artistic process Archives – Celebrating Color

Letting Go: A Painting Demonstration

April 22, 2020 By Carol McIntyre

How did this painting Destination Unknown,

become this painting?

The simple answer is, “I had to let go.”

Most likely you have heard the statement, “You need to let go,” many times throughout your life. I know I have, particularly from painting instructors. My internal response was always, “…and how do I actually do that?”

No one ever gave a good explanation to the process of letting go – at least to my satisfaction – until I took an abstract painting workshop from Joan Fullerton about three years ago. She literally made us become unattached to our work. Joan is funny and a great teacher, as well as creates beautiful paintings.

How did I learn about letting go? It took practice and belief.

During the workshop, we would start an abstract painting with gestural mark making, and then we had to turn our canvas 90 degrees. Next, we applied paint using various tools and collage papers. Once again, we had to turn our canvas 90 or 180 degrees. If there was a color combination or shape we really liked, we were to cover it up! There was a lot of groaning from fellow students and a few gasps, as we were stretched artistically. You could feel the resistance in the air.

This process was continued for several more layers until we individually could see a painting to start to develop. From there, we continued working on our paintings until we felt they were complete. Let me add, it took me over a year to become comfortable with turning my paintings and to freely apply paint without over-thinking it.

The feelings of uncertainty have evolved from nerve-wracking to exciting anticipation. Often I am rewarded with delightful outcomes. This happened in the demonstration below.

Letting Go to Learn a New Medium

As you may remember, I have been learning how to use cold wax medium with oil paints. From those who have not worked with cold wax, it can appear to be merely a new technique. However, it is similar to learning a whole new medium. For example, I went through this long learning process when I went from watercolors to oils, oils to pastels and pastels to acrylic.

The tools are different, oil paints are messy (which I had forgotten!), and timing is another factor to take into consideration when working with cold wax. Consequently, many experiments are necessary – and continue to be – to obtain a rhythm and deep understanding of this medium. In order to do this, I have had to become good at letting go!

You should see my studio. (Maybe I will do a video of it.) Every surface is covered with paints, tools, papers, books, good and bad attempts, rags, examples, etc. I can’t remember the last time it was this messy nor that I spent so many hours in the studio.

Progress is happening, which makes me do a happy dance periodically, yet there is more to learn. Meanwhile, I wanted to share my process with one painting.

In this example, I am experimenting with combining one of my mixed media paintings with cold wax. This meant I would be painting over an existing painting. Hence, I chose letting go of this 20″ x 20″ painting on panel.Once I honored it and acknowledged parts that I liked and some that I did not, I moved to the next step.

As you can see below, I painted black – it is black gesso – over areas of the painting. Embracing my fear of letting go and engaging in the excitement of trying something new, were on my mind. It was invigorating to tackle the unknown, despite thoughts of doubt. By the way in my mental dialogue, I have decided to change the phrase letting go to moving forward.

The areas that I left visible were chosen intuitively.

Next, I chose and mixed the colors I wanted to apply. They were based on the colors that were peeping out from under the black. Below, are the stripes of colors I applied thickly. This approach is something I came up with. In other words, I had not seen a demonstration or video of what I was doing. It was a risk and I had no idea what the result would be. I dove in with curiosity.

To blend the paint I used one the squeegees – probably the red one – and began moving paint around.

My intuition led the way. However, I was conscious of not creating muddy colors. I added some white here and there as well. After the cold wax paint set for a couple of hours, I then went in with some scraping tools. You can see the lines where the paint from underneath shows through. It felt a bet like a mess, yet I liked the colors.

Next I turned the painting 90 degrees and I put it on my easel. (My first layers are done on a flat surface.) I couldn’t believe what I saw! A burning candle. It was a sign of hope during this trying time of COVID-19 and made me smile.

This is the point when I begin to have a conversation with the painting. Now I further develop its content and focus on its composition. More layers were applied in various areas.

After applying more layers, I took a stop back realize, it looked too much like four separate quadrants. Therefore, I applied more paint and blended colors. Below is the finished 20″ x 20″ piece entitled Cake and Ice Cream.

One unanswerable question, “How is the pandemic influencing my ability to let go?” What do you think?

I believe it is at some level, because we are being asked to change many parts of our lives during this crisis.

FYI, there are several books available about subject of letting go, as well as inspirational quotes. Another book is Comfortable with Uncertainty, as well as this classic The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. How do you deal with letting go and uncertainty?

