A-to-Z blog challenge: Step W - action steps (part 7: the last decision)

 

The last decision is sometimes the most difficult to make for many artists. I am no different. And that is the decision to stop fiddling. The painting is done and it is time to stop.

Knowing when that happens, requires stepping back and leaving the painting alone for a day or three. I usually cover it up too. If the painting it still drying, I will add clips to the easel to keep the dust cloth away from the drying surface. It will still allow airflow for drying, but covering it up takes it off my mind in a manner of speaking.

Overworking a painting can destroy many hours or weeks of work, so that decision to stop is crucial. I have been known to spot a flaw and fix it. Stuff like a spot of dust on a dark area, or a hair in a light area. I have very long hair, and it will show so I will fix that. But no touching the painting otherwise. After three days I will remove the dust cloth.

At that point my gut would tell me that it is finished. This gut feel comes with experience, and is impossible to explain. I just know it's done.

Signatures are not allowed on the front of competition paintings, so I will sign it on the back. Once I sign my initials, to my creative brain the project is done and I can move on to the next.

Until tomorrow!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step V - action steps (part 6: time management)

 Welcome back to my blog, and thank you for sticking around during the challenge. Since I am writing about my process of creating a painting for a competition, you have undoubtedly noticed the lack of photos. Today, I will share another of my paintings to show more of my artwork.

Back to the process! Creating art is different from my day job, where I can plan my time with better control since I know how long it takes to do the tests. I don’t do the same tests every day because not all tests apply to all the equipment we test, but we know how long each test will take.

Planning and managing time to create art is more of an art than engineering. LOL! However, I have been painting large and small pieces for many years, so I have a good idea of how long each step or task will take. Because every piece is unique, there are some unknowns, for sure, and for that, I make allowances during my planning.

Impressionistic lotus flower
 - acrylic on canvas panel

But life happens. I get sick. Work takes more of my time. My book’s editing is not on schedule. My commissions are not up to my clients’ expectations. All of these things can and do happen to all of us in some form or another.

It is important not to get overwhelmed because dealing with everything will be more difficult. I have written about my process of dealing with feeling overwhelmed, so I am aware of my “symptoms” when it is about to strike me down.

And it will happen. The important thing is to have a plan in place to help, which I do. This plan is also part of my schedule because deadlines are involved in both my work and my creative projects.

Missing the submission deadline for a competition is definitely something that can be avoided by being prepared for the unexpected as much as possible.

Until tomorrow!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step U - action steps (part 5: the devil is in the details)

 

It is time to get into the details. At this point, I will remove the taped items to focus on painting the details. These items can be bulky or need to be adhered to the panel after painting so that there are no gaps or halos.

Halos are those white or light-coloured lines you can see surrounding subjects in photos or where a painted area does not cover the background colour properly. It is usually a good idea to avoid these unless, of course, you want them. I'm not fond of those halos, so I will avoid them as much as possible.

The notes made during the non-painting stage are now considered for any adjustments or changes. This stage of the painting will take the longest because it is very important to ensure that the outcome will reflect the painting I have envisioned.

Until tomorrow!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step T - non-painting tasks (part 3: assess, record, and update)

Staring at the painting is not very productive, although it is important to do so. To make the effort useful, it is time to make notes. Using my sketchbook with the original thumbnails and planning, I can make notes with words or drawings, on the things I am seeing that need adjustment. It not the time to do the work. It is the time to think about the things that needs to be fixed or changed. Make the notes and they will not be forgotten.

It is also useful to take a picture with my phone, print it out and stick it into the sketchbook as part of the assessment process.

Now the notes and thoughts are recorded, it is time to step away altogether. Do something else like read a book, because my brain needs the time to assimilate the painting. But before I read that book, it is time to have a look at the planning.

The competition runs from 1 April to 30 September. My plan is to start work on the painting on 1 June. It will give me four months to do the work, but more importantly, it gives me time to make sure that other tasks, like the final editing of my next novel, will have my focus for May. April is for writing, so I am focusing on that. Focus is important because it helps to get things done more efficiently.

So updating the planning after that first steps of painting will then happen to make sure that I will make that deadline without adding more stress to my life.

I am sure your life is as busy as mine, and if you struggle with managing the tasks taking up the hours of your day, I can recommend a new book by Cal Newport, Slow Productivity.

And a planning method called, The Twelve Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, is definitely also worth looking at.

In the next post I will get back to the action steps for the painting.

Until tomorrow!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step S - non-painting tasks (part 2: doing art by doing nothing)

 

Doing nothing when creating a painting really comes down to taking a step back and assessing the work done. Being enthusiastic about a project is a good thing, but sometimes, taking a moment can prove to be a very important step.

Painting is a close-up process. I stand at the easel, my hand probably resting on the panel while painting or adding mixed media elements to the surface. Being so close means that I cannot see the whole. The rule of thumb is to stand back at least three times the distance of the largest dimension of the artwork to see the whole.

Small pieces are easy; you can simply take one step and see the whole, but painting anything over 50cm will require some more distance.

Not looking at the painting for a day and then coming in and assessing it at that three-times distance will provide information not always easy to spot from close proximity while painting.

What do I see when I stand back?

- do the colours blend as I want them to

- are all the elements in the composition in the right place

- is there enough contrast

- do the mixed media elements provide the impact I want

- and more

When viewing the painting from a distance, you can see a multitude of details, which can tell you a lot about it.

What to do next? Please stick around for the next post.

Until tomorrow!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

 

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step R - non-painting tasks (part 1: taking a break)

 

At this point during the process you might think that I would be in a hurry to finish. Unless I am behind schedule, this would actually be a good time to take a break. Take a breath. Even with limited time, doing a large art project does take a lot from me.

With so many things on my plate, taking a breather is not just a good idea, it is essential for my physical and mental health.

At this point in April, I am already deep into writing the first draft of my next novel. My painting will not be at the same stage as what I am relaying here in these posts, mostly because the deadline is still a few months in the future.

However, I have another novel scheduled for release later in the year, making the coming months just as busy from a creative perspective. A new novel requires marketing too and all of these tasks require time, which means planning. And that includes taking breaks: from painting, writing and work.

But taking a painting break does not mean doing nothing. More on that in the next post.

Until Monday!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step Q - action steps (part 4: preparing mixed media elements)

 

Slapping paint on a panel is fun, but adding non-traditional mixed media elements allows me to really let the creative juices flow.

Because of all the planning done beforehand, this is the time to pull out the tools, brushes, paints, stamps, and stencils and do the work. Preparing these elements can take hours or days and should not be rushed.

If I am not sure that my choice of colour or technique achieves the goal of the composition, I will prepare a second one. The leftover item will not be wasted whether I use the original idea or the alternative.

Adhesion of these items can be a challenge. Many materials like paper can be stuck to the panel with gel medium. Other items may need glue or even nails. All of the aspects involving materials not typically found in an art store have their own challenges that I have to take into account during both the planning and execution stages of the painting.

When these items are finished, or mostly finished, I tape them to the panel in their respective positions. Then, it's time to take a break.

Until tomorrow!

🇿🇦💜 Linzé