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| Manhattan Bistro Oil on Linen 12x12" |
Another good blogpost from Robert. I can truly relate to this one as I have been taking more time to paint even small paintings. That's because I am layering with glazes. I do have to put my heart into it and I guess that's good. The challenge is like Robert says, to paint it slow and keep it fresh.....
Slow down to speed up
August 3, 2012
Dear
Randy,
It's warm and muggy beside this froggy pond. I'm the shiny guy
wearing the Deep Forest Off. Nearby, an Oregon towhee rummages in the
undergrowth. In the distance, a barred owl is being harassed by resident
robins. With no immediate obligations and practically no guilt, I'm moving
slower than a spotted slug.
After years of jumping directly into painting, these days I've
been casually drawing things out with a soft pencil. Also, trying to please
myself, I'm judiciously glazing work in progress with red oxide--a colour I've
previously found unpleasant.
Funnily, Irene Feeney of Roscommon, Ireland, just wrote, "I'm
one who struggles to be pleased. I'm also speedy; I complete a painting in a
day where another person might take weeks. It may be that my attention to
detail is not so accurate, but I like to work fast. I find it hard to work at
one section; I look at the whole painting as I work. Maybe this is something I
need to harness. Do you think this may be my downfall?"
Thanks, Irene. I'm not going to comment on your downfall, but I do
have a few thoughts on fast and slow. The virtue of a painting may not be
accuracy, but feeling. Further, taking your time to feel what you're painting
is more important than speedy delivery. In both feeling and execution, some
folks are naturally faster than others. That you have identified yourself as
one of the speedy is just great.
Speedy painters tend to do fresher work than pokey ones. On the
other hand, they are also responsible for a lot of the messy stuff you see out
there. Just for the sake of change, you might try forcibly slowing down. It's
the "extra time" concept. It has something to do with gently living
in the present and focusing on the potential of the work at hand. It can be
done at the edge of a froggy pond or in a studio sanctuary. One needs to become
aware of the relative time between stroking and contemplating. "Look three
times, think twice, paint once," is a time-honoured shibboleth. Here's the
ploy: Make a work of art that looks like it was done freshly and quickly--but
take a long time to do it.
Best regards,
Robert
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