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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

JUST DO IT


Back to blogging.


I took a short break to teach al workshop on how to paint a picture. The good part of the workshop was that the students were all very different but excited about doing something they could hang on their wall. (That's always the case though).


Three major questions arose from the class.


Without a doubt the scariest idea was " what do I paint"?


Number two was, "how do I get started"?


Number three, "now what do I do"?


It's like driving a car.


Find a car to drive and get over your fear.


Make sure it's a car you like.

Get in and start it up... put it in gear and, the rest takes care of itself.


Oh, sure you'll bang it up before you really learn how to drive but two or three times around the block and your ready to head down the highway.


Remember, there is always something new to learn. The highway is full of people just like you. Skill comes with a lot of hard work and experimentation. You must work at it daily before you do it well. The hardest part is if you don't know what a car is, you have to go out and look around. There's a lot to look at, and confusion will set in.


Decide in the beginning what kind of painter you want to be. Look around at other paintings; figure out what makes them work; do small sketches to feel out the darks and lights; then do it. Work on interesting compositions and color placement. Go to workshops and let someone coach you. Everyone needs a coach.


Your desire to paint will lead to your expertise.


More later,


Cloyd