learning curve

Week 2 - Inspired by Mati's painting style assignment completed - painting 1 - Susan Black

In order to live a creative life
we must lose our fear of being wrong

Joseph Chilton Pierce

Now... one must remember ('cause I'm sure trying to) that these paintings are exercises, meaning not to be judged as anything but ... OK sure ;-) it's a mountain range of a learning curve, this learning to paint thing, this learning to loosen up, relinquishing some of the control I hold onto so dearly.

Things I am learning

I'm finding it difficult to get used to painting where the paint sits on the surface and doesn't sink in - like painting with watercolours or gouache on water colour paper. I can't be nearly as fussy detailed or controlled which is ultimately a very good thing.

Woah ! Get Your Colour On Girlfriend - who knew I'd be so timid with colour (snort) could it be a reaction to living in the lands of heaps of snow, whites and greys and slushy muddy browns ??
Especially this particular piece. Is there a colour I've left behind ? ... don't think so.

I feel very relaxed doing it. Painting. I very easily get into a groove just me, a cat or two, CBC radio 1 and the next thing you know hours & hours have passed me by. I thankfully don't hold my breath while doing it (collage can make me very uptight especially the improv spontaneous, non-typographic kind of collage - yikes) but once I get started painting ... I don't want to stop.

Now I've mentioned a few times before that Kelly Rae Roberts is a mentor of mine. Talk about your follow a dream, Creative Empire kinda gal. There's so much about her to be inspired by. Just her prolific, stick-with-it-ness alone is inspiring. The thing I love most about her paintings are the backgrounds. I'll admit I'm not such a fan of the variety of women's portraits she paint (heads, necks and shoulders) but if you really study her paintings they are SO rich with layers, texture, bits & pieces, colour and interest. Below is a very cool time lapse video of her making one of these painting. Lots + lots to glean here plus excellent music