Toolboxes
Techniques to Science to Freedom Epiphany #17
Whenever I collected enough coin and life was stable -ish, I would sign up for a class at our local art center. Initially it would always be a drawing class for I still struggled with this skill. But I was slowly starting to shift into a new mend set - one of seeing something an artist practiced and wanting to know how to do it too. First it was Asian brushwork. There was a Taiwanese painter near where we lived who was an amazing technician. She could replicate precisely old master pieces. Her control of the brush, its moisture/pigment ratio for a given stroke was pure music. She taught me critical techniques on holding, charging and manipulating the Asian brush, not to mention the precise labor intensive mounting techniques necessary to complete a painting. A few watercolor classes followed. One teacher showed how to make sea roses by spattering pigment. Another how to use mask to preserve white paper, another how to glaze a gradated wash.
While these were excellent tools for specific uses and situations, they were only that. And I found that if heavily relied upon paintings became repetitive and objects in them a cliche. I could continue to collect techniques or maybe learn the science of watercolor so I could paint what I wanted to paint coming up with some of my own techniques for specific expressions I wanted to capture. I went on a hunt.
I could not find a teacher who presented information this way. Most taught how they painted while students followed along. But during this search I found a book, Jean Dobie’s Making Color Sing. It is my ‘How to Paint Watercolor’ bible for it covers the science of this medium, this medium’s objective physical properties. Oh how I read and re-read this book copying the examples to thoroughly understand pigments’ properties. My sketchbook filled with samples, trial and errors and play. I wanted to ‘own’ this information. To make it second nature so I knew when to reach for a cool yellow and which yellow would be right for the expression I sought. As I played I started to see endless possibilities for expression, paintings-to-be crowded my senses. I would walk seeing the dapples of light and feel how I could capture the lightness of them. An over whelming sense of freedom came with this. Fear sucks freedom into black holes. Problem solving and play bring it back out. Be fearless in your play! Envision what you hope to express. If you can not achieve it, go out and seek what you need! Be deeply curious! Think beyond memes! Open your sense of wonder and wander being an explorer, not a bucket list fullfiller. Our minds and spirits are so capable of being far more than black and white thinkers or technique repeaters. Come with me on this journey of fully embracing the joy of the ‘what ifs’ we are truly capable of.
What frees you to play?
On a personal note- I was speaking with one of my sons about how one finds one’s passion. I realized I did not do my son a favor by talking about a passion. I made it sound like I was solely driven by a heart and spirit call to paint. The tenacity with which I have pursued this advocation is part joy, part heart felt and yes part need to make a living. There were (are) times when I could not get something right I considered stopping. There were (are) long spells when I felt I had nothing new to say. I will write more on this later when I explore coping skills to get past major slumps. But what I want to communicate is I had to intentionally foster this passion fueling it at times when there was little ember left. Be not afraid when downs come. It is about sticking it through seeing your guiding vision even when it is just a tiny glimmer. Foster your vision whether it is about what you want to paint, how you want to paint or just a love of the materials.