learning curve

Friday, February 18, 2011


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

9 comments:

  1. I love Kelly Rae's backgrounds too, they're the best bit of her work for me.

    Love what you're creating Susan, keep going!

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  2. Your painting and its evolution are most inspiring - and quite lovely, if I do say so myself...

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  3. thank you both for the sweet encouragement - a wee bit wild & crazy but it feels like I'm on my way ... somewhere xo S & les Gang

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  4. good old Joseph. He has it all wrong. In order to live any life at all we must lose our fear of being wrong.

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  5. au contraire....those colors have always been with you in the photography...the flowers, the pink cat noses, the little green shoots...the skies. very nice, SUsan!

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  6. Sweet, the boycott spam is gone.....although I was looking forward to more American Woman being freed up, if you know what I mean.

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  7. snort !!! you are sharp like tack and toooooo funny Shammy Sham.

    Was hopin' you'd comment Chickory Merci !! I value your opinions & comments tremendously and please don't ever think you need to sugar coat them - honest constructive criticism needed & welcome ;-) xoxo S

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  8. susan, i really like what is flowing out of you onto the paper! no judging needed -- they really are wonderful!!

    ((hugs)) from willow, bella and zoe. they are running thru the house right now like a mini stampede of 4-legged joyfulness!!!

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  9. Do LOVE the pink in the first one! And the patterned house, it just "pops" so much more for me.

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