Slowing Down Through Process
Hello all!
It is now three weeks into January and I am just as far along into the Strada 31 Day Painting Challenge. The challenge consists of painting or drawing something from life everyday for the month of January. (Refer to last week’s post or HERE for more details!!) Once in a while, we all need gentle pushes in the right direction, and this is one personal nudge.
It has made (and sometimes forced) me to create and stay motivated in the painting field. This is what I had anticipated and really hoped for in seeking a more consistent painting schedule. What I didn't necessarily expect, though is to slow down.
Let me explain…
Painting everyday has created a lot of questions that I normally have while painting, and (while doing so very consistently) has required me to really think about how I paint.
And the effect of thinking about what colors I mix, what brushwork I make, and what I put a stroke next to has slowed down my painting time. I think all artists or people seeking to have a better understanding of anything need to do this from time to time.
I did this most apparently in this floral still life seen in this post. I broke up painting this piece into 3 sessions, allowing myself to critique it slowly and figure out is what it truly needed; patterns.
Repeated motifs (or patterns) have always fascinated my eye. They are something artistic, descriptive, and universal. I hope to embed more patterns into my paintings in the future and hope you enjoy these process photos!
Have a colorful day,
xxCass
