Play and consideration in the middle stages of paintin
Last time we chatted I shared a short video about starting paintings with intuition and play.
And your response was so encouraging! Like me, you love the opportunity to see another artist’s process and hear her thoughts as she works. We are each unique in how we approach the start, though some of you told me you aim for a similar mindset, one of experimentation and openness to discoveries as you work. You wondered what happened next, and were keen to see more.
And guess what? I have a “middle process” video to share today!
Recording my process for Maddy
For the last several months I’ve had the opportunity to mentor a student at our local art college. In theory, I’m helping Maddy move forward as an artist. In practice, the relationship benefits me too. Working with Maddy has pushed me to articulate the beliefs I have about creativity, discuss my work as well as hers, and describe techniques in a way that someone else can understand.
When we started the mentorship Ottawa was still under our COVID lockdown in Ottawa. We did our weekly meetings virtually, including hands on demonstrations. Maddy was curious about my process, so I made a series of short videos to help illustrate what I was doing at different stages, and why.
Painting in the middle stages
When I reach the middle stages in my painting, I try to carry forward some of the intuitive, exploratory mindset, while bringing in consideration.
I work more slowly in the middle. I alternate playfulness with watchfulness. I am now more aware of questions of composition, design and colour.
At this point I am looking for areas I might want to emphasize, and beginning to edit out areas that detract. I spend more time now just looking at it. Sometimes a LOT of time looking!
The painting can still change quite a lot in this stage, and time-wise it is often the longest and potentially the most frustrating, as I may try one direction and then decide to take it in another. This stage feels like a game of hide and seek sometimes.
This video documents a relatively brief window of work on this painting, but it is typical of the way I think about things at this stage. I hope you enjoy it!
Kitchen Garden is the painting featured in the video. It changed quite a lot in subsequent layers, though you’ll recognise it’s good bones 😉.
Would you like to see it?
