I’ve been trying to work on some paintings at least a bit each day, all in various states of completion. I am realizing I usually have been working a good hour or so before I become inspired and ‘ready’ to really go at it. I’ve never really done a warm up because I only have so many hours to work before the little ones come home, at which point I become very jealous of those who have an entire day to paint. This is the main reason I put start and keep sketch book on my resolution/goal list. Maybe if I put more effort into that part of thinking/trying/experimenting stage, I will be more ready when the paint comes out. Thoughts? Do you start your day of making with a warm up?
hm. i often get stuck in the preparation. though i think that stage is important, you’d have to know yourself to know if it would be paralyzing. i am an ambivalent person to my potential’s detriment.
i’ve been thinking a lot about the sequence of things and how important it is. i.e. see my baby and my relationship….i often think of the way one of my favorite authors puts it in the writing process. (copying & pasting)
As Anne Lamott writes, “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft—you just get it down. The second draft is the up draft—you fix it up. You try to say what you have to say more accurately. And the third draft is the dental draft, where you check every tooth to see if it’s loose or cramped or decayed, or even, God help us, healthy” (26).
i think there’s a lot of wisdom in translating that up, down, and dental draft to the process of painting. for what it’s worth. . .
Cara, completely agree. I never thought of it in thoses terms, but so similar to how I work. Thanks!
I love all of your work – even the warm-ups! Any chance they would ever be for sale?
thanks Lesa! The pic above is actually a small portion of a large painting I’m currently working on. I will share the finished piece soon along with others I have been working away on and list some in my shop.