Acrylic Painting Lessons & Techniques
Myth #3 - “Working on Paintings”
I am a great believer in something called “EFFORTLESS ACCOMPLISHMENT”.
The best paintings I have done happened by themselves and so quickly,
that I hardly had time to really get into it. Fortunately, I stopped
early enough not to destroy them. Working on paintings implies a
number of things. Firstly, it implies that you are doing it instead
of serving it and allowing it to happen. Next, it implies the exertion
of enormous effort and energy. Painting should give us energy and
uplift us. The term “work” has little to do with JOY or
LOVE. Paintings that are “worked on” look labored and
lack spontaneity with all its wonderful accidents. They look forced
and unnatural. Where the idea of “working on paintings”
originated, I do not know. When a painting turns into “work”,
it’s time for a coffee or a walk. The heart of what I’m
trying to say here is that painting is about you and I receiving,
not throwing ourselves at the thing in some kind of “labor
of love” or some such thing. The painter is the first recipient
of the joy, excitement and energy the painting offers as it emerges.
When its really working, WE ONLY RECEIVE and are never “worn
out” but always uplifted and renewed!
PAINTING=JOY PAINTING=JOY PAINTING=JOY
This should become burned into your minds
and hearts until the two words mean the same thing and become synonymous
with each other!
I know that some of you don’t believe this and maybe have
lots of proof that it’s hard work. Maybe you need to burn up
that belief with a lot of effort, but I can’t see how it would
then be anything but a CHORE! IF SO, WHY DO IT? When we first learn
to ride a bicycle, our legs may hurt a bit and muscles we haven’t
used may ache a little, but the JOY of the riding experience is
so exciting that we pay no mind to any minor discomforts. It is
the same with painting. When we first begin, we may make a few errors
and beat ourselves up a bit, maybe even worry some, but hopefully
we will experience moments of “stepping back”, relinquishing
control, and being
SURPRISED! When you truly experience the JOY of it and it gets into
your blood, you’re hooked, forever!
Lastly, “working on paintings” implies control, struggle and force in an attempt to direct, and steer the outcome leaving no possibility of surprise. It is an attempt to coerce the results into something we have in mind leaving no possibility for anything new. A painting labored on for 15-20 hours has little chance of having any “life”, whereas a 5 minute painting by a child whose just having fun, can be brim full of life, vitality, joy and authenticity. It’s odd, isn’t it?
Finally, “working on paintings” implies a “one man show”, but truly inspired pieces are a collaboration between the artist and his INSPIRATION!
"Art is a collaboration
between God and the artist, and the
less the artist does, the better” -Andre Gide
Next >> Myth #4 The Insatiable Need for Results
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