Please leave your thoughts and comments below.

Gratefully and colorfully yours,

Carol

PS This blog only provides an example of letting go with an abstract painting. It is applicable to any and all styles of painting.

Don’t Fret! Learn Where the Creative Process Gets Sticky – Part 2

January 24, 2020 By Carol McIntyre

Do you ever get stuck during your creative process? Or you just want to give up?

You are not alone. Feeling this frustration is common and to be expected. In fact, Elizabeth Gilbert states in her book “Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear,” Learning how to endure your disappointment and frustration is part of the job of a creative person…Frustration is not an interruption of your process; frustration is the process. On a personal note, I wish I had known this many years ago when I had first started to paint.

Are there common places in the creative process where creatives often stop and don’t want to continue? When you read my Part 1 of this blog post, I asked if you knew where creatives typically get stuck in the creative process. Any thoughts? It was fascinating to learn from my research that there are two. This was helpful to be aware of, particularly since I learned that I had company.

Per my last post—Part 1—and for review, I outlined the key stages of the creative process as follows:

First Insight—the original thought or problem to solve;
Saturation—the gathering of resources;
Incubation—unconscious and conscious ruminating;
Illumination—the Ah, hah! moment;
Verification/Production—the resolution.
Separation/Letting Go—closure and transferring of ownership.
Hibernation—the time of rest and restoration after the process is completed. By the way, this important step was not added until the end of the 1900’s.

Note my graphic below to as a visual understanding the steps above. The graphic depicts the creative process as a circle or spiral versus linear, which reflects reality more accurately.

There are some experts in the field of creativity who believe these phases are not worth noting. However, I believe they are as I mentioned, because knowledge informs us and gives us power. Understanding our experiences better prepares us along the artistic journey. An awareness of the creative process helps us to be prepared and/or not surprised when these stumbling blocks arise.

FYI: An excellent book with a different perspective is “Imagination in Action: Secrets for Unleashing Creative Expression,” by Shaun McNiff. I highly recommend it.

Frequently, artists do not continue in their creative endeavors because the hurdles seem unachievable. There are countless stories of the ‘problem to be solved’ or the ‘painting’ being put on hold indefinitely or permanently terminated. Most of us have heard of artists doing this or we have done so ourselves.

Where Do Creatives Typically Stop During the Creative Process?

I learned that this stoppage occurs most often during two different phases.

The first is during the Incubation-Step 1—period. According to the well-known author Betty Edwards, in her book “Drawing on the Artist Within,” The mind longs for closure while the answer stays out of reach and this is the most critical moment in the creative process. The artist succumbs to the anxiety and gives up for fear the problem may, after all, have no solution, or [they] cannot summon the courage to accept the anxiety, keep the problem before their eyes and in their mind and take the next uncertain step.

According to Edwards, this is when we lose most artists. It takes will and persistence to overcome this anxiety. When I look back at the times when it took me a long time to arrive at my “Ah, ha!” with some of my painting ideas. I often wanted to toss the idea. I believe it was my passion and belief in myself that kept me resolute to continue. I did not succumb to the anxiety and frustration I was feeling.

However, there are times when it does feel like a battle that cannot be overcome.

Edwards states that the second place where artists most frequently do not forge ahead is during the Verification—step 5. Either they cannot quite complete the idea as they see it in their mind’s eye or they do not complete the artwork for fear of external feedback. The fear of the unknown responses from others can be debilitating.

Bringing our artistic results forward for all of the world to see, critique, enjoy, purchase, stare at, and walk by, is not unlike enduring the dreaded act of public speaking—stated by many psychologists as one of the most feared activities people can face. We painters are in a vulnerable state when we present our work and the risk can seem daunting. For some it can be exhilarating. Which one are you?

There can also be the feeling of personal failure because the artist cannot do what he or she set out to do. Sometimes it feels like plowing through thick, gummy mud and it doesn’t seem worth all of the work and stress. Yet, when we get to the other side it can feel very satisfying and motivating. Personally, the more I have painted, the easier it has become to persist through the muck. I also know that each step is getting me closer to what I am trying to accomplish, because I am constantly learning along the way.

As the masterful vulnerability researcher Brene Brown states, “Vulnerability is about showing up and being seen. It’s tough to do that when we’re terrified about what people might see or think.” She also says that vulnerability is the key to creativity and authenticity.

