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Monday, November 8, 2010

NO THINKING ALLOWED, A Pledge



I get so aggravated with myself when I fall into the thinking trap. Thinking is bad and must be banned from the artist's studio. I've known that for a long time, but I forgot. So I'm making a sign and hanging it on the door: NO THINKING ALLOWED.

NO MORE THINKING about the business of art. That is best left to an agent,(whoever she may be).

NO MORE THINKING about Mice. And how the painting is shoving me towards Photorealism and I don't want to go there. So I haven't. The thought of Photorealism shut me down and has kept me away from the painting for weeks. It's pastries for cryin' out loud. They're fun. Forget about precision airbrushing and grab that brush and go after that cupcake.

NO MORE THINKING how other artists work. No more looking around. No more comparisons. No more judgments made. what's theirs is theirs. What's mine is mine. Mine comes first.

And for God sake CUT THE WRITING.

We had a guy we worked with for more than twenty years in design/build. He was my main guy. He was instrumental in constructing my residential designs. Best thing he ever said at a meeting that was dragging on adnauseum was "Are we just going to stand around and talk it done?"

That's what blogging is. Talking. And I've done enough for one morning.

7 comments:

  1. Whoa, wise words from that male... lol... Being too critical of oneself can put a damper on creating, that's for sure... Just let it flow...

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  2. This is real great I love your thoughts on this. Have you read the book Art&Fear? . I highly recom. this book. I've read it and re-read it. It has helped me so much, do do exactly that..Stop thinking about what other Artists do. What I have to offer is exactly that.

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  3. Thanks Melanie, I'll order it today. Maybe it'll help me stop avoiding the direction this painting seems to want to go? Photorealism is just so tedious--and we do have excellent cameras these days.

    And Chrissy, blogging does invite self criticism. An interesting thing though. When I publish a drawing/painting that took me longer than a half hour, the translation points out flaws very clearly that I then correct. Seeing the work translated into photographic form is a pretty good tool for check and balance.

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  4. @Linda: true at what u said but isn't it up to the eye of the beholder? what u may not like, someone else will...

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  5. Good piece - I would love that on my door too :). Have fun with your brush and cupcake. Go Linda!

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  6. Dear Linda,
    The wonderful drawing! That's it! Just do it. Personally, I think nothing, when I do drawing and painting. Creating something is my answer for myself about what art is, nothing else. Individual answer is different! Go, Linda, make it and find it!
    Cheers, Sadami

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  7. I do stand in awe of people who can create a painting that looks like a photograph. And before photography, and certainly during the early years of photography, an exact likeness in painting was all you had of a person. But don't you think that is why the Impressionists had such a hard time... Even though their work was (is) chuck full of feeling and emotion - it was so different - so "unrealistic". Our idea of "art" has changed so much, and even though being able to duplicate photographic exactness is still amazing, the question is - is it REALLY necessary - when photography is an amazing art form these days all on its own?

    I also find that when I make a mistake, I say, OK, I've ruined it, now I can experiment and be "free". And that part of my art work is usually far better. LOL Our minds really screw us up at times.

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