If someone had told me this time last year that right now I would be thinking about painting oils on aluminium panels, or painting fish on rice paper, or applying for a solo show at a museum, or operating an online store and running contests on my Facebook business page, I would have checked their drink! I have written about the pandemic before, and I realize that a lot of people have suffered and are still suffering because of it, be it because they lost a loved one, a job or a place to live, or because they deeply miss seeing some of their family members. I also realize that I am one of the lucky ones, having only had to suffer the inconvenience (or is it?) of on-line instead of in-person shopping, of shortened or canceled trips, or of feeling slightly depressed because we are forced to stay cooped up at home and unable to go anywhere. And I realize that is nothing. And I continue to hope that the future will be brighter, although lately the news has been anything but! I think I have used this gift of time wisely. I wonder sometimes what it would have been like had I not discovered art a few years ago. What would I have spent my days doing? I find that I can’t help being grateful for the time that was given to me, and certainly grateful for all the things I have learned this year. I have always liked learning, and I guess I expected that would fade with age. Instead, I find myself discovering new things every day! So much that I have to make myself stop, because the list of things I want to try just keeps getting longer! I have always liked watercolors. There is just something about their look that attracts me. I was always told that watercolors were very difficult, so that may be why I waited so long before trying them. It turns out that, like anything else worth learning, they aren’t easy, but they aren't really difficult either. One of the things I discovered that made me like watercolors even more was how clean the whole process is. There is only water, paper, and paint. The paint doesn’t stain most surfaces, including clothing, and no harsh solvents are required for cleanup. Water and occasionally a little soap and you’re done! Whenever I heard about oil painting, it always involved solvents, and smells, and goo, and staining. And don’t even mention acrylics! Want to ruin some brushes? Try acrylics! So I had pretty much decided that oils were not in my future. Until, that is, I heard about water miscible oils. Seriously? Oil paint that cleans up with water? Yes, it really does exist! So I broke down and got a starter set and it turns out they are pretty fun! Messier than watercolor for sure, but there are certain things you can only do with oil paint, so that was a fun discovery. I am pretty sure I won’t be abandoning watercolors any time soon, but I think there is still much discovery ahead for me in oils. I also liked the look of pastels, but they were a total mystery to me. I mean how can you achieve such beautiful paintings as Degas’ dancers with little bits of chalk? Before the pandemic, a friend and member of the Art Ayer’s Cliff group who does beautiful work in pastels had given us a tutorial. My takeaway? “Messy!” All that dust! Until I saw some videos of pastel artists and their setups and thought, “OK, I might try this again...”. So, again, I found some starter sets, added a few other supplies (hey, what else do I have to spend my money on, right?) and tried those out. Again, watercolor doesn’t need to worry I will be abandoning it, but I am liking working with pastels. I love the way you can layer colors, both in broad and tiny strokes. The biggest issue I found, as with oils, is what to do with the paintings after they are done. With watercolor, you just put it in a pile in a drawer, or maybe matte it and put it in a frame or even a clear bag. With oil, you have to let it dry. For months! Then varnish it! Which, it turns out, looks a lot easier to do than it is. With pastels, you have to protect the surface because that powder is just a flick or a smudge away from ruin. So special spray fixative is necessary, then glassine sheets (which are incredibly hard to find!), then perhaps a frame with glass and a mat, but at the very least something to ensure the surface can’t get rubbed. Bother!! So now there’s Sumi-e ink painting to learn. But first I have to complete the watercolor for the contest I ran last month. Then the two commissions that came in since then. And of course there’s pouring watercolors, which could be just the technique I need to do one of those commissions. Then there’s my Black & White series that I want to continue. I just saw something yesterday that gave me a great idea for the next painting in that series. Then if my exhibition project gets accepted I will have to work on preparing that... Thank goodness I have support at home! I was watching an interview of an artist yesterday with her husband by her side. What a wonderful partnership they seem to have! I know of artists who don’t have support from their spouses, and I can’t imagine being where I am today without the support I have had from mine. He actually studied art, which I didn’t, so his opinions are very valuable to me. I know that when I ask for advice or for a critique of my work he will be truthful, yet kind, of course. He is also handy! He has made me an easel, a custom shelf and a paint box for my oils, as well as frames and assorted storage accessories, for which I am grateful every day. He does, however, have concerns about the floor of my small studio collapsing from the weight of my ever growing collection of supplies. Legitimate, I would say! So, what is holding you back from exploring art? I would love to read your comments!
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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