I have been in a creative funk the last month. I feel as though I have been forcing myself to paint so that I have another distraction to keep me dealing with what I really need to be focusing on. I haven't really been intentional with my time or my creative process. Because of this, I have decided to challenge myself to paint (big or small) for thirty days straight.
I typically start by scouring magazines for inspiration on color, texture and composition. With this challenge, however, I am forcing myself to find inspiration from other sources and study other artists and why I love their work. I want to grow myself and my skill though this month of trial and error. I want to discover what I love about my own work, and how, through analyzing others' work, I can incorporate change into my own work and push myself from my comfort zone.
I have painted landscapes for years and enjoy painting them loosely so that they are more open to interpretation. I love looking at Emily Jeffords' pieces. She uses the most beautifully soft colors and mixes her paint with each stroke which allows her to incorporate hundreds of colors on each canvas. Each brush stroke is it's own being...no two are ever alike. Her strokes appear delicate and fluid and her paintings are sure to inspire. Living in Texas allows me the privilege to witness some of the most spectacular wide-open views of land, sunsets and sunrises. Because of this, I'm drawn to those palettes while painting landscapes. I'll be pushing myself back into landscapes this month after taking quite a long sabbatical from them.
Kelly Ventura is a master a watercolor. She creates the most amazing loose florals and abstracts in color palettes that I swoon over. I find watercolor to be the hardest medium to work with; it's unpredictable, moody, and has a mind of its own. It forces me to give up control. I love it and I hate it...well, maybe it hates me.
I'm sure some days I will ask myself why I started this. I know, it's only 30 days, but that seems like a lifetime to me at this moment. Motherhood, a part-time job, a puppy, and life tend to get in the way of my art, but I am determined.
Follow along as I study, experiment, and push myself to grow as an artist over the next four weeks. Let's do this!