When going public early in my painting career, I learned I needed to g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y step outside of my safety zone. Overtime I slowly enlarged the circle of people I had the emotional countenance to tolerate. Further confidence decreased my anxiety significantly and my expectations became more realistic. Also fear of confirmation and validation lessened.

There is much more that coule be written about this subject. What are your opinions and experiences? Please leave a comment below.

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Colorfully and gratefully yours,

Carol

Don’t Fret! Learn Where the Creative Process Gets Sticky- Part 1

January 20, 2020 By Carol McIntyre

Being creative, be it painting, writing, composing, sculpting, problem solving, etc., is something that is essential to our souls. We have to do it and for lots of reasons. As much as creating is a driving force in our lives, it is never a smooth ride. We all run into times when we feel stuck or it feels like quick sand or we bemoan, “This is hard!” Yes, it is and you are in good company. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.

Have you ever stopped to think about the common places when creatives get stuck or question their ability to continue? Or considered the general phases of the creative process? In this blog (Part 1), I will be discussing the latter question first.

The creative process has been studied by various scholarly fields for centuries. Because it is a mysterious process, creativity has always enamored us. Many attempts have been made to articulate it so that it can be better understood.

When I researched literature about the creative process several years ago, I learned that the sequential stages were first defined into only four phases.

In Graham Wallas’ 1926 classic The Art of Thought, he summarized the creative process as follows:

1. Preparation: The mind prepares for the creative solution, which requires study and thinking intently on the subject—whether it be a musical composition, a new invention, a mathematical formula, or a business dilemma.
2. Incubation: A germination period follows. The person steps away from the problem and takes up some form of activity like daydreaming, walking, or meditating.
3. Illumination: Often as a flash, a brilliant idea shoots across the mind, frequently during a mundane task or while one is involved with something else.
4. Verification: The idea is tested to determine its validity. The composition is scored; the mathematical formula, proven.

Variations of the above creative process have been developed over the last century with a few additional tweaks and language changes. Boldly, I added a stage that I thought was missing!

The Creative Process Delineated:

[Read more…]

Painting Out of My Funk – Mixed Media Demo

October 30, 2019 By Carol McIntyre

How do you get yourself out from under emotional challenges? Do you use your creative outlets and/or something else?

As most of you know, starting late summer I took a sabbatical for several months because I needed to Prevent a Train Wreck. This time was followed by our much anticipated vacation to Barcelona. Unfortunately, it was rudely interrupted by the theft of all of our luggage from inside of our rental car as described in Thieves Among Geniuses-Miro and Gaudi. As a result of this traumatic experience, I have been experiencing periodic mild anxiety attacks. This was a surprise me and continues to confound me. Consequently, I have not been inspired or motivated to paint, much less anything else work related.

I had intended to return from our European vacation all charged up and ready to get back to work. Ha! My psyche wasn’t ready, so I have been patiently listening to my body and trying to take care of myself. Meanwhile, what about my art? As I mentioned in my last blog post, I asked a good art friend to push me to start a couple of paintings. I did and that was Okay, but not satisfactory.

This week, after a few mornings of mild anxiety attacks, I decided that I needed to do something different. Painting has almost always served as an emotionally grounding activity for me, but I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to paint! This is not a common phenomenon for me. Feeling lost like this indicated that I still needed some healing time. However, sitting around watching the snow fall (quite the snow storms this week in Colorado), wasn’t working for me.

When in a conundrum such as this, I often pose challenges for myself. I decided that I would use existing painting materials and try something I have only watched on YouTube. I would paint multiple paintings on one sheet of 22″ x 30″ watercolor paper. Here is the step-by-step process of my mixed media demo. [Read more…]

How Does Your Art Make You Feel?

September 8, 2019 By Carol McIntyre

Don’t we all want to improve as creatives? One of the many reasons I love about being an artist is that there is always something to learn and to improve upon. As a life-long-learner it revs my engine. Is this true for you as well?

This post was inspired by listening to a recent Nicholas Wilton video https://www.art2life.com/2019/08/18/where-are-you-looking/ It sparked me to start thinking about my practice as an artist. He begins by asking if we are wanting to improve upon or up-level our art. If so, where do we look to determine how to make these improvements?

There is a logical tendency to look at the end product for answers. After all, critiques are a common occurrence in our profession and they usually happen when a painting is completed. However, Wilton suggests that we look at the beginning of our creative process. I had never thought of this, have you? It’s a great question. [Read more…]