Monday, March 17, 2014

Lemons, Wine Bottle and Cookbook Finished Watercolor


     Would you like to know the process I go through when I am making a painting? First I wander around with an idea in my head, until I start sketching. I do several little, bitty sketches (the proper name for these sketches are thumbnails). In the sketches I try out different arrangements of the things  and different layouts. This usually gives me an idea of what I want to say in the painting. Once I've chosen my thumbnail sketch, I draw it much larger on my watercolor paper. 

Once I start to paint an internal dialogue begins between me and my inner art critic. Thankfully, in the beginning stages of my painting, I usually like the painting and praise myself on my artistic skills. Then about mid way through the painting, I decide I should have been a science major and become a neurosurgeon. A few minutes later I usually give up and eat lunch or sweep the floor deciding I will not paint ever again. About 5 minutes later, I can't help myself and I go look at my painting and decide its not as bad as I thought it was and I am going to add a few more colors and brushstrokes. Then wooosh an hour  or three go by and I am lost in my private painting world and its just me, the brush and the paint and the critic must have gone out for a walk. Finally, sometime later, the painting is finished. I usually walk away at that point because I am no longer objective. 

When I return to the painting later or the next day, I see it fresh and decide what I like and what I don't like and what I can improve. A few more touches, its done. Or so I think.......

2 comments:

Polly Birchall said...

Very intriguing listening to your thought process

Nancy Holtz said...

Great painting Barbara! Love the colors and the still life or "nsture morte" combination as the French say.