Thursday, January 14, 2010

The painting process





For more years than I care to think about I’ve been blocked with painting.  For a long time I was frozen in indecision over the subject matter.  I couldn’t think what would be a worthwhile subject for a painting.  A few years ago I started doing abstract paintings and that helped for a while.  But since we've been in Mexico and I have some free time to fill I’ve had kind of a breakthrough.  By thinking of myself not as an artist but as a student I can paint just about anything I feel like, because it’s all just for learning and practice. This has been really freeing for me.  Now I can take a look at the photos I’ve taken and decide to try to paint one.  If I don’t like the result I can try again.  Or abandon it and choose something else.
Since I started doing water colours with Peggy in mid-December I’ve done several paintings.  Peggy has a saying:  It’s just a piece of paper.  And that helps me remember that I’m still learning… and always will be. Now I have a couple of completed paintings here and a couple more that are in process.  And I’m still having fun.


Yesterday I got my sister set up to paint a rooster and she’s having fun too.  She says she never thought she could paint but she's also discovering that it’s not such a big deal.


Tomorrow I’m going back to the oil painting group that I went to last Friday and I’m going to try to paint this image,


which I found in a pile of papers at Berthe, the teacher's place.  I hope I’ve chosen something that will allow me to have some success.  But even if I don’t I will have learned something about oil painting.  It’s the process not the product.  I get it now!

4 comments:

  1. joanna those are good works and i certainly envy your fortune!!! it's valubale to be able to step back and approach any creative process from a fresh vantage point. you'll acquire your own language again and it'll all flow from there. i'm happy for you that this has happened, i know how special it is. steven

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  2. I'm glad that you're painting again. Your morning glories are so delicate. Good luck with your new perspective...it sounds like a helpful way of looking at almost anything we have created a mystique around.

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  3. Those morning glories are soooo beautiful Joanna! The tomatoes look like something we'd find on your kitchen windowsill. Bravo!
    -Lin

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  4. Amazing Joanna - just beautiful.
    I started my painting class on Monday (thanks to your inspiration) I'll keep you posted.

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