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| Four new panels in my studio |
Do you have a routine? You roll out of bed,
pull on a t-shirt and yoga pants and start your sun salutations? Or you need a
big cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal before you can even growl g’morn? Or maybe you have to have a cup
of herbal tea and a snuggle with your cat before getting ready for bed each
night? Routines are lifesavers for our
overworked brains, instead of having to make a dozen decisions, they just
follow a familiar, comforting pattern.
Routines are my lifesaver when it comes to
beginning a painting. Sometimes a blank canvas can be so daunting, there’s
definitely the possibility of a masterpiece but will I be able to achieve it?
Rather than face painter’s block, I rely on my familiar process.
First up, I pull out a fresh wood
panel. I use wood panels as the support
for my work because it’s more stable for resin and also because I enjoy the easy
flow of painting on wood. Each of my
excavation paintings begins in the same way, I apply a couple of coats of gesso,
then sand them down for a smooth surface.
Then I mount them on the wall and paint bold stripes on the panel.
There’s no specific reason for the stripes, and truthfully, they’re hardly
visible by the end. I think it all began with the very first resin
paintings I made back in 2007, they started as a series of horizontal stripes,
and then I started added layers of tissue painting on top. The paintings looked
dry and unfinished, until I added resin and then they became swirling, sea-like
worlds of transparent images. At the time I was using a casting resin that took
ages to set and stunk up my garage for months, but the basic process was the
same as the one I use today.
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| where it all began |
After the stripes there is no routine. I paint on layers of tissue, and the
layers are always new and different. But there is something comforting about
the initial process, when my hands are happily painting stripes and my mind is
free to dream about what will come next.
I wonder who the growly bear that needs his caffeine and cereal is? And what about the people who roll out of bed at 1:30 pm and proceed to make the largest egg-related breakfast on the planet?
ReplyDeleteLoved the post- I feel like people think that artists get sudden lighting bolts of inspiration and are then taken over by some sort of otherworldly force that transfers paint to canvas. Its nice to know that even the creative types have to keep it organized and stick to basics.
As I'm writing my exams right now, that is the only analogy I have. But my professor said that he advises us to read our exam on Friday and then take a 15 minute break to allow the information float around in our subconscious so we can let the ideas marinate and have a better idea of the issues and connections at play. Just like how you let your subconscious come up with creative art ideas! Although painting is a lot more fun than Property law...
-JW
Any resemblance to persons real or fictional is purely a coincidence. And I will open my skylights for the bolts of inspiration today.
DeleteIt's toast and coffee,and not cereal, by the way.
ReplyDeleteI said, any resemblance to persons real or fictional is purely a coincidence. Besides, I thought the use of cereal would hide the identity of the growly bear.
ReplyDeleteI love the second painting in this post -- "Where is all began" ... wish I could see it in person.
ReplyDeleteAlas, it's sold and the clients have moved away from Vancouver, so I can only see it digitally. However it's very interesting to look at it today and see all the differences from my current work. I quite like it, and may have to incorporate some elements back in.
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