We have all experienced artistic heartbreak and it is never fun. Heartbreak comes in the form of rejection from an art show, a painting that doesn’t work, a workshop is full and you knew it was to be your breakthrough workshop or when you entered the studio only to find yourself totally lost for something to create.
Here are some ideas to overcome those occasional trips to the tissue box.
1. Know these times come to all of us…..you are not special.
2. Rejection from shows can be a real downer. I was rejected from every show I entered for a full year. I wondered what it would take to finally get accepted. I wondered what the judges were looking for. I wondered if I was any good.
2. Perhaps the workshop that was to be the “one” is only the one to lead you to the real breakthrough workshop.
3. That painting you thought was coming along with fabulous color and design died a sudden death right before your eyes. There are several ways to look at this and several ways to handle the situation so it isn’t such a big deal.
First, ask yourself why did it die? Was the design off? Were your colors not working? Did you overwork the painting? Or perhaps it died because it never had life.
1. When the design is not strong the painting will never be successful…..even with wonderful color.
2. We tend to overwork a painting when we don’t know what to do with it. We move the paint around in hopes something will happen. Overworked paintings look tired.
3. Now we come to the big one…..the painting never had life to begin with. How does this happen? I ask you…..if you don’t have a good idea of what you want your painting to say or how is should look, design and color wise, then how can you make it into something great?
Begin each painting with these ideas in mind:
Develop your design until it is solid. Remember developing your design can possibly take more time than the actual painting time.
Limit your colors to five (black and white are free). You can expand your colors when you have mastered the first five selected colors.
Have a really good idea of what you want your painting to say. Is it to have a happy mood, sad mood, high key, low key, cool value, warm value, etc. The more you know the easier it is to express.
Before you approach the paper or canvas take time to be still and breathe in order to center your mind and spirit.
Hope these tips help……let me know.