Still relishing my new studio space - it's a rare day indeed when I'm not out there for at least the better part of the morning. What I like best is that I seem to have successfully granted myself permission to play and learn while I create. Gone is the entirely self imposed expectation that everything I do must be 'good' - something, that if I chose to show other people, would not be embarrassing to me. It's been a long battle, that one, but so freeing to have achieved!
To set the stage, I usually have 3 or 4 pieces on the go at once, in varying stages of 'doneness'. This allows me to keep the creative flow going while I'm waiting for a layer to dry - yes, patience is a struggle and this really helps LOL. I had already decided that yesterday was the right time for making 'the bold move' a la Tara Leaver's wise words. Then I decided to work with a colour that I don't normally use - a confident, bold orange created by mixing primary magenta with hansa yellow medium.
I painted a ground of bright aqua green mixed with a smidge of phthalo blue. On this I outlined several circles of varying sizes that would then be painted orange. Of course, the orange over the aqua background dulled the colour down considerably so I needed to paint the circles white before they could be orange. Here the large circle is orange on top of aqua whereas the two smaller ones were painted white first, then orange. Not sure yet where this will end up!
While I was waiting for layers to dry I started eyeing some of the other pieces I had on the go and decided to spread the orange to them as well. Because this mixture is quite transparent, it acts more like a glaze enhancing the underlying work. It certainly breathed new life into one piece and showed potential for a whole new direction in another. I think I'll save that for another post though as this one has gone on long enough and it's time to head to the studio!
Update: threw some more paint at it and have left it here for now.
I've long held to the nagging suspicion that I was getting in my own way creatively - that the art within me was constrained by the space I had restricted myself to work in. So I decided to put myself to the test this spring.
After researching as many viable options as I could think of I decided to move my art space from my desk in the front room out to the unused half of our garage. Bought an inexpensive rug to protect the concrete from spilled paint, had my favourite carpenter hang a sheet of painted plywood (with an added on ledge) on the wall, bought a portable 6 ft table and started moving my art supplies out there. A small investment in time and money to see whether or not I had been fooling myself.
Best decision, Sue! I'm now 6 weeks into my new studio and have learned and played and created more over that time than I have in the previous 2 years. I love the physical 'stepping out' into my work space. I've already added some additional mobile storage and will plan on investing in a small portable heater when the time comes so that I can extend my studio time as late into the fall as possible. Also a rolling desk chair so the upholstered Queen Anne can be retired to the basement once again!
Between the side window and open doors, I'm happy with the amount of light. With the surrounding trees the studio stayed comfortable even through this most recent heat wave.
