Coming back to real life after my exciting PARIS! trip took a couple of weeks. Last weekend I finished up my planned blog posts and looked around. “I guess I should paint?” I thought, rather weakly. So, I sketched out my favorite Paris photos. And then I froze. “I can’t paint this,” I thought. “I’m not good enough.” Regardless of whether or not I am “good enough”, I will certainly never get any better unless I actually apply paint. But I couldn’t get past the idea that spreading paint was too complicated. So, I dithered last weekend. It’s a great tool if you want to get nothing done.
If you have ever looked for anything vaguely art-related on YouTube, I am sure a video about neurographic art has come up for you. Basically, it’s where you make squiggles, then make them ovals, then apply paint. Or some variation of things in some order. The key words: apply paint. I sometimes do the same thing and “paint dragons”. I will say the exercise of neurographic art is oddly addictive. I’d do a painting (or two) then go to bed and pass right out.
When I got up this morning, a strong weather system with masses of wind and rain was passing through. I was also wearing my worst shirt, so I decided to break out the acrylic paints and see what I could do with these starts. There have been oodles of mushrooms coming up with the increasing rain.
Inspiration solved.
Just like riding a bike, it started coming back to me.
The “gray” start at the start of this had a lot of paint on it. So, while I was waiting for that to dry, I pressed another piece of paper to it, soaking up some of the extra paint. As I looked at it, I saw this emerge.
I don’t think it’s finished yet, but it’s close.
Another item that emerged was this imaginary landscape. I’m still trying to figure out a finish plan.
After fooling around with a bunch of projects, I finally got the courage to apply paint to some of my “real” paintings.
Finally, I applied a wash to this drawing. This wash is still VERY wet when the photo was taken. I’m hoping it will dry a little more evenly. If it doesn’t, I’ll have to decide if I want to continue or start over.
And so, eight paintings have begun. Not bad for someone who was agonizing seven days ago about “not being able to paint.”