A New Medium?

I can't stay with the same medium without getting bored, it seems.  Right now I'm moving back and forth between acrylic abstracts and encaustic - painting with wax.  I've had several beginner encaustic classes over the last few years, and have, naturally, collected lots of materials, but have been stimied about how really to get going.  This week I felt the kick I needed was to take a class about making the medium and the paints.  Lots of options with this, and we mixed many colors that evening.  It seems like this takes a lot of supplies, many of which can come from Goodwill, as they will eventually get covered with wax.  Safety is a big issue, and of course, being a big klutzy these days, I will have to find a place where things won't catch on fire!    It's a very ancient and interesting art, and I'm looking forward to learning more and getting better.  It's not easy to achieve really good results without putting in the hours, though many people do present encaustics before (i think) they're ready to show.  

So if you are looking to a new medium, my advice is to find out as much as you can about it, talk to people, read books, and then be willing to put in the time, and ENJOY it all the way!

New from the Old

Do you have a stack of unfinished paintings, waiting to turn, by magic, into works of art?  They sit there and develop a skin of dust, and, if they're watercolors, FADE away. How about taking some time dealing with these poor neglected souls, and bringing them out of their obscurity?

Stand one or two up somewhere and examine them.  What is wrong?  Why didn't you finish them, or why did you stop painting them?  Did you like them?  Were they boring? Let's not get too negative. Find a few things of redeeming value in them and focus here first.  What was GOOD about that area?  Was it the color, the design, the texture, the drawing, the contrast?  If the color was wonderful, could you integrate it into the rest of the painting in a balanced way?  If the design was good, can you expand that design to fit the page?  If the texture was good, can you repeat it around the rest of the painting?  

Sometimes a painting can be pulled together by adding dark passages throughout.  Sometimes a glaze over a large area will tame down too much busyness.  If the painting has gotten too dark, try lifting out lighter areas, if you can.  Or bring in white and cover over areas to add a lighter color.  How about adding some exciting collage papers and changing the whole focus of the painting?  How about cropping and changing the format? 

A challenge like this (and it IS one) can get your creative juices flowing.  You've lost nothing by bringing out an old sheet of paper/canvas and a little paint.  You may feel extremely energized.

If you're going somewhere and you know you'll have the chance to paint, bring along ONLY the old, unresolved paintings and have a blast. It never hurts to expand your mind or your creativity!  Have fun!

Starting off the year with art

Random Drawing

It's like exercise.  Start gently and with careful movements.  If you're out of 'art shape', you may need to get those synapses fired to start your left and right brain hemis talking.  Here's an idea:  if you've got access to a DVR or a DVD player, try pausing and doing mini-sketches.  Do some contour drawings, even some blind contour (don't look at your paper and don't lift your pencil).  Or find someone to sit still for you while you sketch their face or body.  Try using your whole arm and big movements, as well as small ones.  

When you've 'mastered' the contour, do some shading.  Move on and change the picture.  Have a great time!