I was eagerly, breathlessly waiting outside the door of the 3rd floor painting studio, anticipating my turn at the hallowed easel. There, the renowned and venerable professor would lovingly and patiently teach me how to paint with oils. Now here I was, in the very studio of my dreams. And all I would hear from the renowned and wise professor was (after a long and awkward pause, her looking over my shoulder)
“Well, finish this one and go on to the next one.”
Embarrassment. Heartbreak. Doubt. Anger. All these stirred up inside me while sitting in front of that easal. How was I to finish this one and go on to the next one when I didn’t know HOW? Could you just SHOW ME HOW?
Looking back now, I fully realize that was the best advice I could’ve gotten at the time. After all, the only way to learn how to paint is to paint, paint, paint and paint some more.
Now that I am a mixed media collage artist, that advice sounds in my mind every time I paint. With every piece, there comes a time when I just need to finish it and go on to the next one. At that point if I keep going, the piece edges toward being overworked, overdone.
My process develops in layers, because they are mixed media pieces, by its very nature a layered process. Because of this process it is typical to work in stages on several different pieces. Normally there will be a minimum of three art pieces in production at one time. Still, there comes a time when I must of necessity finish and sign my name to one and go on to the next one.
When that voice from the wise old professor starts playing more loudly in my head, I answer by asking a couple of questions.
1. “What does it still need in this one hour?”
2. “What few brushstrokes will bring visual harmony to the piece?”
After all, it’s not about perfection, its about harmony. And at that point harmony is usually just a few brushstrokes away. So I set the timer for 60 minutes, and when that buzzer sounds I sign my name.
Here some other articles on the subject: One of my best teachers
It only took me forty years to appreciate that advice from my well meaning and truly wise professor. And I plan to spend the next forty years following her advice!
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