This is the week that, but for COVID, I would have been in a painting class in Provence with Maggie Siner. It's been an annual tradition for me most years over the past decade, and I've come to rely on it as a re-boot and source of inspiration for ongoing work. This year I am having to reach deep within to find my own kick start.
Merriam Webster defines the term "kick start" as a way "to give new energy to [something]". New energy is definitely a prerequisite to a satisfying painting practice. A serious painter is always seeking new challenges, new ways of seeing, and new ways of creating. That may involve using new materials, or using old materials in new ways.
As for me, I have been working with some new materials. For one thing, I have been exploring the world of drawing more deeply than in the past. I have drawn with charcoal, with marker, with pencil, with conté. Each of these has a different touch, and makes a different mark. And I have drawn on different surfaces, ranging from "laid" paper (which has a ridged surface) to smooth art paper to plain ole newsprint. The variation is enough to keep me alert and to keep me from falling into a rut.
Previously I tended to think of drawing as merely a preparatory step for painting. Now I am trying to think of drawing as an end unto itself. It's actually quite satisfying, and I find that I can explore new ideas more quickly than in paint. I'm illustrating this post with a few of my drawing efforts. Stay tuned for upcoming posts on other new materials being deployed in the studio...
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