beautiful! The softnesses and stories here are so captivating. I see so much freeplay and intuition. I am struck by your discussion of short painting sessions. That is how my studio time is playing out also, and for the same reasons—I have so many competing demands but also I find right now that I am most nourished by little spontaneous bursts of painting that start and finish before my mind can interfere too much.