I just finished up a commissioned piece. It was exciting and humbling to have someone ask me to create a painting to display in their home. It was also scary, as the request was completely different in style and color palette than what I'm usually drawn to create.
I learned several things while working on this piece. 1) Taking risks is good! I was so nervous to start on this piece. I procrastinated forever until I finally couldn't procrastinate any longer. My anxiety was a sign I was pushing out of my comfort zone. That's a great thing, because that's where growth happens. Lots of anxiety and lots of growth from this piece. 2) If I take it one step at a time and have patience with myself I can paint anything. I have dabbled in drawing, but mostly painted abstracts or stylized images. I had to paint a person! With a pre-defined pose and expression. A girl with long, flowing clothes and a flower in her hair. I approached the painting as a series of small problems to solve. I loosened up by tackling the background. Big swipes of buttery yellow and steel gray. I could do that. Then a rough sketch of the girl. A bunch of sloppy ovals and squares. I could do that. Then I added the shawl and flowy tunic. Just a bunch of long, wavy lines. I could do that. One by one, I turned each problem into something that felt achievable. And before I knew it, I was painting this picture! 3) I have a style! This is something many emerging artists struggle with, the elusive "signature style". And how do you know when you've found it? I can pick out my favorite mixed media artists' work no problem. After taking hours of online courses from artists such as Jane Davenport, Donna Downey, Ivy Newport, Flora Bowley and Tam LaPorte, I can spot Jane or Tam's signature eyes on the beautiful girls they paint. Donna's free, wild style of messy texture and bold brushstrokes. Ivy's color palette and her refined yet free technique. Flora's organic imagery and fresh color blending. And bit by bit each of them inspires and influences me. How it clicked for me on this painting, was recognizing the choices that gave me joy versus the choices that made me go "meh". I had her sketched in and eighty percent complete and I didn't love her. Then I changed her face to something that made me happy. Then I added the halo. Then several birds. Then a touch of gold paint. Then I scribbled with oil pastels. I made the flower HUGE. I changed up her hair. I added highlights with a white paint pen. I threw in collage and plaster. Until I loved it, and it felt like me. I highly encourage taking risks and pushing out of your comfort zone. For those of you who have said "I wish I could draw or paint, but I can't" I'm here to tell you that you can! What have you got to lose by trying? My first course was "Draw Happy" by Jane Davenport, and it was awesome. I was looking for something to do while my broken ankle healed, and it seemed like a good place to start. Then I took Flora Bowley's "Bloom True" intuitive painting e-course, which was a game changer for me. I highly recommend all of the artists I mentioned above. They are all amazing artists with a gift for teaching. Many offer free online tutorials to give you a flavor for their style and teaching method. Would love to hear if anyone is inspired by this post to try something new!
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About the ArtistI am a self-taught mixed media artist with a passion for vibrant color and lots of texture. My hope is that my paintings will inspire joy, and encourage others to connect with their inner artist. Archives
March 2020
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