Tuesday, December 09, 2008

painting identity crisis

inspirationpaints all lined up and ready 1,2,3
i love my hot pink work table
i'm madly painting for a show that opens jan 2nd and i texted my girl kelly that i was having the above "painting identity crisis" and then remembered that oh yeah, what was the class i just taught?
painting, that's right
and how did i teach it?
there are no mistakes, experiment, mess up, explore and most importantly have fun!
***on one of my handouts i listed from a to z different things to try (many of which were demonstrated in class):
a) use stencils
b) spray paint
c) sand
d) brayer paint
e) spray water
f) experiment any way you can think of
g) spill paint
h) mix paint with matte medium and cover parts
i) cut out collage
j) stamp on pattern
k) sponge on paint
l) use magazines for blotting
m) cut out silhouettes from magazines
n) paint over
o) dry brush
p) use pencil or end of brush to make marks
q) put tissue paper or sewing patterns on ground
r) glue pages from book
s) write on painting words in your head, a song, eavesdropped
t) cross out/paint over
u) gel transfers
v) silver leaf
w) scribble, doodle, use fingers, play
x) add splotches of different color
y) collage on ephemera
z) repeat

might i add paint upside down? cover your floor with paintings and work on them simultaneously and when you're not looking, one will truly shine.

i was in my head too much trying to visualize the paintings before making them. wondering who my audience is. wondering what will they look like on the wall. now i'm listening to them and doing a little interpretive dance and realizing i'm the audience. oh yeah, and mochas help :)


ps- the inspiration above~ i randomly took this photo before i left for italy and stuck these bits in my journal that i took with me... sadly i left the journal on the plane and am so glad i had the crazy forsight to snap this. the top left is one of my favorite pics of my dad ever building our house in nova scotia.
pps- don't you like my hot pink work table?
ppps-don't worry, i have many more italian photos to share:) case you wondered.

13 comments:

Heather said...

these photos are amazing and so inspiring! Love your workspace :)

vantiani said...

Couldn't agree more.
Such an amazing studio space, Mati! Thank you so much for sharing!

Vantiani

kelly barton art + design said...

i so so love your simple way of looking at things. how are you girlie?

Caryn Lynn said...

I understand how it can be hard to start the flow of the creative process, sometimes when I have been away from my studio for a period of time I do a little welcoming ritual. I light a candle thinking of my creative intention and then walk around the circumference of the room cherishing all that surrounds me. Sometimes I sit for a few minutes taking it all in and then I jump into the creative process. That's what it is all about and you have the tools you need! Love your A-Z's! Have fun with it,Caryn

Geek+Nerd said...

*laughs* your painting identity crisis sounds exactly like my choreographing identity crisis! It's funny that we work in such different mediums, and yet, the artistic struggle is ever the same!

Maybe I need to make a dance version of your list :P

Rowena said...

I'm having a struggle that is similar. I have to do a large painting for a friend, it's already planned out. It's all set in stone. I'm getting money for it, even.

And yet, I'm frozen in place.

My comfort zone has been breached because of all those factors. Large, Planned, Paid.

really, I just need to do it. Experiment. Go with what I have on the canvas.

Look at it upside down.
:)

Anna Lloyd said...

I love your workspace and inspiration wall, it looks like green and pink are your colours at the moment! Thanks for sharing your A - Z ideas too. Will have to try some. I wish I could have gone to Italy for your classes!

Anna :)

Unknown said...

this is *exactly* what i needed to read today. thank you!
*)

Unknown said...

oh mati, what wise words! painting IS supposed to be fun, isn't it? i get all worked up about it sometimes, too, and wonder if people will like them, etc, and then i can't create anything! thanks for the great reminder. :) and i looooove your photos! your workspace looks incredible.

h. luv said...

oh how i love you. i've been sewing and dreaming of painting. everything you wrote is what i needed to read. we are our audience and if we make things that make us happy. it will make other people happy. my studio is in my house again. i have studio envy.

ADT. said...

hola saludos desde Argentina, me encanta el blog-cariƱos

claire said...

what an inspiring post. *thank you*

Alessandra Cave said...

All the inspiration is fabulous! And I'm sure your show will be amazing!!! You are the explorer, the pirate ~ Wonders will be discovered in the process! Miss you xo