Posted at 07:23 PM in Painting | Permalink | Comments (16)
So, I digress, as per usual. I did want to update those of you that are following my painting adventures. I say adventure because anything that is new and inviting, and colorful and exciting, is an "adventure" to me. Right now, I keep painting because I want to find my voice...what I want to paint and how...what is my favorite thing? What makes me happy? These are the questions that go through my head with every stroke. I'm looking at patterns, things I repeat. I'm looking at the colors I tend to use too much, and I'm reaching for different one's. I'm telling my critic to hit the ROAD! My critic isn't as concerned with my results as with just telling me I am too grown up for this. After all, that is one of my main "tissues" with my critic, as those of you who have followed my journey know. Many of you identify. We have decided, however, to keep on keepin' on, regardless of the unwanted resident critic says. I've found a few ways of silencing the critic...
1. Just get started. The critic's number one success is getting us not to even get started.
2. Get lost in the process. When the critic says, "if" or "but", I get a really bright rebellious color out and splat it down and say, "so there"!
Sooo. those are my thoughts on painting lessons this month. Here are a few of the things I've done in my wallpaper book. Have those of you that wrote me gotten out your paints yet? If so, please leave a link so I can come see! REmember, safety is numbers. WE are gonna bust our critics and share our colors with the world! :) xo lia
p.s. I will share some links soon on favorite artists I'm discovering online...as soon as I get that organized! I'm finding that I am drawn to abstract painting and of course, mixed-media, mostly with emphasis of a portrait of somekind. more on that soon, in the next "episode".
Posted at 09:53 AM in Painting | Permalink | Comments (13)
Here's what I want to learn:
Unit 1: The Color Wheel. (Learning to mix my own paints..no delving into hours of color theory, just basics).
~Learn about Primary, secondary, tone, hue, and complimentary colors.
~Experiment with mixing my own colors while painting (I usually use the cheapo stuff, but I'm really learning more by mixing my own, etc.)
Unit 2: Art History (Identify/Study the movements I like and learn more about my top 5 fave artists). This is an "ongoing" unit.
Ok, so I hope I have made some sense here today. I must go now, but I will be back with more lessons and painting tales. Let me know how you are doing and if you have started something! Don't forget about groups like Creative Everyday and vlogs like Suziblu who encourage your creativity. We are in this together! Let's go paint something. xoxo lia
Posted at 09:39 AM in Painting | Permalink | Comments (12)
Ok, so, parents can homeschool or un-school their kids, right? So, why can't I develop my own curriculum and learn to paint this year? I say you are never too old...and hey, this is right up my alley being that I can't go to school while I have two kids in college. Try splaining that to big Bruno...Anyhow. Today, I started my own school. These are the materials I brought to class:
1. A paint wheel. (which I had to ask my 4th grader to splain to me...I usually don't understand things that can switch direction)..but that's another story....
2. A disregarded wallpaper book. Oh...this was my fave supply. I have several that were given to me by my local hardware store. Great to practice with, and on my budget...talk about art junk! woo.
3. My good paints. The one's I never use...that I got for Art and Soul last year. Yup. Need good paints to learn.
4. Brushes, a variety of hoarded one's sitting in my pencil holder...
5. Gesso. Lots of Gesso.
Lesson One: Learn the color wheel so you can mix your own paints.
~ I learned to mix paints and make the color violet all by myselves. It was super cool. Talk about being like a little kid...I found the whole color mixing thing to be fascinating...I can make a dozen versions of teal...lol...how cool is that (make mental note: need more white paint for mixing). I will probably spend a few weeks, maybe more on this portion of the curriculum.
Today I also discovered that Gesso is my BEST friend. Yes, gesso is paint's "eraser". I love Gesso. We are getting married tomorrow. Stay tuned for Lesson Two.
xo Lia
So, I've been doing alot of painting as of late. I've decided I have a love/hate relationship with painting...that is painting, painting. Not painting journal pages and the like. I'm talking, painting a painting that is supposed to look like a painting. I say it's love/hate because I love to paint. I say hate because it frustrates me, I don't know how to, and I end up with alot of crap, and a huge mess to boot. But I digress.....because, after all , I can't do anything half way. I have to get obsessed about it....I yearn to learn so much. You think I could just pick up a brush and throw a few strokes on some paper? Noooooooo.....I have to start reading everything in the world on the subject, buy books that will show me how, and generally, start painting anything and everything around me that doesn't have a heartbeat.
I share this with you because I am trying to make sense of it myself. For those of you who have been following my art adventures (and messes), you know I've delved into the wild blue painting yonder before. But, each time, I get, well, scared. Why am I scared? Because I have to deal with doing something in my relaxing, down time that demands more of me. Scared because I like being in my comfort zone. Scared because I fear it will distract me from other things I "should" be doing. Scared, because I imagine myself becoming a recluse and being holed up in my basement, talking to myself and losing touch with reality. Scared because I may start thinking of taking painting classes, and that would be delving into new territory.... It seems much easier to collage. I mean. I love collage. It's SO forgiving, and I never feel scared or unhappy or annoyed when I'm doing it.
Well, let me tell you another thing....which I've only told one friend. When I started doing my art "thang" again, about 3 years ago, I made a painting on a large piece of wood. Well, one day, when I was particularly upset about my art junk all over, etc., I took it and broke it in half. I then threw it away. Ok, now, I'm sure you are thinking, "this lady...this art junk whoever is totally wacked.
Well, I can tell you that I am as normal as the next person....just a little cooky is all. Actually, people do mistake me for being 99.5 percent normal even when I tell them things like this.... but anyhooo.....I forgot my point..oh, yeah, my point is, that even with all these mixed feelings, I really want to learn to paint. I'm going to show you guys some of my crap pretty soon. really, I will. I am also trying to combine the collage with the painting (which will make it far more enjoyable for me). I am very, very inspired by the work of Kelly Rae Roberts and Leah Piken, now Leah Piken Kolidas..(.hey, that sounds greek...you greek?) I know they say that in order to learn, you must study great work. Their work is SO amazing...I want to eventually learn how to incorporate collage work into my paintings, but also learn to paint so I have something good to paint over the collage. Now, you think they would let me be their understudy for a few days? Hmmmm...maybe not after the breaking my painting in half story... lol. Actually, Leah is one of my greatest creative inspirations, yes, you are Leah! She continues to inspire artists of every level with her challenge to be Creative Everyday. Ok, so that's where I've been. Painting and thinking. thinking and painting. Wow, it feels good to get all that stuff off my chest...
P.s. while I had the paints out, I painted a bunch of pages in my moleskine journal. I figure that while I have the paint out, I may as well do something useful. Talk to you all soon. Hope you are inspired to pick up something you like, even if you are afraid...and don't break anything...capish? xo Lia
Posted at 01:32 PM in Painting | Permalink | Comments (16)