I recently bought a new book called Brave Intuitive Painting by Flora Bowley and I love it. She has included some really good exercises that are going to push me far outside my comfort zone but will help me develop and grow as an Artist. The one I chose to work on first was an adaptation of 'to practice non-attachment'- something I find really hard to do. If I paint/draw something I like, I will do everything I can to work around it and save it which usually means I end up sacrificing the rest of the painting/drawing. I'm too afraid that if I cover it up, that I will never be able to replicate it but playing it safe means I will never know how much further it could have gone.
So I primed two 9" x 12" hardboards and began painting, switching between the two. First I used colours and drips. Then I move onto shapes. Then back to block colours. I just kept building up layers. I'm going to be honest with you though...it was an uncomfortable, but enjoyable exercise. The logical side of my brain kept saying 'Why are you covering that part up? It looked fine! You're going to run out of so much paint doing this.' But I fought it. Ignored it. And kept painting.
Working on two paintings at the same time is such a great idea, not only for the obvious reason of having time for each to dry in between. But also because a lot of the time I have more than one idea and direction- which can get muddled up in a single painting. This way I can separate them out and work on two different, but related ideas at the same time. I mean, imagine these two paintings being compressed into one. I doubt it would have worked; but separated they both have their own personalities and moods.
Neither of these are finished and there are parts I like. Part I LOVE. And parts I don't like. But these two paintings serve as an on-going experiment to become a braver and stronger Artist so maybe I will never finish them. Only time will tell :)
Rhiannon xx
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