Art & Play

 

It’s been said that playing is the work of childhood.

 

I believe it’s our work too, as adults, as artists.

 

We have a great deal to learn from the playful exploration of children. One of the world’s greatest innovators, Picasso, said that at 14 he could paint like Raphael but it took his whole life to paint like a child.

 

Why is play so potent for artists?

 

When we play, we live in the world of possibilities. Our imagination is activated. Our senses are heightened. Our heart quickens with anticipation.

 

New forms emerge and we’re astonished and delighted.

 

Indeed, we welcome “ugly” paintings because we know this is where new works emerge.

Indeed, we resist safe art. 

 

Composing Paintings

 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about composing paintings and one thing I believe wholeheartedly is that In the end, everything depends upon what you want to express.

 

Sometimes our paintings bother us and we second guess ourselves. We feel uneasy and bothered.

 

We think our paintings are “ugly” and begin to doubt ourselves as artists. Often, this is because the work is unfamiliar. Indeed, nascent forms are trying to be birthed and it makes us uncomfortable.

 

Other times our paintings bother us because they’re not expressing what we want or there are elements that we feel don’t work.

 

It turns out that our paintings have a life of their own and they won’t necessarily bend to our will. We’re not going to love every single painting we create, but that doesn’t mean the painting we dislike is unimportant.

 

Raw Artworks

 

It’s a good practice to live with your raw works for a while.

 

Put your paintings aside and let them be, “as is”.

 

The painting you dislike today may surprise you tomorrow. You may end up loving it tomorrow or a week or month from now, or even years from now.

 

It grows on you. Or perhaps you grow into it.

 

Maybe the painting you dislike is guiding you in a new direction, but you’re resisting.

 

Don’t resist. Get curious. See what the painting has to say to you.

 

One day, you may love it… or, you may make a decisive move on it. 

 

Work In A Series

 

One powerful practice for artists is working in a series.

 

This way, no particular painting is precious. By working in a series, you can explore variations on the theme of the painting you’re grappling with.

 

This takes the pressure off of the painting that’s giving you fits. It gives you an opportunity to explore different solutions and permutations of the work. 

 

In the end, painting is about exploration and experimentation. 

 

It’s about allowing what’s trying to come through you in your own gestural self-expression. 

 

Sometimes, we need to get out of the way and let that happen.

 

I believe this is where the magic is.

 

 

What will you explore and experiment with in your work this week?

 

 

Much love from my studio to yours, 

Nancy

 

Trust Yourself. This is the message of my International Award Winning Book: The Artist’s Journey.

 

We explore the importance of your inner landscape, your psychology in my book

The Artist’s Journey